Ziegler Cat hosts Cat Operator Challenge in Sioux City

Yahoo

a day ago

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Ziegler Cat in Sioux City held one of three local operator challenge events in the search for the best equipment operator. Competitors were given three events to challenge their skills of balancing, adjusting, and driving.
A spokesperson from Ziegler said this a great way to let local operator show off their talents.
'It's great. It's fun. It's fun to see local people come out and show showcase their talents, and it's something that people drive past every day but don't necessarily appreciate. So the fact that we can put this on for them is great, and today is an opportunity to celebrate them and their skill sets in operating,' said Digital Marketing Manager Bryant Johnson.
One of those operators participating in the event is Kait Burds, who competed at regionals a couple years ago. While she will be competing to beat her previous performances and competitors, she says that it's just a great way to show off their skills.
'You're going to see some experienced people make mistakes. They're going to see some laughs. They'll probably see some things that look super easy, and they don't understand the level of difficulty that comes through it, but they're going to see us in our element. And a lot of times, when we're tucked away on the job, not a lot of people get to see us, and we don't really get to show off, so this is kind of a really good opportunity for that,' explained Competitor Kait Burds.
Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place and each participant also will receive a Ziegler merchandise gift card. An overall winner will be selected after the two other local events are held in June and July. That winner will be nominated to participate in the Caterpillar Regional Operator Challenge to compete for an opportunity to participate in the Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge finals at Conexpo in 2026 in Las Vegas.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.