$325,000 grant for remote operated construction equipment

BELGRADE, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte and Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) Commissioner Sarah Swanson on Oct 25th, announced a new pilot program to hire and train veterans with disabilities to operate heavy construction equipment from a remote and accessible location.

"We have a responsibility to support those who have served our country,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Through this grant, we are empowering veterans with good-paying jobs and helping them transition after a life of service. I’m proud to join DLI in recognizing this innovative program to support our nation’s heroes."

The State of Montana came alongside Knife River and RDO Equipment Company with a $325,000 grant to support their groundbreaking pilot project to employ disabled veterans at the Knife River gravel pit in Belgrade.

“Technology can create opportunities for our veterans,” DLI Commissioner Sarah Swanson said. “With Governor Gianforte's support and the public-private partnership with Knife River and RDO Equipment Company, we are paving the way for veterans with physical limitations.”

Participating in a demonstration, the governor used the groundbreaking technology to remotely operate a John Deere loader to move gravel while seated at a control station near the work site.

The remote operation is made possible with technology developed by Teleo, an autonomous construction equipment company specializing in turning heavy construction equipment such as bulldozers, excavators, and loader dump trucks into remote-operated and supervised autonomous machines. Teleo’s technology allows machine operators to circumvent the physical limitations of job sites and instead operate from the safety and comfort of an accessible workstation.

“The latest developments in construction technology are changing the way we work from so many different angles,” said David K. Zinke, president of Knife River’s Mountain Region. “Most encouragingly, technology provided by Teleo is opening new opportunities for workforce inclusion in the construction industry.”

Knife River is currently seeking qualified applicants, veterans living with disabilities within reasonable travel distance to Bozeman, to fill two operator roles for the pilot project. These operators will be trained to run two John Deere 944K loaders equipped with Teleo technology for quarry operations.

Qualified applicants looking to learn more about employment opportunities can visit jobs.kniferiver.net.