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Kobelco names sales manager for national accounts
Kobelco Construction Machinery USA appointed Randy Hall as sales manager for national accounts. Hall will spearhead the company's efforts in establishing preferred supplier agreements with key national accounts and leverage his experience and contacts to help the company's brand. He will work from his home office in Fayette, Ala. Keep Reading
Housing still leading upturn in construction starts
New construction starts are forecasted to rise 6 percent this year to $506 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. This is the same increase rate for total construction starts that was predicted last October, and this follows the 8 percent gain that took place in 2012. "The recovery for construction continues to unfold in a selective manner, proceeding against the backdrop of the sluggish U.S. economy," says Robert Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction. "While the degree of uncertainty affecting the economy seems to have eased a bit from last year, tight government financing continues to exert a dampening effect on both the economy and the construction industry. "On the positive side for construction, the demand for housing remains strong; market fundamentals for commercial building are strengthening; and lending standards for commercial real estate loans continue to ease gradually. On balance, the recovery for construction is making progress, but at a single-digit pace given the mix of pluses and minuses by major sector." According to McGraw-Hill Construction, single-family housing… Keep Reading
Sany America names dealer in Illinois, Indiana
Chicago Machinery Co. was named a Sany America excavator dealer covering a 150-mile radius surrounding Chicago in northern Illinois and northern Indiana. Keep Reading
Rail-Veyor names sales and marketing vice president
Frank Ward was appointed vice president of sales and marketing at Rail-Veyor Technologies Global Inc., which produces bulk material-handling systems for surface and underground applications. According to Rail-Veyor, Ward is a veteran executive in the heavy-haul rail OEM industry, with more than 35 years of global sales and marketing experience. Before joining Rail-Veyor, Ward was the vice president of international sales for seven years at Electro-Motive Diesel. Keep Reading
Dump truck bodies manufacturer hires manager
Truck Bodies & Equipment International Inc. (TBEI) added Bob Lanshe as territory manager for the south central United States. Lanshe will be based in Texas, and will cover Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas for the Crysteel, DuraClass and Rugby brands. Keep Reading
NSSGA president delivers message to industry
Mike Johnson, who officially took over Aug. 1 as NSSGA president and CEO, made a special written announcement to the industry as part of his introduction. Below is most of the message from Johnson, who previously served the National Beer Wholesalers Association as executive vice president and chief advocacy officer: "I suppose it might seem strange that someone who spent the last seven-plus years representing beer distributors has become the president of an association representing the stone, sand and gravel industry. "It is ... unless you look at the similarities of purpose, rather than the differences in product. Whether at the National Association of Home Builders, where I first became familiar with the construction industry, during my six years as vice president of Government Affairs with the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America or, most recently, in my role as the executive vice president and chief advocacy officer with the National Beer Wholesalers Association, one thing remains a constant: my career has been spent with some of the most active and… Keep Reading
Nonresidential building projects moving at a steady pace
The Dodge Momentum Index, a monthly measure of the first report for nonresidential building projects in planning, held steady in July compared to the previous month, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. The index inched up 0.2 percent in July to 112.8. While July’s growth rate was modest, McGraw-Hill Construction says the momentum index continues to hold onto the gains established earlier in the year. It also remains near its four-year high. Specifically, new plans for institutional buildings rose again, while commercial plans declined. New development for institutional buildings increased 3.3 percent, bolstered primarily by a strong showing for amusement-related projects. Several casino projects entered the planning phase in July, including a $200 million slot machine complex in Tewksbury, Mass. Along with Tewksbury, three other towns in Massachusetts will be competing for the one slot parlor license to be issued by the state. Other new amusement-related planning projects for July included an $85 million performing arts complex in Lubbock, Texas, and a $75 million sports and entertainment complex in Alexandria, Va. Meanwhile,… Keep Reading
Vulcan planning to expand Georgia quarry
Vulcan Materials Co. is proposing a 279-acre expansion of its quarry in Adairsville, Ga., according to the Rome News-Tribune. About half of the 279 acres would be potentially mined. Vulcan currently owns or leases 341 acres at the existing quarry, although only 167 acres is mineable. The county in which the quarry sits filed a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) document in support of proposed expansion. DRIs must be submitted, a Northwest Georgia Regional Commission planner told the newspaper, for existing quarries that expand by at least 50 percent. Keep Reading
MSHA releases mid-year fatality report
Eighteen miners died in work-related accidents at U.S. mines during the first half of 2013, according to MSHA. Of the 18, nine were killed in the metal and nonmetal mining sector. One of the metal/nonmetal miners died in a fall of highwall; one was killed in a machinery accident; and one miner died in an accident involving explosives and breaking agents. Four miners were killed in powered haulage accidents, and two miners died in falling material accidents. “The one recurring element in the fatalities we’ve seen this year is that they were preventable," says Joe Main, MSHA's assistant secretary of labor. "The final numbers released by MSHA earlier [in July] showed that 2012 had the lowest mining death and injury rates in the history of U.S. mining. Many mines operate every shift of every day, year in and year out, without a fatality or a lost-time injury. Mining workplaces can and must be made safe for all miners.” Keep Reading
