(Seguin) – Nope, that’s not a person missing from the top of a lawnmower. It’s actually the city’s newest state of the art remote control mower put together right here in Seguin.

The city of Seguin is introducing its newest toy, the TRAXX™RC75 remote-control slope-mower from Alamo Group Inc. The Seguin Public Works Department recently showcased what it’s new $65,000 mower could do to help tackle the increasing workload of right-of-way maintenance amid the city’s rapid growth.

Public Works Director John Donnelly says this new remote controlled mower will not only save time and money, but it will also provide his crews a safer alternative compared to using traditional mowing tractors.

“With a 500-foot remote control range, this machine is a game changer for our staff. The right of way maintenance crews will now be able to mow steep slopes (up to a 55-degree slope) along the Highway 123 Bypass regardless of extreme hot or cold weather conditions. This innovative mower will prevent our big tractors from having to operate across slopes, allowing the team to mow the slopes safer and faster, and putting them out of harm’s way in areas where tractors often rollover,” said Donnelly.

Donnelly also noted that the remote-control slope mower can be taken inside culverts, ditches, tough terrain, and other confined areas to tackle vegetation that other mowers can’t reach.

In addition, the mower can easily transition from mowing grass to stump grinding and provides bucket options for loading material and cleaning ditches/culverts.

Proud to have the city of Seguin as its latest customer is Keith Forcinito, president of Alamo Group Texas. “It’s critically important for us because most of our employees come from the city of Seguin and we are a proud member of the community so we want to support the community in any way that we can whether that’s with products or with participating in the economic development of the area so it’s really important for us to be present in Seguin and to support all aspects of the community – public works, employees, etc.,” said Forcinito.

Forcinito says knowing that the machine will operate most days across from Alamo’s manufacturing plant on 123 Bypass is also a bonus for the business. He says employees take pride in what they do. Overall, he says it’s a win-win for the community.

“It generates a lot of pride in all of our employees but especially for the operators who build the machines for us. As a I mentioned before, most of our operators in the factory live in the Seguin communities so seeing machines that they built with literally their bare hands working around the city generates a lot of pride in the community,” said Forcinito.

Officials say this third-generation mower comes with an equipment rack so that other necessary work can be conducted by work crews. It can an also be operated from up to 100 yards away keeping the crew member away from any potential hazards. The city’s public works department each year is responsible for maintaining over 600 acres as part of its right of way maintenance. Overall, city officials say the hope is to cut down on the time spent on mowing so that employees can focus on other jobs around the city.