Machine operators from across Texas recently showcased their skills during the first round of the Caterpillar 2025 Global Operator Challenge hosted at HOLT CAT in San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Andy McElvain, General Superintendent at Lindamood, Inc., in Irving, Texas, emerged as the winner after his performance at the Dallas-Fort Worth location, edging out Manuel Moreno of Corpus Christi’s JSJ Services, Inc., winner of the San Antonio competition.
McElvain will advance to the regional semifinals in North Carolina in fall 2025, along with winners of other dealer-hosted events. From there, selected finalists will compete at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 in Las Vegas, where Caterpillar will crown the event’s World Champion Operator.
“Winning the Operator Challenge was unexpected,” McElvain said. “I honestly signed up for the fun of it. My childhood passion for tractors and construction equipment in the sandbox led me to where I am today. I’ve worked in everything from utilities to demolition and excavation over the last 25 years. Although I am not on a tractor every day, I still love running equipment. This challenge was a great way to put my skills to the test and see how I stacked up.”
McElvain follows some big footsteps. In Caterpillar’s last Global Operator Challenge in 2022-2023, the winner of HOLT CAT’s San Antonio competition, John Schiedeck, CEO of Schiedeck Construction Inc. of Bastrop, Texas, won the North American Regional Finals in North Carolina and advanced to compete in the Las Vegas finals. There, he won the backhoe challenge and was part of the Americas team that won the team competition against Europe and Asia Pacific.
| Your local Wirtgen America dealer |
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| Dobbs Equipment (SC) |
The competition tests operators’ agility, precision, and control in a series of timed challenges. In each HOLT CAT location this year, 20 operators used various Caterpillar machines in three separate tests scored on safety, efficiency, accuracy, and the use of integrated technologies such as payload management and grade control.
The events included:
- Dirt Dash — Operators maneuvered a wheel loader though an obstacle course, where they were judged on precision and speed in moving dirt.
- Dunk Challenge — Operators navigated a mini excavator through the course, placing a basketball into a five-gallon bucket and setting softballs onto cones.
- Loadmaster Showdown — Using an excavator, operators scooped, swung, and loaded dirt into a dump truck, aiming for the perfect weight.
Final scores included completion time minus any penalties. HOLT CAT’s training staff served as judges, monitoring for safety violations, excessive spilling of material, hitting cones on the course, and other penalties.
| Your local Komatsu America Corp dealer |
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| Linder Industrial Machinery |
Alongside the skills challenges, each HOLT CAT location hosted an equipment expo for families and the community, with over 350 people attending each event.
In explaining the purpose of the event, Tyler Schweigert, Technical Trainer for HOLT CAT, shared his backstory. “I used to be a heavy equipment operator, and every time my wife and I drove by a project I was part of, I’d say, ‘See how good that looks? I did that.’ In this competition, you get to show off your skill and prove what you’ve really got.”
As the industry faces a growing shortage of heavy equipment operators, the competition also helps recruit and celebrate skilled trades.
“I think being able to showcase the operators’ skills helps get people in the door,” Schweigert said. “There are a lot of people where college just isn’t for them, so getting into a skilled trade could really help out. I loved being an operator. My dad retired as an operator, and my two older brothers are both still operators. It’s a great industry.”
| Your local Topcon Positioning Systems Inc dealer |
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| Linder Industrial Machinery |
The two HOLT CAT events are among more than 80 local challenges occurring worldwide throughout 2025. Thousands of operators from more than 40 countries are expected to compete, with nine finalists from regional semifinal events participating in the final competition in March 2026.
“For nearly 100 years, our customers have pushed the limits with Caterpillar equipment,” said Nathan Lowe, Vice President of Service for HOLT CAT. “The Global Operator Challenge showcases the exceptional skills of the expert men and women in this profession, who build infrastructure that grows our communities. We wish Andy luck as he competes in the regional finals!”
Photos courtesy of HOLT CAT.
