Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesEngineering & Construction

Superior, Wisconsin Company Launches KRAKEN Machines

A Wisconsin equipment maker expands beyond forestry with a new brand built for construction, recycling, and disaster response

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Engineering & Construction teams put it to work with Partner & Channel Enablement.

By Engineering And Construction ·
Share
Superior, Wisconsin Company Launches KRAKEN Machines

Key takeaways

01

A Wisconsin equipment maker expands beyond forestry with a new brand built for construction, recycling, and disaster response

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Engineering & Construction?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Engineering & Construction coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Request an invite

Superior, WIBARKO Hydraulics, a Superior, Wisconsin-based company focused on the production of heavy equipment for forestry and logging professionals since 1963, today announced the introduction of a new equipment brand targeting a variety of non-forestry industries, including general construction, scrap/recycling and disaster mitigation, including wildfire prevention and clean-up.

President, Justin Rupar, expressed enthusiasm about the development, articulating the rationale for introducing the KRAKEN Machines brand.

"The point is growth via penetration of established markets where we know our ability to produce world-class heavy equipment is transferable. Our KRAKEN Machines brand is the manifestation of that recognition."

The point is growth via penetration of established markets where we know our ability to produce world-class heavy equipment is transferable. Our KRAKEN Machines brand is the manifestation of that recognition.
— Justin Rupar, President at BARKO Hydraulics

The company is actively working to build out the KRAKEN Machines product line-up to serve these non-forestry segments, developing a distinct and dedicated distribution network. Engineering and other professional roles will also be added. Kevin Lee, Sales Director, noted that these challenges are among the most critical.

"We're in a people-oriented business. People do business with people, not pieces of equipment. We're dedicated to finding the right personnel to lead this very important and very visible initiative."

We're in a people-oriented business. People do business with people, not pieces of equipment.
— Kevin Lee, Sales Director at BARKO Hydraulics

Parnell Thill, Marketing Director, noted, "Our development of the KRAKEN Machines brand is based on the premise that using the right machine, designed for specific work, is a solid trajectory for us and for the markets we're targeting. The days of using heavy equipment engineered for generic work are quickly giving way to a more market-specific approach. This is KRAKEN Machines."

In addition to being configured specifically for the adjacent market segments named herein, the KRAKEN Machines product line will be easy to identify. Against a competitive backdrop where heavy equipment brands rely on decades-old brand design, KRAKEN Machines boasts an entirely unique look.

The company anticipates KRAKEN Machines will be available as early as late 2024.

An open press event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 29 at noon, where the first KRAKEN Machines loader will be unveiled.

Event address: 1 Banks Avenue, Superior, WI.

Contact:

Parnell Thill

pthill@krakenmachinesusa.com

715-919-3805

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Engineering & Construction starts with a company putting its project engineers, superintendents, and estimators on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Owners shortlist firms they already trust, and your field leaders become the reason your name is on that list.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

About the author

EA
Engineering And Construction

Follow Engineering & Construction Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Engineering & Construction: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Engineering & Construction buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. See how AI describes your company today, and where competitors show up instead.

Free workspace

You just read one Engineering & Construction expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your project engineers, superintendents, and estimators into the articles, video, and social content Engineering & Construction buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Engineering & Construction Insights

Valtra N135

Valtra N135

This is a request for video editing assistance rather than a published article with factual content. No substantive information about Valtra tractors or products is present in the body text to analyze.

  • 01No verifiable claims or data points are present in the source text

Sep 7, 2026

FAB 40 highlights top U.S. metal fabricators, including acquisitive Cadrex

The Fabricator’s 2023 FAB 40 ranks U.S. metal fabricators by reported revenue. PR Newswire reported Cadrex Manufacturing Solutions debuted at No. 2 with $480 million in 2022 revenue after a series of acquisitions, while MEC again held No. 1 with $539.4 million.

  • 01PR Newswire reported Cadrex Manufacturing Solutions entered The Fabricator’s 2023 FAB 40 at No. 2 after a series of acquisitions.
  • 02MEC has held No. 1 on the FAB 40 since 2011 and kept the spot in 2023 with $539.4 million in reported 2022 revenue, according to PR Newswire, a benchmark for scale at the top of the list.
  • 03PR Newswire flagged both material price inflation and demand as drivers of record revenues, buyers should press suppliers on what portion of growth was pricing versus volume.

Sep 6, 2026

HUD backs a 24-month study on mass-timber modules that ship and stack faster

HUD backs a 24-month study on mass-timber modules that ship and stack faster

HUD funded a 24-month Washington State University project on hybrid mass-timber modular housing. It targets transportability and faster site assembly. A 2023 Journal of Building Engineering review says 2D modular CLT tends to ship farther and build faster than 3D.

  • 01If transportation is the cost driver, HUD’s study plan points straight at the spec: treat the truck interface, tie-downs, and lifting points as part of the structural module design, not afterthought hardware.
  • 02The most actionable design fork in the CLT modular literature is 2D versus 3D: according to a 2023 Journal of Building Engineering review, 2D modules are typically moved longer distances and assembled faster on average.
  • 03Owners who want future change-of-use optionality can start writing it into module grids and connection details now. HUD-backed research is explicitly testing modules that can be repurposed across occupancies over their lifetime.

Sep 6, 2026

Explore More Engineering & Construction Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Engineering & Construction.

Browse Engineering & Construction Hub

About the Expert

EA
Engineering And Construction

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Engineering & Construction and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512