Nathan Bunting had already worked with Pacific Gas & Electric Company through his construction company, Outback Construction for several years. The family run business has been instrumental in helping the power company get their equipment into obscure areas in the state of California, United States. Many times they would have to use their track units to pull line trucks in and out of muddy or snow filled locations. During one of these trips Nathan realized that "it would be nice to have a crane" mounted to his Caterpillar dozer.

Nathan contacted Coastline Equipment, a Palfinger North America dealer, and purchased a PK29002. The PALFINGER crane, mounted on the back of his 'Cat' along with an auger is dedicated to utility work which is how it adopted its name: "Linecat." The addition to the custom engineered unit could then pull a heavy load, drill, and place poles virtually anywhere PG & E requested.

Linecat can not only drill holes to accommodate 100' poles and set them, it can also transfer power lines, doze and construct roads, and maneuver over steep, muddy, or snow covered terrain.

Features include:

• PALFINGER PK29002
• 2-person basket
• 30-gallon water storage
• Remote-controlled boom (from 400' away)
• Hydraulic tool circuit with 50' hose
• Camera and speaker system
• Pole grapple
• Lighting on all sides
• Rear-mounted winch
• 6-way dozer blade
• Automatic 2-speed auger

Nathan's idea has gained a lot of attention for its versatility, compact size, and performance. So much in fact that Nathan, President of Outback Construction, found himself President of a second company designated Linecat Incorporated. Now he not only utilizes them for their capabilities, but sells Linecats as well. The PALFINGER crane, being an integral part of the unit, was also incorporated into the company logo.

Bunting recalls a time two years ago when he received a call on New Year's Eve that would have been "Mission Impossible" for any other company. A ski resort in the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range near Lake Tahoe in California, was affected by a power outage. The resort was losing $500,000 per day with the outage. There was little hope that power would be restored before spring due to the high altitude, wind, and snow conditions that prevented helicopters from transporting poles to the location. Nathan and his crew were able to navigate through the hostile environment and set eight poles to restore power to the area within a matter of days. Linecat, Inc. continues to draw attention as proven at the latest International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) in the United States. Nathan was gratified by the reaction to his unique product as nearly fifty spectators observed an unofficial demonstration of the Linecat. The PALFINGER PK29002 also made an impact on the audience; Nathan stated that "Everyone commented on how well the crane performed."