By Jim Hunter
Citrus County
Information
Resources Director

Two Citrus County Landfill heavy-equipment operators are the best in the state, and they recently proved it.

After competing in the annual Florida Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North American Florida Chapter Road-e-o in Polk County May 1 and 2, they returned with top honors in two main events in handling heavy landfill equipment.

Lead Heavy Equipment Operator Scott Palmer and Heavy Equipment Operator Michael Holst both took first places, Holst in the Bulldozer class and Palmer in Steel Wheel Compacter class.

Not only did they have to drive their equipment with finesse and precision against the clock – there is only a two inch clearance on either side of their big blade between obstacles -- but they had to know their machines inside out, too.

After safety classes before the competition, judges placed 10 clothes pins on different part of the machine before the competition, and the operators had to find them and explain how and why the parts needed to be maintained, as well as what kinds of problems they could cause if they weren’t.

Then the operators take part in timed events on an obstacle course, operating the blade while going forward, backward and turning between barrels laid out in an extremely tight course. Touching barrels means points lost; tipping them is worse; crunching them is fatal.
Neither Palmer nor Holst had gotten a first before, though both have competed for the last few years.

Both said they were a bit shocked but very happy when they won. Holst won an extra honor. He got the Top Gun Trophy for the highest points in the Road-e-o.

Both are now headed to the nationals, which, by lucky coincidence this year are going to be held in Florida in Pinellas County on September 18 and 19.

Their boss, Solid Waste Management Director Susan Metcalfe, said she is very proud of the pair, but they said that in light of the fact that Metcalfe will be retiring later this year after 16 years at the landfill, they want to return the favor by winning the nationals for her.

“We are going to bring back those belt buckles to Citrus County,” Palmer said with a big grin.