Under 40 Class of 2026: Seven Rising Stars Shaping Construction Equipment

These young professionals represent the future of the construction equipment industry. The 14th annual Under 40 in Construction Equipment Awards celebrates rising talent making an impact right now. These are emering leaders solving problems, directing crews, improving uptime, managing costs, building companies, and pushing this industry forward. Our seven honorees come from paving, fleet management, heavy civil construction, shop operations, and equipment leadership. They work in the field, in the shop, in the office, and everywhere in between. Some manage hundreds of assets. Some built companies from scratch. Some train the next generation. All seven earned their spot. 

The Under 40 Awards are open to every corner of the equipment world — owners, fleet managers, operators, technicians, dealers, and support teams. We look for leadership, technical skill, dedication, creativity, integrity, and community involvement. This year’s winners prove something important. The future of construction equipment is already on the job today.

Source materials provided to Construction Equipment via nominations. 

Jon Heter, 39

Equipment Shop Superintendent, Crossland Heavy Contractors / Crossland Construction
Columbus, Kansas

Jon Heter oversees a skilled team responsible for maintaining and rebuilding equipment and trucks. His shop handles everything from preventive maintenance to full machine rebuilds, including major Cat units rebuilt in-house. Under Heter’s leadership, the operation has grown from reactive repairs to a more strategic maintenance model focused on uptime and efficiency. He’s worked as a heavy-duty truck mechanic, field mechanic, and diesel mechanic. One of his biggest accomplishments was being promoted from mechanic to shop superintendent at Crossland in 2017.

Off the clock: He enjoys family travel, working in his home shop, and four-wheeling.

Favorite media: Top Gear, classic country, bluegrass, and the film Convoy

Community involvement: Heter mentors interns and serves as a panelist for students at Pittsburg State University.

Vincent Haag, 31

Shop Foreman, Arctic Slope Regional Corp.
Anchorage, Alaska

Vincent Haag oversees the maintenance, repair, and operational readiness of more than 600 pieces of equipment supporting civil construction, vertical construction, paving, gravel pit, and crushing operations throughout Alaska. Working in some of the state’s most demanding and remote environments, he helps ensure equipment stays productive, reliable, and safe. Haag’s role includes troubleshooting complex mechanical issues, coordinating repair priorities, improving shop efficiency, mentoring younger technicians, and supporting a strong preventative maintenance program. 

Off the clock: He hunts, fishes, ice fishes, and heads into the Alaskan wild for annual moose hunts.

Favorite media: Gold Rush and construction-focused podcasts like Dirt Talks

Community involvement: Haag coaches youth hockey in Anchorage, helping hundreds of kids each year learn teamwork and discipline.

Juan G. Fernandez Rodriguez, 32

Project Cost Control Manager, OHLA USA
Santa Clarita, California

Juan G. Fernandez Rodriguez oversees financial reporting, daily equipment tracking, and ERP integration on a $400 million highway project with more than 100 pieces of heavy equipment. He has helped contractors expand into new markets, supported major transportation jobs, and improved trust in equipment data across field and executive teams. Rodriguez blends engineering discipline with real-world fleet visibility, using platforms like SAP and HCSS tools to improve allocation, maintenance planning, and cost control. He’s also worked as an assistant asphalt paving superintendent, concrete paving operations manager, and an area engineering manager. 

Off the clock: He enjoys hiking with his wife, daughter, and dog.

Favorite media: Space exploration movies

Community involvement: Rodriguez is active with civil engineering organizations in the United States and Mexico.

Brandon Latif, 30

Shop Foreman, Ruby-Collins Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia

Brandon Latif helps oversee maintenance and daily management of 354 assets supporting heavy civil and utility construction. That fleet includes trucks, cranes, excavators, loaders, dozers, off-road trucks, and mining equipment. Latif focuses on workflow, shop coordination, reliability, and supporting field crews that need iron ready to run. He also helped guide the company into a new facility built around equipment operations. His team has grown from four employees to nine during his tenure, reflecting both trust and performance.

Off the clock: He enjoys boating, fishing, and duck hunting.

Favorite media: Top Gun

Fun fact: Latif is pursuing dual citizenship in Ireland through family heritage.

Ben Harlan, 28

Owner/Operator, S&H Paving LLC
Englewood, Florida

Ben Harlan is an owner of S&H Paving and serves as strategist, estimator, operator, financial manager, and day-to-day leader. He sets direction, secures funding, manages risk, and still understands the field because he came up through every level of the business. Harlan started as a shop boy, then worked ground crews, raked asphalt, ran skid steers, operated pavers, supervised jobs, estimated work, and eventually built ownership opportunity. That full-stack background gives him credibility crews respect and customers notice.

Off the clock: He enjoys fishing with his son.

Favorite media: Another Top Gun fan in this year’s class

Community involvement: Harlan mentors young people and helps guide them toward careers and trades.

Chase Madden, 32

Prep Foreman, Hutch Paving
Warren, Michigan

Chase Madden leads a prep crew of four to five employees handling grading, catch basin rebuilds, parking lot prep, and daily site execution. He also operates equipment when needed, including dozers and excavators. In fact, Madden came into Hutch as an operator and worked his way up. He cross-trained to learn how to mill and doubles as a mill and prep foreman when needed. He stands out because he invests time in training laborers, even when it slows the short-term pace. Madden earned a certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

Off the clock: Madden enjoys baseball and time outdoors.

Favorite media: The Shawn Ryan Show

Fun fact: He was raised in a military family.

Anthony Dastoli, 27

Foreman, Town of Lewisboro Highway Department
Lewisboro, New York

Anthony Dastoli runs daily operations for a 13-person highway department, organizing crews, assigning work, and keeping jobs moving across a wide range of municipal tasks. His team handles everything from tree work and pothole repair to road grading, catch basin inspections, and full drainage replacements. Dastoli still operates heavy equipment when needed, bringing hands-on experience to every decision. He worked his way up through excavation and utility repair roles, and earning a foreman position at such a young age shows both trust and leadership. He focuses on respect, accountability, and taking pride in the fleet. Treat it right, and it works right.

Off the clock: Dastoli enjoys snowmobiling and riding quads.

Favorite media: The Sopranos

The future is already here

This class covers seven very different paths through construction equipment. Shop floor to ownership. Machine operator to field leadership. Alaska uptime battles to Florida paving crews. Looking at this crew, the industry is in good hands. Congrats to everyone.