Christopher Barnard is CEO of LeeBoy and commented, "The US has been strong. Demand is there and the infrastructure spending is there. It's a good market. In our segment for commercial paving we're doing very well." The paver range is selling well and the firm's 8520 model is a particularly strong seller. Barnard said, "We've been very successful with the new paver model, the 8520, which we introduced last year."This machine has a Tier 4 Final compliant diesel, a key feature in its strong sales. However, LeeBoy is also benefiting from the strong investment the firm made ahead of the deadlines on emissions requirements, to ensure that Tier 4 Final engines were available for the product range in the US. And he clarified that having the Tier 4 Final variants available early has helped the firm's overall sales. He said, "We've spent three years investing in Tier 4 Final compliance. That was no small feat."The new low emission engines are certainly cleaner in operation, but the extra technology for aftertreatment means they are also more costly, although this has not deterred customers. The technical challenge of installing these engines (mostly either Kubota or Cummins units in the LeeBoy range) has not been small and Barnard said, "They generate a lot of heat that you've got to cool."
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