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Roland now an exclusive Kleemann distributor
Kleemann named Roland Machinery of Springfield, Ill., a distributor. Roland will serve Illinois, Wisconsin, eastern Missouri, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northwest Indiana. Roland had sold the Kleemann brand in limited areas of its market. Now, Kleemann is the only aggregates and recycling materials processing brand Roland is selling in its market area. Roland currently operates 15 stores. Keep Reading
Kirby-Smith now a Major Wire dealer
Major Wire Industries Ltd. named Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. its new dealer for aggregate, asphalt and recycling operations in eastern Kansas, Oklahoma and northern Texas. The dealership, which has nine locations, is offering all of Major Wire’s screen media solutions. Keep Reading
ASCO opens eight new locations in Texas
Associated Supply Co. Inc. (ASCO) has acquired Hi-Way Equipment Co., a Houston-based heavy equipment dealer. Terms of the deal were undisclosed. The deal expands ASCO to eight new Case Construction Equipment locations throughout Texas. New ASCO locations include Dallas/Fort Worth, North Houston, South Houston, Tyler, Bryan, Brenham, Beaumont and Sherman. These locations complement ASCO’s previous footprint, which stretched from Amarillo, Texas, through the Lubbock, Texas, headquarters and south to San Antonio. ASCO is currently reviewing three additional Hi-Way Equipment locations – Alvin, Gainesville and Longview, Texas – for the future. Keep Reading
Proposed bill leans on corporations for infrastructure funds
A unique form of infrastructure funding was introduced last week when Rep. John K. Delaney (D-Md.) crafted The Partnership to Build America Act, which would create a $50 billion fund that makes bonds available for purchase to global corporations based in the United States. According to The Gazette of Gaithersburg, Md., for every $1 corporations invest in bonds, they would be allowed to repatriate a certain dollar amount in their overseas earnings tax-free. Subsequently, the fund would provide loans to local governments for infrastructure projects built through public-private partnerships. No taxpayer money would be involved, and the government would not guarantee bonds. The bill is being co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 13 Republicans and 13 Democrats. “Folks in Washington love to talk big on transportation issues, but this bill represents a truly outside-the-box solution that will generate results and address our nation’s crumbling infrastructure,” Rep. Rodney Flach (R-Ill.) told The Gazette. Furthermore, the bill would establish the American Infrastructure Fund, a non-government entity that would have its own board… Keep Reading
Presidential memorandum to speed up infrastructure projects
President Barack Obama signed a presidential memorandum this month to expedite the development of major infrastructure projects. The memorandum advises federal agencies to reduce aggregate timelines for major infrastructure projects by half. Obama announced that he had signed the memorandum during an appearance at Ellicott Dredges in Baltimore, where the initiative has sped up the approval process for the city’s Red Line rail transit corridor by six months. "We’ve got to up our game when it comes to infrastructure," Obama said, adding that the United States could lose out on key business opportunities if it fails to accelerate infrastructure projects. Keep Reading
CMA breaks ground on distribution center
Double Coin Tires and CMA are about to embark on construction of the company's newest distribution center. Councilmen from the city of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., CMA executives and the developers participated in a recent groundbreaking ceremony. Situated on about six acres, the facility will occupy more than 129,000 sq. ft. of under-roof storage. The building design includes dock-high and grade-level bay doors with stalls for parking additional trailers. Natural lighting and exhaust systems are being integrated into the building’s design. Keep Reading
Nonresidential Construction Index hits record high
FMI released its second-quarter Nonresidential Construction Index (NRCI) report, giving nonresidential construction its highest score in more than four years after receiving feedback from its panelists. The NRCI score of 60.1 is a two-point improvement over the first quarter of 2013 and represents the highest score for the NRCI index since its inception in the first quarter of 2009. According to FMI, the score demonstrates that nonresidential construction continues to push upward. However, the index for the overall economy rose 7.9 points and the combined index sentiment for economies where panelists are doing business rose 5.8 points. Current issues for the NRCI's second quarter include the effects of sequestration on public and private construction. The majority of the respondents expect only a 0 to 4 percent reduction in their public works projects due to sequestration, though. Keep Reading
Obama tours dredge manufacturer
President Barack Obama spent several hours May 17 at Ellicott's headquarters and factory in Baltimore, meeting with workers, inspecting dredge machinery and making a policy speech on the federal government's plans to accelerate infrastructure projects. Obama spoke to more than 500 people. Ellicott customers and vendors flew in from around the country and from overseas to take part in the event. Joining Obama for the event were Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Md.), Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), three Congressmen and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. During a private plant tour, Obama observed some of Ellicott's more recent machinery investments, including the Vertical Machining Center. He also discussed export promotion strategies with Ellicott President Peter Bowe. Keep Reading
Pump manufacturer acquired
National Oilwell Varco (NOV) acquired Robbins & Myers earlier this year, placing many of Robbins & Myers' industrial pumping products under NOV's Mono division. Three specific Robbins & Myers businesses are now part of NOV Mono, including Moyno Inc., a manufacturer of progressing cavity pumps, sludge pumps and metering pumps; Chemineer Inc., a provider of mixing technology and a manufacturer of equipment for fluid agitation applications; and Tarby Inc., a manufacturer of progressing cavity replacement parts and pumps. “The combination of these businesses creates a platform for significant growth,” says Santosh Mathilakath, NOV Mono senior vice president. Keep Reading
