The Avant 640 skid loader is equipped with a two-speed drive Kubota diesel engine with a top speed of 14 mph in second gear.

Avant Tecno Corporation, a manufacturer of multi-functional loaders and attachments, debuted their two-stage snow blower attachment at this year's GIE+Expo in Louisville, Ky.

The new attachment is available in a 48-inch-width model and a 60-inch-width model. The company also supplies other snow removal tools including blades, buckets, snowplows and a rear-attached salt spreader.

Also introduced at the show was their new skid-steer attachment mounting adapter and quick connector conversion kit that allow landscapers to use their existing attachments with Avant loaders.

Based in Finland and sold in over 40 countries, the company launched in the U.S. just last year and, according to Jani Kakela, the vice president of Avant, they "have over a dozen dealers functioning right now and have another dozen ready to sign up."

At a press conference at the expo's outdoor demonstration area, Kakela described how their loaders' articulated technology reduces turf damage and allows them to run with little power needs. Jukka Lyly-Yrjanainen, the president of Avant, added how this can "save about $10,000 a year in active use in diesel and tires compared to a classic skid steer."