Massive forklift ‘Trackzilla’ leads Iron County’s 1st Construction Innovation Parade

CEDAR CITY — A two-hour procession of massive construction equipment made its way across Iron County on Friday. The parade made its way from InnovaTech’s facility at the northern end of Iron Springs Road to state Route 56, after which it went through Cedar City and headed south until reaching BZI headquarters in Kanarraville. At many locations along the way, crowds of onlookers watched, many of them documenting the occasion with their cellphones. According to a BZI news release, the inaugural Construction Innovation Parade was intended to “celebrate BZI and InnovaTech’s world-class construction and innovation technology with equipment that services many of the top brands and most significant construction projects in America.” The first piece of equipment featured in the parade was the XR50100-G, popularly known as Trackzilla. One of world’s largest forklifts, Trackzilla has the capability of lifting 50,000 pounds 100 feet in the air. Among the other machinery showcased in the parade were SiteCast 100, which is part of the novel InnovaCast system for on-site concrete wall casting, and MezzMaster 200, the latest version of the proprietary telehandler technology for lifting roof and mezzanine panels. James Barlow, CEO of BZI said both Trackzilla and MezzMaster 200 will soon be heading to Savannah, Georgia, where they will be used in the construction of a new manufacturing facility for electric automobile batteries. The InnovaCast equipment, meanwhile, will be used for upcoming construction in BZI’s Innovation Park within the Commerce Crossroads inland railport, which had its groundbreaking last August. “The SiteCast 100 system will stay here in Cedar City and be used to build our first spec building ‘Nautilus 1’ inside the BZI Innovation Park,” said Spencer Douglas, BZI’s chief marketing officer. “The Construction Innovation Parade is our way of saying thank you to our dedicated team members, partners, government, dignitaries, and local community that continually support us and our vision,” Barlow said in the press release. “The parade isn’t just about new construction technology – it’s a celebration of the massive growth and opportunities that Iron County and Cedar City, Utah provide globally.” After the parade, hundreds of people, including BZI and InnovaTech employees and their families, along with government officials, gathered at the BZI headquarters for lunch. Outside behind the headquarters building, operators demonstrated the capabilities of Trackzilla and other large lifting equipment. Those interested in following Trackzilla’s journey from Utah to Georgia can follow @trackzilla on Instagram or check BZI’s Facebook page for updates. “Innovation is the core of InnovaTech, where we consistently challenge the status quo to make the impossible possible,” InnovaTech lead engineer Worth Bistline said im the news release. “Trackzilla is a great example of this commitment. We worked closely with our valued partner, Xtreme Manufacturing, to create a monster machine telehandler with dimensions that push industry records. I can’t wait for it to travel from Utah to Georgia and finally be used by teams in the field.” A 30-second montage of video clips supplied by BZI (without audio) is embedded below, followed by a LinkedIn post made by Barlow: Photo Gallery The massive forklift known as Trackzilla prior to the start of BZI/InnovaTech’s Construction Innovation Parade, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News The massive forklift known as Trackzilla prior to the start of BZI/InnovaTech’s Construction Innovation Parade, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Vehicles carrying massive construction equipment are lined up at the start of BZI/InnovaTech’s Construction Innovation Parade, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Vehicles carrying massive construction equipment are lined up at the start of BZI/InnovaTech’s Construction Innovation Parade, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Vehicles carrying massive construction equipment are lined up at the start of BZI/InnovaTech’s Construction Innovation Parade, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Vehicles carrying massive construction equipment are lined up at the start of BZI/InnovaTech’s Construction Innovation Parade, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Vehicles carrying massive construction equipment are lined up at the start of BZI/InnovaTech’s Construction Innovation Parade, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Vehicles carrying massive construction equipment are lined up at the start of BZI/InnovaTech’s Construction Innovation Parade, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News The massive forklift known as Trackzilla passes the intersection of SR-56 and Iron Springs Road, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A procession of BZI/InnovaTech construction equipment passes the intersection of SR-56 and Iron Springs Road, Iron County, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News The massive forklift known as Trackzilla leads a procession of BZI/InnovaTech construction equipment along Coal Creek Road, Cedar City, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A procession of BZI/InnovaTech construction equipment makes its way along Coal Creek Road, Cedar City, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A procession of BZI/InnovaTech construction equipment makes its way along Coal Creek Road, Cedar City, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News A procession of BZI/InnovaTech construction equipment makes its way along Coal Creek Road, Cedar City, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Employees of BZI and affiliated companies, along with family members, watch a demonstration of Trackzilla and other construction equipment during a lunchtime celebration, Kanarraville, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News James Barlow, CEO of BZI, speaks with Cedar City News during the lunchtime celebration that followed the Construction Innovation Parade, Kanarraville, Utah, March 15, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.