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International Equipment Solutions acquires CWS Industries
International Equipment Solutions LLC made its fourth acquisition since its formation last September in CWS Industries Corp., an attachment product manufacturer focused on tire manipulators, cable reelers, grapples buckets and a variety of excavator attachment products. IES was formed as an investment platform to serve the construction, agriculture, landscaping, infrastructure, recycling, demolition, mining and energy industries. IES made its first two acquisitions upon its formation, when it acquired Paladin Brands Holding Inc. and Crenlo LLC from Dover Corp. IES acquired Siac do Brasil, a Brazilian cab enclosure manufacturer, earlier this summer. Photo: International Equipment Solutions LLC Keep Reading
Deister names exclusive equipment rep for three states
Deister Machine Co. Inc. has appointed Process Machinery Inc. as its exclusive equipment dealer and turnkey systems provider for Indiana, Kentucky and the Ohio region south of I-70. Among Process Machinery’s services are new and used equipment, parts and service support, fabrication, process design and field construction services. Keep Reading
Mine safety bill reportedly in the works
NSSGA reports Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is developing new mine safety legislation. An initial summary of the proposal, which has not yet been introduced, includes a number of items seen in previous mine safety bills. The items all target mine operators, and NSSGA is opposed to them all. The legislation is reportedly a response to the report on what went wrong to cause the 2010 Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in West Virginia. MSHA admitted that it could have inspected the facility more thoroughly, and the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health has been critical of aspects of MSHA’s enforcement culture. Among the provisions NSSGA believes to be included in Harkin’s bill are a significant increase in the number of operator employees who could be deemed liable for civil and criminal penalties for violations; a reduced threshold for a violation to be labeled as "willful," thus increasing the potential gravity of citations; and a broadly expanded subpoena authority, serving to limit privacy of business records. While NSSGA says this legislation is… Keep Reading
KPI-JCI hires product application specialist
Chad Renken has joined the KPI-JCI sales and marketing team as a product application specialist. In the position, Renken will provide support to both domestic and international sales personnel in reviewing aggregate processing opportunities and by proposing equipment solutions for customers. Renken previously worked as a project designer at Masaba Mining Equipment in Vermillion, S.D. Keep Reading
Schenck AccuRate, Mac Process forming single company
Sister companies Schenck AccuRate and Mac Process are joining forces to form a single entity called Schenck Process North America Inc. Schenck AccuRate, a dry material feeder manufacturer and weighing technology specialist, and Mac Process, a supplier of design pneumatic conveying and air filtration systems, will integrate their sales teams. Jay Brown will direct the combined business as president and CEO, and Dirk Maroske will assume the new role of COO. Schenck Process North America will officially launch on January 1, 2013. The AccuRate and Mac brand names will remain, and the company says existing operations in Houston, Whitewater, Wisc., Kansas City, Mo., and Milford, Ohio, will remain largely unchanged. Keep Reading
WTS International names keynote speaker for 2013 conference
Gloria Steinem, a women's liberation movement leader in the late 1960s and 1970s, has been named the keynote speaker for next year’s WTS International annual conference. WTS International is an association that focuses on the professional advancement of women in transportation. The conference, to be held May 15-17 next year in Philadelphia, generally attracts corporate and government industry leaders worldwide, including executives, CEOs, government administrators and engineering authorities. Attendees at the conference gather to network, discuss the state of the world’s transportation infrastructure, strategize on advancing professionally through glass ceilings, and explore successful municipal and private transportation and traffic projects. Photo: WTS International Keep Reading
June construction retreats 1 percent
New construction starts in June slipped 1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $446.1 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. After the elevated activity that McGraw-Hill reported during March and April, which reflected the lift coming from two nuclear power projects, total construction in May and June returned to a level just slightly above the average monthly pace reported during the previous year. June featured a moderate loss of momentum for nonresidential building, after this sector’s improved performance in May. At the same time, residential building in June maintained its gradual upward trend, while nonbuilding construction was unchanged as the result of divergent behavior by its public works and electric utility segments. For the first six months of 2012, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis came in at $225 billion, up 4 percent from the same period a year ago. Keep Reading
Nineteen mining deaths second fewest ever at midyear
MSHA reports 19 miners died in work-related accidents at mines across the United States in its 2012 midyear summary of mining deaths. Ten of the 19 deaths were coal mining related, while nine were metal and nonmetal mining deaths. Four of the nine metal/nonmetal deaths were attributed to powered-haulage incidents, and two were the result of a falling face, rib or highwall. Three others were linked to accidents involving machinery, falling material and a person falling. “While 19 is the second-lowest number of mining deaths recorded in mining midyear, we know that these deaths are preventable,” says Joe Main, MSHA’s assistant secretary of labor. “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
Former Martin Marietta employee joins Crisp Industries
Crisp Industries Inc. has named Doug Swoveland operations manager of the company’s branch in New Braunfels, Texas. Swoveland will oversee Crisp’s daily operations and service activities for the South Texas area. Before joining Crisp, Swoveland worked for Martin Marietta Materials Inc. for 24 years in various positions at its Beckmann plant. Keep Reading
