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Baldor promotes Fitts to director of quality
Baldor Electric promoted Ryan Fitts from director of logistics to director of quality. In this position, Fitts will be responsible for leading and directing Baldor’s Corporate Quality program with a focus on addressing customer concerns, on-time delivery and root causes of product quality issues. Fitts joined Baldor in 2011 as a member of its Lean Core Team, where he led the project team that established the company’s 210 motor plant in Fort Smith, Ark. "Ryan's customer focus and his understanding of problem solving tools and processes make him a good fit for this role, and we are looking forward to having him in this important position," says Scott Fullbright, executive vice president of manufacturing for Baldor. Keep Reading
NSSGA to host webinar on Endangered Species Act
The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) will host its next AGG1 webinar on the Endangered Species Act on Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. Eastern. The hour-long webinar will provide an overview of what is required by the industry under the act, as well as explain recent developments involving the Northern Long-Eared Bat. Mark Krumenacher and David Ruetz of GZA GeoEnvironmental and James Novak of Huff & Huff, a subsidiary of GZA, will present the webinar. The webinar costs $49 for NSSGA members and $99 for nonmembers per location. NSSGA also offers deals on webinar packages. Register for this webinar here. Keep Reading
U.S. House approves six-year, $325 billion highway bill
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a six-year, $325 billion highway bill by a 363-64 vote. The legislation calls for spending $261 billion on highways and $55 billion on transit over six years – only if Congress can come up with a way to pay for the final three years. According to The Hill, the House voted on nearly 130 amendments before getting to final passage. The measure must now be conferenced with the Senate’s separate highway bill. The Senate’s bill also authorizes six years of funding and only pays for three years; however, it doesn’t require Congress to find a way to pay for the final three years. Transportation advocates expressed approval regarding the House’s passage of the highway bill, even if the final three years of funding are undecided. “America has waited a decade for Congress to pass a serious and long-term investment in our nation’s infrastructure, and we are glad this day has finally come after 35 short-term funding extensions,” says Mike Johnson, National Stone, Sand &… Keep Reading
MSHA conducts emergency exercise at underground mine
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Labor’s Mine Safety Program, participated in a simulated mine emergency exercise on Nov. 6 at Eagle Materials Inc.’s underground mine in Sugar Creek, Mo. The mine emergency drill (MERD) included nine mine rescue teams from across the Midwest. The teams used the latest underground communication and rescue technology in four exercises. The exercises included: Underground Communications: Teams wearing breathing apparatuses explored an active underground mine to search for “missing” miners and to extinguish simulated fires. Surface & Mine Emergency Operations: Teams stationed at the mine emergency command center used communication technology to direct the underground teams. Rescue in Smoke-Filled Environment: Teams traveled with zero visibility to search for “trapped” miners and extinguish simulated fires. This is a separate exercise from the underground communications exercise. Injury Triage: Teams reacted to a simulated motor vehicle accident. In this instance, they rescued and administered first aid to 20 passengers on an overturned school bus. During the event, Joe Main, assistant… Keep Reading
House to vote on highway bill’s proposed truck amendment
A proposed amendment to a $325 billion highway funding bill that’s being considered by the House has been cleared for a vote on the floor of the lower chamber, reports The Hill. The amendment will let states decide whether they want to allow heavier trucks on their roads. According to The Hill, the amendment, from Reps. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and David Rouzer (R-N.C.), would allow states to decide whether they want to increase the current limit of 80,000 lbs. for cargo trucks to 91,000 lbs. Trucking companies have argued that increasing the truck weight limit would increase the amount of cargo that can be shipped without requiring drivers to work extra hours. However, safety advocates argue that heavier truck loads would make trucks more likely to crash. According to The Hill, the sponsors of the amendment said allowing the states to decide for themselves would end the standoff between truck companies and safety advocates. "The SAFE Trucking Act will help us safely move more of the things Americans want with… Keep Reading
Purvis acquires Acadiana Bearing assets
Purvis Industries, headquartered in Dallas, acquired substantially all of the assets, brand rights, websites, personnel and intellectual property of Acadiana Bearing. Acadiana has one location in Lafayette, La., and serves a variety of customers in the oil and gas and sugar mill industries. “We are excited to be able to bring an outstanding organization such as Acadiana Bearing into the Purvis Industries family of companies,” says Cameron Barker, vice president of corporate operations for Purvis. “They not only allow us to expand our presence but also enable us to better serve customers in the southern Louisiana marketplace.” Acadiana will continue to operate under the ownership of Grover Dunphy at a separate location in Louisiana. “We are excited about this new chapter for Acadiana Bearing,” Dunphy says. “Purvis Industries is the best match for our people as well as our customers.” Started in 1945, Purvis Industries is an independent bearing and power transmission distributor in the United States with 82 locations covering 13 states. Keep Reading
NALC enters joint venture
NALC LLC entered into a joint venture with Alexander House to develop an industrial minerals business called Midwest Calcium Carbonates. The joint venture will be based in Putnam County, Ind. Midwest Calcium Carbonates includes a new plant located on a portion of the 350-plus acres of reserves NALC controls. The plant processes high-calcium carbonate geology. “I am very pleased to be partnering with the NALC team,” House says. “This joint venture has allowed us to develop a facility that can reach customers with a variety of applications across the Midwest.” Additionally, NALC recently completed a buyout of a facility lease from Natural Resource Partners (NRP). According to NALC, NRP provided a portion of the funding needed for the construction of the grind facility in Putnam County. “Thanks to our strong underlying operations, we are happy to have bought out NRP,” says Greg Gould, CEO of NALC. “Together with our MCC joint venture, NALC is now poised to grow its core business, while dramatically expanding its fine grind business with a… Keep Reading
New construction starts predicted to grow 6 percent in 2016
A new report from Dodge Data & Analytics, titled the "2016 Dodge Construction Outlook," predicts total U.S. construction starts for 2016 to rise 6 percent to $712 billion. The forecast follows a 9 percent gain in new construction starts in 2014 and an estimated 13 percent gain in 2015. According to the report, these sectors will experience gains in 2016: Single-family housing, with a 20 percent rise in dollars Multifamily housing, with a 7 percent increase in dollars Commercial building, with an 11 percent rise Institutional building, with a 9 percent increase The following sectors will decrease, as forecasted in the report, in 2016: Manufacturing plant construction, with a 1 percent decrease Electric utilities and gas plants, with a 43 percent decline Additionally, the public works sector will remain flat with its 2015 amount, says the report. “The expansion for the construction industry has been underway for several years now, with varying contributions from each of the major sectors,” says Robert Murray, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. “Total… Keep Reading
MSHA commemorates Mine Rescue Day
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) commemorated the third annual Mine Rescue Day on Oct. 30. During the event, MSHA showcased the latest emergency response equipment and technology at the National Mine Health & Safety Academy in Beaver, W.Va. The event, which began at 10:45 a.m. EST, included brief remarks from MSHA officials and other members of the mining community. Additionally, media representatives had an opportunity to learn more about high-tech methods available for locating trapped miners. Rescue experts at the event also discussed how teams prepare in the case of a mine emergency. The Mine Rescue Day commemoration began three years ago in honor of when Dr. Joseph Holmes organized the first national mine rescue demonstration at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh on Oct. 30, 1911. “The number of times that mine rescuers have placed their own safety and lives at risk to save others during our mining history is staggering,” says Joe Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “These brave men and women undertake… Keep Reading
