Kelly Tractor held a Cat Operator Challenge March 28 and 29, 2025, adjacent to the construction of its new Ft. Pierce branch next to I-95 in South Florida.

The challenge drew a great turnout of contestants who brought their families to enjoy a catered event, view machine displays and to see some of the best operators in the area compete for an opportunity to move on to the Caterpillar regional finals with the potential to advance to the Global Operator Challenge Finals at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2026 in Las Vegas where Caterpillar will crown one operator as World Champion.

At the event's conclusion and the score sheets were tabulated, the winners were:

• First place — Christopher Dial, Capling Leveling, Vero Beach, Fla.

• Second place — Carmen Costa Jr., Tomahawk Construction, Labelle, Fla.

• Third place — Carmen Costa Sr., Kater Company of Estero Inc., Estero, Fla.

Overall, 47 contestants competed. Company representatives also said they sold a Cat 255 compact track loader and a 302 mini-excavator because of the exposure and the various contractors in the area stopping by to visit. Lunch consisted of a fantastic BBQ lunch with all the sides.

Jamie Hoffman and the Kelly Tractor Certified Dealer Instructors team put together a course that expanded on the difficulty from the previous challenge competitions and proved to be quite a test for even the most experienced operators. It was a total team effort from marketing to demo instructors to company ownership. CEG