Local Roads, Local Rebuilds: Like New For Less Cost
Republic County and Foley Equipment keep rural Kansas moving, one rebuilt Motor Grader at a time.
“People will be debating till the cows come home whether buying new or rebuilding equipment is the right thing,” says Ken Robbins, director of roads and bridges, transportation, noxious weeds, solid waste and fuel for the Republic County Highway Department. “For us, a rebuild is the right choice.”Ken’s figure of speech hits close to home in this rural stretch of Kansas, where cattle outnumber people 10 to one. Republic County might not be the most densely populated spot on the map (by humans, anyway), but it’s home to hardworking residents, lots of dirt roads and the kind of infrastructure that demands serious upkeep.
That work requires dependable equipment. Soon, a like-new Cat® 140 motor grader - the fourth rebuilt by the highway department and the 500th rebuild completed by Foley Equipment - will be back on the job, ready to put in another lifetime of service for the county.
Back roads and big expectations
In Republic County, keeping roads open isn’t just about convenience. It’s about connection. It’s how kids get to school, farmers reach feedlots and communities stay in motion across 720 square miles of north-central Kansas.
That’s a big job for Ken’s crew of 25 operators, drivers and support staff. The highway department is responsible for 1,270 miles of roads, 229 bridges and more than 7,400 culverts. A dozen motor graders, including eight Cat M Series models, take on the bulk of the work: smoothing gravel, clearing snow, cutting ditches, removing trees and repairing bridges.“There’s no lack of things to do,” says Ken, a Republic County native who recently returned home after three decades managing multimillion-dollar infrastructure projects in Alaska. Now, he’s putting that experience to work where it counts — on the ground, in the community that raised him.
Rebuilding as a strategy
When COVID hit, Republic County - like many public agencies - had to rethink its approach to equipment. Supply chains were disrupted. Lead times were stretched. Buying new often wasn’t even possible.
So Ken and his team turned to a more practical solution. What started as a stopgap - rebuilding engines, transmissions and major components - evolved into a long-term strategy built around the Cat Certified Rebuild Program.
“We prepare six-year plans for budgeting purposes, but we also have to consider the total cost of ownership across two lifecycles of each piece of equipment,” Ken explains. “Upgrading was simply a band-aid. We needed more.”With a machine rebuild, more can mean another 12 to 15 years of useful life on a Cat motor grader — and a much stronger return on investment. Ken calculates that rebuilding saves Republic County an estimated 27% compared to buying new with a trade-in and 23% versus buying new and surplusing older equipment.
Benefits beyond budget
A Cat Certified Power Train Rebuild doesn’t simply reset the hour meter to zero. It also restores like-new performance.
Foley Equipment’s Caterpillar-certified technicians disassemble each machine down to the frame, replace all critical components with genuine Cat parts and incorporate the latest engineering and technology updates. Cabs get refurbished. More than 350 inspections and tests help ensure every detail meets current Caterpillar standards. “Customers are often surprised by how comprehensive a rebuild really is,” says Ryan Standley, product support sales representative for Foley Equipment. “We’re not just swapping a few parts. We’re essentially giving them a new machine on the frame of the one they already know and trust.”
That familiarity matters. For Ken and his operators, getting back into a rebuilt motor grader means everything feels the same — only better. “What operator doesn’t like a new machine?” Ken says. “Our guys are really impressed with these rebuilds.”
An operator who’s earned it
One of those guys is Mike Wickstrum, who began working on Republic County roads in 1978 at just 18 years old. Nearly five decades later, he’s still running graders — and still earning the respect of every new hire who learns alongside him.Mike was the first to receive a rebuilt Cat motor grader when the county first began exploring the program. He was skeptical of the “like-new” claim at first. But Ken says the extended factory warranty that comes with every Cat Certified Machine Rebuild — and Foley’s commitment to addressing any issues — won Mike over fast.
Now, with the rebuilt 140 ready to roll out of the shop, it’s only fitting that Mike gets the keys once again. He’ll officially receive the machine at a Customer Appreciation Day event this June in Belleville — celebrating the motor grader’s milestone as Foley Equipment’s 500th rebuilt machine.
“Mike’s the obvious choice,” Ken says. “He’s trained a lot of the guys who work here. We value him that much — and he’s earned it.”
Rebuilt by locals, for locals
With the 140 motor grader rebuild complete, Republic County already has its fifth rebuild on the schedule for 2026 — a clear sign of confidence in Foley Equipment and the Cat Certified Rebuild process.
“There’s nothing like the smell and feel of a new machine,” Ken says. “But at close to half a million dollars, there are other options. With a rebuild, you’re in a like-new machine you’re already familiar with. And with a like-new warranty, they’ve taken the gamble out of it.”But for Ken, what matters just as much is where those rebuilds happen. “We like the fact that this work is being done right here in Kansas, where we can see it happening and talk to the people doing it,” he says. “It’s confidence-building.”
Local pride runs both ways.
“We’re proud to rebuild equipment for customers like Republic County — right here in Kansas, by experts who live and work here,” Ryan says. “This isn’t outsourced or sent across the globe. It’s 100% local, 100% Cat and 100% ready to work.”
That kind of dependability is what Republic County counts on - especially in a place where livestock outnumber locals and equipment has to earn its keep. Thanks to Foley Equipment, the highway department’s rebuilt graders are ready for the long road ahead.
1 of 8
2 of 8
3 of 8
4 of 8
5 of 8
6 of 8
7 of 8
8 of 8