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Presidential memorandum to speed up infrastructure projects
President Barack Obama signed a presidential memorandum this month to expedite the development of major infrastructure projects. The memorandum advises federal agencies to reduce aggregate timelines for major infrastructure projects by half. Obama announced that he had signed the memorandum during an appearance at Ellicott Dredges in Baltimore, where the initiative has sped up the approval process for the city’s Red Line rail transit corridor by six months. "We’ve got to up our game when it comes to infrastructure," Obama said, adding that the United States could lose out on key business opportunities if it fails to accelerate infrastructure projects. Keep Reading
CMA breaks ground on distribution center
Double Coin Tires and CMA are about to embark on construction of the company's newest distribution center. Councilmen from the city of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., CMA executives and the developers participated in a recent groundbreaking ceremony. Situated on about six acres, the facility will occupy more than 129,000 sq. ft. of under-roof storage. The building design includes dock-high and grade-level bay doors with stalls for parking additional trailers. Natural lighting and exhaust systems are being integrated into the building’s design. Keep Reading
Nonresidential Construction Index hits record high
FMI released its second-quarter Nonresidential Construction Index (NRCI) report, giving nonresidential construction its highest score in more than four years after receiving feedback from its panelists. The NRCI score of 60.1 is a two-point improvement over the first quarter of 2013 and represents the highest score for the NRCI index since its inception in the first quarter of 2009. According to FMI, the score demonstrates that nonresidential construction continues to push upward. However, the index for the overall economy rose 7.9 points and the combined index sentiment for economies where panelists are doing business rose 5.8 points. Current issues for the NRCI's second quarter include the effects of sequestration on public and private construction. The majority of the respondents expect only a 0 to 4 percent reduction in their public works projects due to sequestration, though. Keep Reading
Obama tours dredge manufacturer
President Barack Obama spent several hours May 17 at Ellicott's headquarters and factory in Baltimore, meeting with workers, inspecting dredge machinery and making a policy speech on the federal government's plans to accelerate infrastructure projects. Obama spoke to more than 500 people. Ellicott customers and vendors flew in from around the country and from overseas to take part in the event. Joining Obama for the event were Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Md.), Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), three Congressmen and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. During a private plant tour, Obama observed some of Ellicott's more recent machinery investments, including the Vertical Machining Center. He also discussed export promotion strategies with Ellicott President Peter Bowe. Keep Reading
Pump manufacturer acquired
National Oilwell Varco (NOV) acquired Robbins & Myers earlier this year, placing many of Robbins & Myers' industrial pumping products under NOV's Mono division. Three specific Robbins & Myers businesses are now part of NOV Mono, including Moyno Inc., a manufacturer of progressing cavity pumps, sludge pumps and metering pumps; Chemineer Inc., a provider of mixing technology and a manufacturer of equipment for fluid agitation applications; and Tarby Inc., a manufacturer of progressing cavity replacement parts and pumps. “The combination of these businesses creates a platform for significant growth,” says Santosh Mathilakath, NOV Mono senior vice president. Keep Reading
Dodge Momentum Index at highest mark in nearly four years
The Dodge Momentum Index, a monthly measure of the first report for nonresidential building projects in planning, rose 5.2 percent in April from the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction. Gains have been reported for the momentum index in each of this year’s first four months. Since December 2012, the momentum index is up by 23 percent. The April increase brings the momentum index to 114.4 – the highest level since mid-2009. According to McGraw Hill Construction, the April advance was largely the result of a strong upturn by its commercial segment. New plans for commercial buildings rose 8.5 percent in April, buttressed by several retail projects. Among the larger retail developments to enter planning in April were a new $71 million outlet center in Niagara Falls N.Y., and a $60 million shopping center in San Francisco. The institutional segment in April showed a slight gain at 1.2 percent, as a decline in plans for new health care buildings offset a gain for education-related development. Keep Reading
Xylem establishes branch in Tennessee
Xylem opened a new dewatering solutions branch in Blountville, Tenn. Located at 2020 Highway 75 in Blountville, the branch will serve southwest Virginia through Knoxville, Tenn. The facility has a 15,000-sq.-ft. shop and 3,000 sq. ft. of office space, three dock and nine drive-in doors, and three acres of paved yard space. "This area has been a growth target for Xylem for a number of years," says Jarrod Williamson, Xylem's southeast regional manager. "We have had strong support in the region from our Charlotte, N.C., location, but are now ready to give it more direct attention. Our focus in the area will be diverse, but will include industrial work, municipal opportunities, utility and general contractors, heavy highway constructors, and work in the aggregate market." Keep Reading
Luber-finer awards national scholarship
Luber-finer awarded a $1,000 National FFA Collegiate Scholarship Program award to Amber Scarbrough, a resident of Fairfield, Ill., who plans to continue her education at Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Ill. Luber-finer has been a sponsor of the National FFA and its scholarship program for more than 17 years, according to a company press release. Keep Reading
CEO, chief technology officer leaving ABB
Joe Hogan, CEO of ABB is leaving the company. Hogan will continue to lead ABB until a successor is announced. He joined the company as CEO in September 2008. “Joe is a great and successful CEO and has done a remarkable job of leading the company through the deepest economic crisis in living memory," says Hubertus von Grunberg, chairman. "ABB today is in a much better position than it was when he joined five years ago." In addition, Prith Banerjee, who joined ABB in 2012 and served as chief technology officer, is leaving the company in the coming weeks. He will be relocating here to the United States, where he will be taking another position outside the company. Banerjee's successor has yet to be announced. Keep Reading
