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Cement supplier marks centennial with service initiative
The Holcim facility in Dundee, Mich., is participating in a year-long community service initiative to mark the 100th anniversary of its parent company, Holcim Ltd. The initiative, Together for Communities, gives Holcim employees the opportunity to lead local volunteer projects. Employees recently assisted a local Ann Arbor, Mich., senior with exterior trim painting and yard maintenance. They’ve also volunteered in the Village of Dundee Mayfly Music Festival and planted a community garden on the facility property. Keep Reading
Vig elected chairman of NSSGA division
Joe Vig, group vice president of KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, has been appointed chairman of NSSGA’s Manufacturers & Services Division. As chairman, Vig will lead the division as it provides NSSGA producer members with information about equipment, services, supplies and operating procedures. Vig replaces Dredging Supply Co. Inc. CEO Bill Wetta. Keep Reading
Slight gain for construction starts expected through 2012
McGraw-Hill Construction, as part of its 2012 Dodge Construction Outlook Midyear Update, is predicting total construction starts in the United States to increase 2 percent this year. McGraw-Hill Construction revised its forecast from last October, when it predicted total construction starts to be slightly better than flat for the year. “The construction industry has yet to move from a hesitant up-and-down pattern to more sustained expansion,” says Robert Murray, McGraw-Hill Construction’s vice president of economic affairs. “After plunging 23 percent in 2009, new construction starts edged up only 1 percent in 2010 and were unchanged in 2011, so the modest 2-percent increase predicted for 2012 is really more of the same.” McGraw-Hill Construction also predicts commercial building to grow 10 percent this year, following the 12-percent gain in 2011. The institutional building market, however, is expected to fall an additional 10 percent, after sliding 11 percent in 2011. Public works construction will also slide further in 2012 (6 percent) after last year’s 14-percent decline, McGraw-Hill Construction predicts. Keep Reading
Processing alliance formed between global companies
As first reported by Pit & Quarry in March, Brazilian-based Haver & Boecker, German-based Haver Niagara and Canadian-based W. Tyler Ltd. have formed an alliance and named it Haver & Tyler to share with each other their knowledge of particle analysis, screen media technology, vibrating screens, washing equipment, pelletizing technology, and parts and service support. According to Reinhold Festge, managing partner of the Haver & Boecker Group, the three companies will share their innovations with the goal of providing “productive, reliable products” in areas like particle analysis and screen media. Keep Reading
Big River Industries earns pair of safety awards
The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) and National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) have recognized Big River Industries Inc., a producer of expanded clay lightweight aggregate, with their annual safety awards. Big River’s plants in Erwinsville, La., and Livingston, Ala., each received an award for the number of hours worked accident free. The Erwinsville plant was acknowledged for 102,462 safe hours, and the Livingston operation was awarded for 92,357 safe hours. This was the sixth consecutive year the ICPI and NCMA partnered to recognize the concrete masonry, segmental retaining wall and concrete paver manufacturers with the best plant safety records. Nearly 150 member facilities entered this year’s competition. Keep Reading
Sandvik leaders share vision for crushers, screeners
Global and North American management of mobile crushers and screens within Sandvik Construction met with North American distributors earlier this year in Las Vegas to share the company’s new direction and developments in its track-mounted crusher and screener product line. “The construction business area is a core area within Sandvik,” says Duncan McGregor, president of breakers, mobile crushers and screens. “We are very well-positioned to build stronger customer focus with faster decision-making, clearer goals and accountability.” In other Sandvik news, the company has appointed ASC Construction Equipment USA Inc. as the exclusive distributor for the sales and aftermarket service of its drill rig product range for the Southeast region. The range includes surface construction track drills and blasthole drills for Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. ASC Construction Equipment will also distribute surface construction drills to Alabama for Sandvik. Keep Reading
Transportation reauthorization going down to wire
It’s well documented that the 112th Congress last year was the least productive Congress in modern U.S. history, passing 80 bills as both Democrats and Republicans rarely compromised. Neither party seems to be budging much anytime soon, but as the June 30 transportation bill expiration date looms closer, NSSGA’s 29-person executive committee is urging Congress to enact surface transportation reauthorization legislation before the current extension expires at this month’s end. The association’s goal at this point is to have Congress enact a “multi-year, well-funded highway bill.” If Congress does not enact legislation, it’s possible the program could get lost in a lame duck session of Congress – and that means a loss of more funding. Fortunately, after what had been described as “negotiations [that] were going down in flames,” there is optimism on Capitol Hill this week based on bipartisan meetings about the transportation bill that took place last week between key House and Senate leaders. "The conferees have moved forward toward a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a highway reauthorization… Keep Reading
Graniterock’s chairman, president, CEO dies tragically
On Sunday, June 24, a tragic accident took the life of Graniterock’s chairman, president and CEO, Bruce W. Woolpert. The board of directors and the Woolpert family have implemented the succession plan developed by the company. The first step of the plan is that Mark Kaminski, a long-time member of Graniterock’s board, is now chairman of the board and acting CEO. The Woolpert family released a statement saying they have "complete confidence in the current management team and Graniterock team members and plan to continue operating the company for another 112 successful years." Keep Reading
Astec Mobile Screens now part of AggFlow program
BedRock Software LLC has added Astec Mobile Screens’ high-frequency screens to its AggFlow program that simulates aggregate and mining operations. AggFlow users can calculate mass aggregate and mass water balances flowing through a plant simulation using both stationary and mobile equipment, thus optimizing and maximizing production of desired products. "By including the track plants, it enables us to insert one item versus the multiple items required previously to represent a plant,” says Andy Bryan, sales engineer at KPI-JCI, whose engineers also worked with BedRock Software to introduce the screening equipment. “The combo screen addition allows any user to represent the increased efficiency of the screen design. Previously, BedRock Software says there was no way to accurately determine the capacity and efficiency of a high frequency screen in a simulation program. Users can select from the pre-populated equipment data library or install their own equipment models in the program using the generic equipment application. Currently, the program provides calculations for more than 5,000 models of aggregate crushing, screening and washing equipment.… Keep Reading
