Supervisors Select Ziegler CAT Bid for County Motor Grader

Without your donation, some stories vanish. Support Decorah News. DECORAH — The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to purchase a Caterpillar motor grader from Ziegler CAT, following a recommendation from County Engineer Michael Kueny. The board approved the purchase of a CAT 140 motor grader with a high performance circle and agreed to trade in an existing CAT machine. The net cost to the county, after trade-in, will be $362,475. Kueny told supervisors he and his department recommend staying with Caterpillar equipment, citing trade-in value, fleet consistency and in-house maintenance capabilities. "We're internally recommending the board purchase the CAT motor grader this time with the high-performance circle," Kueny said. Ziegler CAT representative Jared Bucksa presented the proposal for the CAT 140 motor grader. The machine includes a high-performance circle designed to reduce maintenance and limit water and dust intrusion. Bucksa also outlined the company's "uptime commitment guarantee," which promises next-day parts delivery or credit and a two-day repair turnaround on most service issues. A representative from John Deere also presented a proposal for a 772 motor grader, but supervisors ultimately accepted Kueny's recommendation to move forward with Caterpillar. Kueny said trade-in values played a significant role in the decision. Ziegler offered $80,000 for the county's CAT trade-in machine, which he described as a strong value. After factoring trade-ins, the CAT proposal remained roughly $27,000 higher than the Deere option, but Kueny said other considerations offset that difference. Among them were the county's existing CAT diagnostic tools, which allow mechanics to perform certain work in-house that cannot be done on other brands. Kueny also noted that the current 9.3-liter engine in the CAT 140 model matches engines already in the county fleet. Caterpillar representatives indicated future models will transition to a different engine platform, making this purchase an opportunity to maintain consistency. Kueny said he did not have detailed long-term operating cost data comparing the two manufacturers but had consulted with another county engineer who reported lower operating costs with CAT equipment. He also emphasized the importance of parts availability and service support. Supervisors discussed the close pricing and similar machine hours between the trade-in units before voting in favor of the CAT purchase. The county budgets for motor grader replacements at roughly 11,000 to 12,000 hours of use, according to Kueny. He described the bid process as thorough and said both vendors were "professional in their presentations." Fresh stories, delivered! Sign up for the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve