Author
NTEA Work Truck Show sets records in Indianapolis
The Work Truck Show 2012, held March 6-8 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, was the biggest work truck event in history. It broke all standing event records, with a verified 10,408 attendees checking out work trucks and equipment from 563 exhibitors, the Association for the Work Truck Industry (NTEA) announced. The event’s Green Truck Summit on March 5-6 also hit new highs, with a keynote address from U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, helping to attract a record 772 attendees. This represents a 13 percent increase over last year’s record summit turnout. Produced annually by the NTEA, The Work Truck Show showcases more than 500,000 sq. ft. of Class 1-8 vocational trucks and equipment. The event also features more than 60 educational and technical training programs, including the Green Truck Summit, an educational forum on high-efficiency and alternative-fuel vocational vehicles. The summit is jointly produced by NTEA and CALSTART. New products continue to be a significant draw for show attendees. This year, more than 120 exhibiting companies launched… Keep Reading
National Lime and Stone announces organizational changes
The organizational structure of the National Lime & Stone Co. has been changed to meet the challenges of increased market complexity and support the future growth of the company, Carleton P. Palmer, chairman of the board and CEO, announced. Palmer said an important first step is the creation of the Office of the Chairman, which includes himself; C. Paul Palmer, president and COO; and Christopher W. Beeman, who becomes executive vice president and CFO. Beeman is responsible for all finance functions, IT and corporate support services. C. Paul Palmer continues to have oversight for sales, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of all products. In addition, Paul Palmer continues to oversee all human resources and labor relations functions as well as internal audit. Chad D. Doll has been named vice president of corporate relations and development. He is responsible for relations with large customers, large project bidding and corporate development activities. Tony L. Price has been named senior vice president of sales and is responsible for sales, distribution and marketing. Timothy J. DiBerardino has… Keep Reading
Senate passes two-year highway and mass transit legislation
With a vote of 74-22, the Senate on March 14 passed its two-year, $109 billion highway and mass transit bill. The House's efforts at crafting a five-year bill have hit roadblocks in recent weeks because of bipartisan opposition to parts of its legislation. Congress now will reportedly focus on extending SAFETEA-LU yet again, as the current extension of the highway legislation expires on March 31. Prior to the Senate's vote on March 14, Jim Riley, director of government affairs for NSSGA, spoke at the association's AGG1 booth in Charlotte, N.C., about the current situation in Washington, D.C., and NSSGA's efforts to help move highway legislation through Congress. The association held a "Jam the Switchboards" initiative on March 14 in which members spent one hour calling their congressional representatives. "It's not just important for aggregate producers but also for state DOTs, equipment manufacturers, equipment distributors … anybody who has a stake in roads being built," Riley said of a long-term highway bill. "They need that certainty to plan for their businesses." Keep Reading
Road Connection advocates increased funding
The Senate’s passage of its two-year highway and mass transit bill on March 14 coincided with The Road Connection’s press event at AGG1. The Road Connection, launched in January, is a nationwide initiative that focuses on the need for increased road and infrastructure funding. Pam Whitted, senior vice president of government affairs for NSSGA, and Joe Vig, president of KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, presented an overview of the effort and stressed the importance of the nation’s infrastructure. As they spoke, a 2011 Ford F-150 splashed with colors and The Road Connection logo was parked in the background. Andrew Gillman of The Road Connection and Curt Peterka of KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens have driven the truck about 10,000 miles, promoting the initiative at various events. They plan to continue advocating for better roads at least through September. Following AGG1, The Road Connection team will travel to Washington, D.C., for the second annual Rally for Roads event on March 20. To learn more about The Road Connection, visit www.theroadconnection.org. Keep Reading
DOT report underscores need for transportation investment
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that a new report on the state of America’s transportation infrastructure, “2010 Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges and Transit: Conditions and Performance,” points to a sizeable gap between current spending and projected levels of investment needed to maintain the nation’s highway and transit systems. The report projects that $101 billion, plus increases for inflation, would be needed annually over the next 20 years from all levels of government to keep the highway system in its current state. It also identifies significant opportunities for investments to improve the current state of highways and bridges that could total up to $170 billion a year. The report shows that in 2008 all levels of government spent a combined total of $91.1 billion on highway capital improvements, a 48.4 percent increase over 2000. The Obama administration’s FY 2013 budget request calls for $305 billion for highway programs over six years, which reflects a 34 percent increase for roads and bridges over the previous authorization to address… Keep Reading
NSSGA announces its highest individual honor and service award winner
Tony Basolo, 1997 chairman of the National Stone Association and former president of Dolese Bros. Co., was named the 15th annual Barry K. Wendt Memorial Commitment Award winner for his dedication to the construction aggregates industry, his family and his community. George Sidney, immediate past chairman of the NSSGA’s Manufacturers & Services Division, made the announcement on March 12 at NSSGA’s 2012 Annual Convention Honor Awards Ceremony in Charlotte, N.C. The award will be presented at the NSSGA fall board of directors meeting in October in Colorado Springs, Colo. Basolo joined Dolese Bros. in 1972 and served as the company’s president for the last nine years of his career until his retirement in February 2010. His leadership enabled his company, his employees and his customers to grow and prosper in Oklahoma and the surrounding areas, and made a positive contribution to many professionals and organizations. Basolo’s service as chairman of the National Stone Association in 1997 was instrumental not only in establishing the merger with the National Aggregate Association, but also in… Keep Reading
AGG1 a success in Charlotte
The 2012 AGG1 and World of Asphalt expositions posted record numbers for attendee registrants as well as the amount of exhibit space, number of exhibitors and number of education session tickets sold, event organizers announced. The co-located shows were held March 13-15 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. Attendee registration numbers totaled more than 6,500 at show close. Registrants came from all 50 states, all 10 Canadian provinces and more than 50 other countries worldwide. More than 35 percent were company presidents/owners, vice presidents, general managers or CFOs, and all together more than 84 percent of registrants were in managerial roles. The show floor covered a record 115,000-plus net sq. ft. of exhibit space – a 30 percent increase – taken by a record number of 408 exhibitors. Leading companies showcased their newest products and technologies aimed at the aggregates, asphalt, pavement maintenance and traffic safety industry sectors. Education is a cornerstone of the shows, and 6,200-plus education session tickets were purchased by attendees for the shows’ signature learning programs: AGG1 Academy,… Keep Reading
Knife River names president of North Central Region
Knife River Corp. promoted John Quade to president of its North Central Region, which encompasses Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska, the company announced. He will lead the company’s construction and construction materials operations in those states. Prior to this role, Quade was president of Knife River’s operations in central Minnesota. Quade has worked in the construction industry since 1995, when he started at Knife River’s quality-control department while attending college. Quade worked in the field as quality manager, project manager and estimator for Knife River before being named vice president of construction for the Central Minnesota Division. He was named president of the division in 2010. Knife River’s North Central Region, based in Sauk Rapids, Minn., employs more than 1,100 people during peak construction season. The company provides a full range of civil construction services and materials for land developers, public agencies, institutions, contractors and homeowners. Keep Reading
Congress mulls details of highway legislation
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has full confidence in Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to advance a surface transportation bill, according to NSSGA. However, its specifics have yet to be determined after the House pulled its original five-year, $260 billion bill from the floor and leaders mull their next approach. The Senate continues to center on its two-year, $109 billion highway and transit bill while determining the scope of an accompanying amendments package. The current short-term extension of the highway bill expires on March 31. NSSGA supports a multi-year bill that maintains level funding. Keep Reading
