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NSSGA names new president, CEO
NSSGA has named Mike Johnson, currently the executive vice president and chief advocacy officer of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), its new president and CEO. Gus Edwards, who has served NSSGA as president and CEO since Joy Pinniger announced her retirement in October 2012, is retiring. Edwards served NSSGA for more than 16 years. Johnson, who will take over Aug. 1, joined NBWA in 2006. According to NSSGA, he has been instrumental in the development and advancement of that association's advocacy agenda. “NSSGA is very fortunate to have Mike Johnson coming on board at this critical time," says Ward Nye, chairman of the NSSGA board of directors and president and CEO of Martin Marietta Materials. "He’s a proven leader with a wealth of experience that will serve our membership well as the aggregates industry negotiates its way through a sluggish national economy and the upcoming surface transportation program reauthorization." Johnson has some experience in the construction industry, having spent nearly five years with the National Association of Home Builders.… Keep Reading
Atlas Copco introduces reverse circulation kit for blasthole drills
Atlas Copco expanded its blasthole product offerings with the addition of a reverse circulation kit for the DM45/50 mid-range blasthole drill. According to Atlas Copco, the RC kit offers the added dimension of in-pit grade control. A number of components are included with the optional kit, which can be retrofitted on drills currently in the field. A cyclone arm allows for sampling from the ground or platform level, with a vertical raise and lowering function. A cyclone rotation of 160 degrees provides safe access for cleaning, maintenance and attaching new sample hoses from ground level. Some of the features of the cyclone assembly are a hydraulic upper-knife valve and pneumatic lower-knife valve for collecting and isolating the sample; a hydraulic hinge between the dump box and cone splitter that allows for easy cleaning, Atlas Copco says; and a fixed cone splitter with primary and duplicate sample chutes. A 66-liter dump box, with a steep cone for limiting sample hang-up, is part of the sample collection feature. The primary and duplicate… Keep Reading
Sany America names excavator dealer for Alaska
Totem Equipment & Supply has been named the first Sany America excavator dealer in Alaska, representing Sany in Anchorage. Cliff Huston founded Totem Equipment & Supply in 1961 with his wife and business partner Allie Huston. Today, owner Mike Huston guides the company as an equipment distributor and rental company. Sany America’s excavator offerings include the 7.5-ton SY75C, the 13.5-ton SY135C, the 21.5-ton SY215C and the 23.5-ton SY235C. Additional models will be introduced in North America in the coming year, the company says. Keep Reading
Next ISEE conference in Denver
The International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE) will hold its 40th annual conference on explosives and blasting technique Feb. 9-12, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. According to ISEE, as many as 1,600 blasters, manufacturers, government officials and suppliers are expected to gather for the conference from around the world. As in past years, the 2014 program will include exhibits, technical sessions, panel discussions and educational workshops. Organizations are invited to showcase their latest technology, equipment, design, products and services. Keep Reading
Training, technology key to overcoming operator shortage
As part of its Asia Pacific Quarry Days last month, Caterpillar hosted a trade press roundtable with some of its key representatives in Tokyo, Japan. Among those participating from Cat for the June 3 event were Felice Stocco, product application manager, global construction and infrastructure; Phillip Pollock, general manager, marketing, global construction and infrastructure for Asia Pacific; and John Fallows, general manager, construction and infrastructure for Greater China and Korea. The two addressed the company's response to experienced operator shortages in the United States and around the world, as well as the prospect of the company's hybrid technology in its 336E H excavator. P&Q: Caterpillar has described there being shortages in experienced operators in a number of countries, including the United States. Can you explain the breadth and depth of this shortage and how, if at all, Cat is addressing it through the research and development of new technology? Stocco: Back home in Australia, people head into mining. But by the time you train that inexperienced miner, you're losing productivity… Keep Reading
Index shows continued promise for nonresidential building
The Dodge Momentum Index, a monthly measure of the first report for nonresidential building projects in planning, rose 3.6 percent in May from the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction. The index has risen for six consecutive months, marking the longest period of increases since 2006. The index now rests at 117.4 and is up 36 percent since May 2012. The uncertainty surrounding new development appears, for now, to have dissipated, and the climate for nonresidential building projects is gaining strength as the planning pipeline grows more active, McGraw Hill Construction says. In contrast to prior months, the May advance was largely the result of a strong upturn by the institutional segment. New plans for institutional buildings rose 10.2 percent in May, bolstered by plans for several college and hospital-related projects. Among the larger healthcare developments to enter planning in May were the $135 million University Hospital Patient Tower in West Chester, Ohio, and the $120 million INOVA Comprehensive Cancer and Research Institute in Fairfax, Va. Keep Reading
Lafarge still active in enriching former quarry site
Lafarge donated $23,000 to support and grow a volunteer program that is currently active making one of its former quarries in Winnipeg, Canada, a recreational center. A presentation was made as part of a breakfast in celebration of National Volunteer Week. The event recognized the contribution of FortWhyte's Alive program and its core volunteers, acknowledging those who have contributed more than 100 hours of their time in the past year. “There is a great story for industry here and one we are happy and proud to share," says Bill Elliot, CEO of FortWhyte Alive. More than 380 volunteers contribute close to 22,500 hours of work each year to the Fort Whyte Centre. They are greeters, education leaders, guides, farmers, naturalists, cheerleaders and more. Keep Reading
First-quarter crushed-stone production down
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), an estimated 211 million metric tons (Mt) of crushed stone were produced and shipped for consumption in the United States in the first quarter of 2013 – a decrease of 4 percent compared with the same period of 2012. The estimated annual output produced for consumption in 2012 was 1.16 billion metric tons (Gt). Furthermore, the estimated production-for-consumption of crushed stone in the first quarter of 2013 increased in three of nine geographic divisions compared with the crushed stone sold or used in the first quarter of 2012. The largest increases were recorded in the Pacific and West South Central divisions. Production-for-consumption decreased in 29 of the 46 states that were estimated. The five leading states were, in descending order of production-for-consumption, Texas, Missouri, Florida, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. Their combined total production-for-consumption was 85.6 Mt and represented an increase of 4 percent compared with the first quarter of 2012. USGS estimates U.S. output of construction sand and gravel produced and shipped for consumption in… Keep Reading
Cat finds partner to deliver fatigue-monitoring technology
Caterpillar Global Mining has entered into an agreement with Seeing Machines Ltd. to deliver and support operator fatigue-monitoring technology through Cat dealers. Seeing Machines, headquartered in Canberra, Australia, has developed fatigue-monitoring systems using eye- and head-tracking technology to detect operator fatigue and distraction, as well as to alert mine controllers and machine operators. According to Cat, its dealers will be brought onboard in the coming months as the exclusive distribution channel to miners for Seeing Machines' technology. Seeing Machines’ Driver Safety System is currently at more than 20 mine sites and on 1,500 vehicles. The system continuously measures operator eye and eyelid behavior to determine the onset of fatigue and micro sleeps, delivering real-time detection and alerts. Operators are not required to wear any special equipment. Keep Reading
