Best way to do competitive analysis for industrial equipment in niche markets?

For niche industrial equipment, I'd skip the usual market platforms and go straight to trade publications (like Construction Equipment Guide), dealer networks, and patent filings — those are gold for small excavator competitive intel. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is also underrated for mapping out which manufacturers are hiring and where they're expanding. Industry tradeshows like CONEXPO often have attendee lists and exhibitor data worth digging into too.