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Students visit KPI-JCI for special event
KPI-JCI hosted junior and senior high school students June 20 for a Chamber of Commerce youth event in Yankton, S.D. About 85 students participated in the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce's Youth Business Adventure (YBA) at KPI-JCI. According to a KPI-JCI press release, YBA selects one local business for students to tour each year as a way to showcase business opportunities in South Dakota. This year, program participants toured KPI-JCI's manufacturing facility and office. Participants also met with representatives from various departments, giving them a better grasp on the kinds of jobs available at KPI-JCI. Keep Reading
Atlas Copco names manager for Nevada store
Atlas Copco has appointed Rob Root manager of its Elko, Nev., store. In his new role, Root will be responsible for all store operations and personnel in parts, service and sales. Prior to joining Atlas Copco in 2010, Root served as parts operations manager for a dealer headquartered in Colorado. He then joined Atlas Copco as national customer service manager, a position he’s held for the past three years. Keep Reading
Main addresses elimination of State Grants Program
Representatives from seven Midwest state aggregate associations and NSSGA met June 18 with Joe Main, MSHA's assistant secretary of labor, during an Indiana Mineral Aggregates Association meeting in Indianapolis. Three MSHA officials joined Main: Neal Merrifield, a metal/nonmetal administrator; Steve Richetta, North Central district manager; and Lawrence King, Indianapolis field office supervisor. According to the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP), Main discussed ongoing efforts to improve the consistency of enforcement and to improve communications with the industry. He outlined changes and improvements in MSHA’s Small Mine Consultation Program to make it more efficient, and he explained MSHA’s decision to defund the State Grants Program in response to ongoing budget reductions. After Main's presentations, the associations discussed their issues. RiverStone Group's Jim Papenhausen highlighted how the Small Mines Consultation Program is useful to his company and the industry, and IAAP's John Henriksen focused on the association's strong opposition to MSHA’s decision to eliminate the State Grants Program in the upcoming fiscal year. According to IAAP, Main responded to the State… Keep Reading
Nonresidential building carries new construction starts in May
New construction starts in May advanced 5 percent from April, according to McGraw Hill Construction. Much of the upward lift came from nonresidential building, which registered moderate growth for the second straight month after a sluggish performance at the outset of 2013. Smaller gains in May were reported for housing and nonbuilding construction. Total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were reported at $187.6 billion during the first five months of the year – down 3 percent from the same period a year ago. May’s data raised the Dodge Index to 105, up from the 100 that was reported for April and slightly above the average 101-index reading for all of 2012. “The construction industry has shown modest improvement over the past year, helped by some project types while restrained by others,” says Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw Hill Construction. “The housing sector played a leading role last year in lifting overall construction activity, and while this year’s month-to-month gains have been smaller, housing continues to… Keep Reading
Hitachi extends partnership with Immersive Technologies
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd. (HCM) has renewed its exclusive partnership agreement with Immersive Technologies for five years. According to HCM, the agreement provides Immersive Technologies with continued access to HCM's engineering information and staff. The partnership will facilitate the ongoing development and support of a range of equipment simulators, which are designed by Immersive Technologies for equipment operator training and workforce development. Immersive Technologies will provide training feedback to HCM about general operator behavior. HCM says it plans to use the information to develop, improve and troubleshoot mining equipment. Keep Reading
TWS names sales manager
Terex Washing Systems has named James Bulebush a sales manager. He will work at the Terex facility in Louisville, Ky. Keep Reading
Two Holt Cat stores to open in Texas
Holt Cat broke ground last week on a full-service store in Little Elm, Texas, and it plans to host another groundbreaking ceremony this week for a store in Edinburg, Texas. According to the Little Elm Economic Development Corp., the facility in Little Elm will create jobs and increase current budget and sales tax. The facility is expected to open in the second quarter of 2014, and the company is anticipating up to 45 new positions at the location. In Edinburg, Holt Cat's facility is expected to be about 38,000 sq. ft. It will provide parts, service, sales and rentals to South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Keep Reading
Acquisition expands Case dealer around Mid-Atlantic
Case Construction Equipment dealer Groff Tractor & Equipment purchased the assets of Vernon E. Stup Co. in Frederick, Md. Terms of the deal were undisclosed. Groff Tractor says the Frederick location will allow it to better service customers in western Maryland, northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia. The company plans to develop the Frederick location into a full-service facility that includes an extensive parts inventory, in-shop support and field service. The new location will also expand the availability of Case rental equipment to customers in the region, according to Groff Tractor. Groff Tractor President and CEO Mike Savastio reports that this expansion will include the addition of new technicians, service trucks and advanced parts expediting. Keep Reading
Sany America names dealer for Houston
Easton Sales & Rentals LLC was named the Sany America excavator dealer for areas in Houston and Albuquerque, N.M. “There is great need for excavators in the markets of Texas and New Mexico,” says Eric Teague, vice president of earthmoving at Sany America. “Easton is a very solid company with family roots that extend nearly 70 years, and we are confident this partnership will help customers meet their growing needs.” Keep Reading
