Rodeo winner Bill Krivoshein of Arandell Corp

Forklift operator Bill Krivoshein of catalogue production firm Arandell Corp of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin won the 12 March rodeo during the plant engineering and maintenance expo in West Allis.

Fourteen entrants from 11 companies in Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan participated in the event, which was organised by the Milwaukee area chapter of the Plant and Facilities Maintenance Association Inc of Pewaukee, Wisconsin.

Operators used a Mitsubishi FB16NT three-wheel electric forklift for stage one of the competition, and a Linde E25P 80-volt electric counterbalance sit-down forklift for the second stage in the Wisconsin Exposition Centre at the state fair park. Each of the forklifts was equipped with a Blue Safety Spotlight to promote safety.

The challenges include a slalom course requiring backward and forward movements along with a high-stack container relocation and a basketball carrying event.

For finishing first in 7 minutes 5 seconds, Krivoshein received USD500 in cash, a rodeo champion plaque and a miniature Cat forklift.

Mark Karpinen was second in 7 minutes 23 seconds, and Jason Wick was third in 7 minutes 27 seconds.

Karpinen is in the Madison, Wisconsin facility of Osmose Holdings Inc's railroad services business unit. He received a USD100 gift card and a toy Cat truck.

Wick is with printing/communication firm Color Ink Inc of Sussex, Wisconsin. He received a USD50 gift card and a toy truck.

Wolter Group LLC's materials handling equipment business unit Wisconsin Lift Truck Corp of Brookfield, Wisconsin was the primary sponsor of the rodeo. Other Wisconsin-based sponsors were Steel King Industries Inc of Stevens Point and Storage Battery Systems LLC of Menomonee Falls.

Fox6 television photojournalist Tim Primeau reported on the rodeo.