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Cemex at odds with proposed bill
Cemex says that a bill introduced April 18 to block a proposed sand-and-gravel mine in Santa Clarita, Calif., is not a viable resolution to a long-running dispute between the approved open-pit operation and local residents, reports the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., introduced the Soledad Canyon Settlement Act in a bill last week that proposes a land-swap deal in exchange for Cemex’s contracts for the mine, which would extract 56 million tons of sand and gravel over 20 years. But a company spokeswoman says the bill doesn’t go far enough. “The bill introduced by (Boxer) today does not fully take into account the compensation that Cemex is legally entitled to in the event its contracts with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management are canceled,” says Cemex's Sara Engdahl. “As a result, Cemex does not view this newly introduced legislation in its current form to be a viable resolution.” According to the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, the bill would direct the federal Bureau of Land Management to cancel… Keep Reading
Bell returns to U.S. market with new dealer network
Articulated dump truck (ADT) manufacturer Bell Equipment is returning to the U.S. market after more than a decade, with a new distribution network and the forthcoming launch of its new E-series range. A joint venture between Bell and several U.S. construction investors will see the creation of a new business: Bell Trucks America (BTA). The business will provide a foundation for the re-entry to North America of the next generation of Bell's ADTs. The return of Bell to the U.S. comes after the ending of a licensing arrangement with John Deere, which saw Bell providing ADT technology to the U.S. market under the Deere brand. Through BTA, the range of Bell ADTs will now be developed throughout the U.S. The range BTA is launching includes its four largest ADTs: the B35D, B40D, B45D and B50D. The B50D has a 50-ton capacity. In addition, Bell will be introducing a new E-series range. The first machines in the E-series – the B25E and B35E – will be introduced in North America in… Keep Reading
Bauma 2013 sets multiple records
A record-breaking 530,000 attendees from more than 200 countries converged on the Messe München exhibition center April 15-21 for Bauma 2013 in Munich, Germany. More than 200,000 of those 530,000 attended from outside of Germany – the largest international representation in the event's history. "This is very good for our industry in these turbulent times and it will certainly give it a boost," says Johann Sailer, chairman of the Construction Equipment and Building Material Machinery Association of VDMA and president of the Committee for the European Construction Equipment Industry. The countries with the most representation were, in this order, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Sweden and Poland. In total, a record-breaking 3,420 exhibitors – 1,346 from Germany and 2,074 from abroad – from 57 countries presented their latest products and innovations on a record 6.14 million sq. ft. of exhibition space. The next Bauma takes place April 11-17, 2016 in Munich. Keep Reading
Atlas Copco names VP for four stores
Ed Tanner has been named vice president for Atlas Copco store operations related to mining. He will oversee stores in Elko, Nev., Tucson and Phoenix, Ariz., and Denver. Tanner has been serving as the business line manager for Atlas Copco’s underground rock excavation division for the past seven years. He also was a product line manager for the division in 2005 and has a total of 34 years of experience in the mining industry. Keep Reading
SME reorganizes staff
The Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration's (SME) board of directors has approved a new staff organizational structure to add more leadership to the organization. Four director positions have been added to the organization to support four areas: meetings, membership and publications; finance, administration and information technology; government relations, public affairs and communications; and education and foundation programs. Mike Hedges has been appointed as deputy executive director for finance, administration and information technology; John Hayden was appointed deputy executive director for government relations, public affairs and communications; Sharon Schonhaut has been appointed director of education and the SME Foundation. A director of operations who has yet to be identified will lead meetings, membership and publications. Keep Reading
Case system to aid operators in fleet management
Case Construction Equipment has created a remote monitoring and data reporting system that gives users information to help manage fleets and optimize machine performance. The system, SiteWatch, uses a control module that integrates with the machine, sending real-time data to a web portal accessible from nearly anywhere in the world. An intuitive interface allows customers and dealers to review and analyze up to 18 months worth of information. According to Case, SiteWatch will keeps operators and their dealers informed with performance metrics, idle-time analytics, scheduled maintenance intervals, machine health reporting and programmable security alerts. Keep Reading
Knife River names Lambert safety director
Jeff Lambert has been promoted to safety director, effective April 28, at Knife River Corp. Lambert will report directly to President Dave Barney. Lambert joined the operation in 1999 and has been director of safety since 2007 for the operation's north central region, which includes operations in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Lambert will be based out of the company's offices in Sauk Rapids, Minn. Keep Reading
New IMT distributor in Pennsylvania
Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc. has named National Truck Body Solutions, based in Greencastle, Pa., a new distributor. National Truck Body Solutions will serve IMT customers in the western halves of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, as well as eastern West Virginia. National Truck Body Solutions, formerly Mason-Dixon Trucks and Carriers, has supplied contractors, mechanics, auto service providers, utility companies and municipalities for more than 25 years. Additionally, the company has been a longtime distributor for Oshkosh Corp. brands Jerr-Dan and JLG Industries. Keep Reading
Fuel efficiency technology to reduce miner’s cost per ton
Immersive Technologies has launched a fuel efficiency technology aimed at giving mine management an affordable way to address the challenges of rising fuel costs and environmental responsibility. The technology is embedded in an upgrade to Immersive Technologies' range of Advanced Equipment Simulators and is designed to give mining equipment operators the skills and knowledge they need to operate in a productive manner while assessing and eliminating behaviors that cause excess fuel consumption. The simulator technology includes detailed monitoring of operator behaviors that directly relate to excess fuel consumption, including levels of throttle and brake application for specific situations. This has resulted in an enhanced assessment tool for managers to determine which fuel inefficient operator behaviors are most prevalent on their site and represent the greatest opportunities for savings. Keep Reading
