First, there was eBay, and then there was Google. And now, the Internet has done it again, with several Web sites that display manufacturer-suggested retail prices of heavy construction machinery for all to see.
Ironically, equipment manufacturers are building the sites to expand their Web presence, similar to today's automakers. "We are seeing a growing trend where more and more of our customers are involved on the Internet," says John Johnston, e-business manager for Volvo Construction Equipment North America Inc., Asheville, N.C.