Rolling Meadows, Ill., April 27, 2017 – Forty high school students from Warren County High School in Warrenton, NC, took a 20-hour bus ride to Hastings, MN, to learn about job prospects in the construction industry and how to operate Komatsu equipment. This unusual field trip is the result of a grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation Fund.

“We are so pleased to have been granted these NCDOT Funds to educate our students about transportation and heavy equipment career opportunities that can bridge the gap between skills and the lack of trained workers in the construction industry,” said Odessa Perry, Career Development Coordinator at Warren County Schools.

The group of students (16 girls and 24 boys) learned how to operate select Komatsu machines, including wheel loaders, hydraulic excavators and crawler dozers at Extreme Sandbox. An adventure attraction that focuses on "edutainment," Extreme Sandbox gives the public—and in this case, students—the chance to see what it's like to operate heavy equipment in a 10-acre “sandbox.” The students received training and supervision from highly trained expert instructors, and learned more about the variety of job prospects in the construction industry.

“We are thrilled that the students from Warren County High School made the trip to learn how to operate our machines,” said Mike Hayes, director, distributor development, for Komatsu America Corp. “One of our goals in partnering with Extreme Sandbox was to inspire a new generation of men and women who are good with their hands to consider careers in the construction industry. It provides great employment opportunities and experienced heavy equipment operators and technicians can make six-figure incomes,” Hayes said.

Last year, Komatsu partnered with Extreme Sandbox to be the exclusive provider of heavy machinery. Extreme Sandbox’s national expansion plans and proven track record of creating memorable experiences, combined with Komatsu America’s world-class machines, national reach and global resources, has introduced a new generation to heavy machinery and an often-under-explored area for rewarding careers.

About Extreme Sandbox
Since opening its doors in April 2012, Extreme Sandbox has seen thousands of clients from around the world. With two locations, the original in Hastings, Minn. (about 30 miles southeast of the Twin Cities) and now its second location at Tanglewood Resort and Conference Center in Pottsboro, Tex., the company has 6 full-time and 4 part-time employees. The Hastings location has a 6,000 sq. ft. office/meeting and event center, and seven pieces of equipment, including a fire truck. For more information, visit www.extremesandbox.com.

About Komatsu America Corp.
Komatsu America Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary of Komatsu Ltd., the world’s second largest manufacturer and supplier of earth-moving equipment, consisting of construction, mining and compact construction equipment. Komatsu America also serves the forklift and forestry markets. Through its distributor network, Komatsu offers a state-of-the-art parts and service program to support its equipment. Komatsu has proudly provided high-quality reliable products for nearly a century. Visit the website at www.komatsuamerica.com for more information.

Komatsu^® is an authorized trademark of Komatsu Ltd. Komatsu America Corp. is an authorized licensee of Komatsu Ltd. All other trademarks and service marks used herein are the property of Komatsu Ltd., Komatsu America Corp., or their respective owners or licensees.