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NSSGA honors Edwards at board meeting
NSSGA paid tribute to retiring President and CEO Emeritus Gus Edwards at the association's Fall Board Meeting. Edwards spent nearly 17 years with NSSGA. Oldcastle's Mark Towe, a past chairman, emceed the tribute. Mellott Co.'s Paul Mellott and Lafarge's Rick Feltes shared memories of Edwards, as well. Edwards started with NSSGA in 1997 as vice president for public affairs. He was appointed president and CEO in 2012. Keep Reading
Zelnak presented with NSSGA’s Wendt award
Stephen Zelnak Jr., chairman of the board of directors at Martin Marietta Materials and the 2004 chairman of NSSGA, was honored at the association's Fall Board Meeting with the 16th annual Barry K. Wendt Memorial Commitment Award. The award recognizes individuals for their dedication to the construction aggregates industry, their family and the community. According to NSSGA, Zelnak entered the aggregates industry in 1974 with Vulcan Materials Co. His five-year tenure with Vulcan was followed by two years with Koppers Corp. in Pennsylvania. Zelnak joined Martin Marietta in 1981 as vice president of planning and business development for its aggregates company. He was rapidly promoted to positions of increasing responsibility. Zelnak was appointed president of the aggregates company in 1982; elected an officer of the parent corporation in 1989; and promoted to president of the Materials Group in 1991. In 1994, as president and CEO, Zelnak led the process as Martin Marietta became a publicly traded corporation on the New York Stock Exchange. He was elected chairman of the company’s… Keep Reading
Schenck Process railcar weighing system now NTEP certified
Schenck Process earned legal-for-trade status in North America for the LegalWeight in-motion train scale with an NTEP (National Type Evaluation Program) certificate. According to Schenck Process, the scale's design utilizes instrumented concrete weighing ties equipped with high-precision load cells to measure vertical force. Installation of the weighing system is done without a pit and is mounted directly on top of the ballast, reducing overall installation time to two days or less for most applications. In addition, Schenck Process says the LegalWeight weighing system is integrated into the existing rail without any gaps in the rail. LegalWeight can operate legal-for-trade at weighing speeds up to 14 mph. When trains are not being weighed they can travel at the typical line speed for the track. Keep Reading
Sany America names another dealer
Granite Mountain Machinery was named a Sany America excavator dealer for the majority of Georgia. According to a press release, Granite Mountain opened in 2010 outside of Atlanta, where it started by specializing in used equipment and equipment teardowns for packaging and shipping overseas. Over time, Granite expanded its focus on equipment rentals, new sales, paint, fabrication and repair services, equipment maintenance and service, as well as equipment inspection and value estimation services. Keep Reading
Index reflects promise for nonresidential building
The Dodge Momentum Index measuring the first report for nonresidential building projects in planning advanced 2.9 percent in September to 118.3, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. After a brief pause in June, the momentum index resumed its upward trend in the most recent three months. According to McGraw Hill Construction, the momentum index reached its highest level since the first quarter of 2009. McGraw-Hill Construction also suggests that, as of September, owners and developers viewed the environment for construction as improving. Demand for new commercial buildings rose over the month, boosted by recovering market fundamentals such as rents and occupancy rates. The commercial component of the momentum index jumped 8.5 percent in September thanks to increased plans for new office development. Among the larger commercial projects to enter the planning phase in September were a $150 million headquarters for Daimler in Portland Ore.; a $150-million, 53-story office tower in Chicago; and a $65-million office building for Public Service Electric and Gas Co. in Newark, N.J. The institutional segment of the momentum… Keep Reading
California reaps reward of extra transportation funds
The federal government rewarded California with a near-record $155 million in transportation funding after the state met all of its 2013 transportation project federal deadlines. New York received the second most at $81 million. The federal pool totaled $1.6 billion. "This year’s funding increase enables Caltrans (the California Transportation Agency) to build even more projects that create jobs and improve the state’s transportation system," says Brian Kelly, secretary of the California Transportation Agency. According to a press release, some states fail each year to spend all of their federal transportation funding before federal deadlines, causing those funds to revert to a federal pool to be redistributed to states that have completed all requirements and can use the additional money. Caltrans received about $97 million of California's extra funding. Local transportation agencies in the state received about $58 million. Keep Reading
International Iron named Sany excavator dealer
Sany America added International Iron to its dealer network. International Iron, based in Orlando, Fla., will cover central Florida for Sany. It deals in new and used product sales, rentals and equipment trade-ins, and it offers parts and service support. “Sany becomes our first major new product vendor that we are bringing in,” says Matt Aultman, vice president and co-owner of International Iron. Keep Reading
W.L. Ross expands its reach through acquisitions
Permian Basin Materials LLC, an affiliate of W.L. Ross & Co. LLC, completed the acquisitions of Crockett County Mining Ltd., Highland Concrete Co. and Wallach Concrete Inc. W.L. Ross funds will own 80 percent of Permian Basin Materials, and existing shareholders from the three businesses will own a combined 20 percent. The companies will continue to operate under their existing trade names. The combined operations of Permian Basin Materials will serve west Texas and eastern New Mexico. In total, Permian Basin Materials will own or lease 10 aggregates mines and 16 ready-mix plants in the region. Keep Reading
Supply chain bottlenecks focus of frac sand conference
A special frac sand conference with an emphasis on supply chain challenges will take place Nov. 20-21 in Houston, with a pre-conference workshop on Nov. 19. According to American Business Conferences, which is hosting the event, Frac Sand Logistics & Supply 2013: Rail, Trucking & Transloading will offer perspectives from across the supply chain to identify market opportunities and solutions to reduce logistical costs, as well as optimize timely delivery of product. More than 18 senior executives from sand suppliers, railroads, well service providers, barge operators, transloaders and trucking companies will deliver presentations at the conference. Specific topics to be discussed are shale play forecasts and customer perspectives; proppant selection; key bottlenecks and cost drivers in the last mile; sand supply and capacity dynamics; infrastructure and terminal developments; and transportation and storage options. Learn more about the event at www.frac-sand-logistics-2013.com. Keep Reading
