Author
FLSmidth names new global CEO
Thomas Schulz, president of Sandvik Construction, is leaving Sandvik to become CEO of FLSmidth & Co. Schulz has worked for Sandvik since 2001 and has had various positions within the company. Jorgen Huno Rasmussen, FLSmidth's current CEO, will retire midway through 2013. Schulz is expected to assume the CEO position around that time. Sandvik, meanwhile, has initiated a search for Schulz's successor. Keep Reading
Vulcan develops product calculator app for iPad, iPhone
Vulcan Materials Co. has launched a product calculator app for Apple's iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad mobile devices. The Vulcan Materials Product Calculator is a tool that allows users to estimate the construction materials needed for building and paving projects. The app is free and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. By entering project dimensions such as length, width and thickness, and material properties such as density, the product calculator estimates needed quantities for different aggregate, asphalt and concrete products. To assist with calculations, menus are also available for selection of typical density values for different aggregate types. Keep Reading
Rivet, Lapan accept new Atlas Copco positions
Andy Rivet has been named manager at Atlas Copco's store in Ludlow, Mass., and Cory Lapan will take over Rivet’s former position as service manager at that location. Rivet had served as service manager at the Ludlow location since 2005. He originally joined Atlas Copco as a field service technician in 2000. In his new role as store manager serving the Northeast region, he will oversee Atlas Copco's Surface Drilling Equipment, Drilling Solutions, Geotechnical Drilling and Exploration, and Dynapac product lines. Lapan had served as a field technician at the Atlas Copco's Ludlow service center until this new appointment. He joined Atlas Copco in February 2006. Keep Reading
Martin Marietta to try new approach in pursuit of Vulcan
Martin Marietta Materials Inc. was unsuccessful earlier this year in its hostile takeover attempt of Vulcan Materials Co. But Martin Marietta won't give up trying to purchase the top crushed-stone producing company in the United States. According to the Wall Street Journal, Martin Marietta will now look to make a friendly offer to buy its rival. The Wall Street Journal cited people close to the decision in its Sunday night report. Vulcan previously rejected a bid from Martin Marietta of nearly $5 billion. The bid was unsolicited, and Vulcan said at the time that it undervalued the company's worth. In another attempt, Martin Marietta offered Vulcan half of each of its shares in return for full Vulcan shares. Keep Reading
How will Shuster differ from Mica as chairman?
The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee got six years out of its most recent chairman, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) will take over in January, and he'll offer a different approach to getting legislation passed according to Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.). According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Meehan says Shuster (pictured at right) is less ideological than Mica and more likely to look for common ground across party lines. "Bill has a very good demeanor and an ability to communicate with people," Meehan says "He's a consensus builder. He's very easy to get to know, and he's effective at including others." Meehan also told the Post-Gazette that he respects Shuster even though the two sometimes butt heads. One disagreement Shuster and Meehan have is whether gas taxes should be enforced to support transportation. In a meeting with reporters Thursday, Shuster said he intends to explore increasing the 18.4-cents-per-gallon gas tax. Keep Reading
Shuster named chairman of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) will take over as chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January, replacing Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), who led Republicans on the committee for the last six years. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Shuster (pictured) told reporters in his first meeting since the announcement that he would consider increasing the 18.4-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax as part of a package of measures being explored to avoid $600 billion in automatic tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect in January. "You've got to look at all your options out there," Shuster told reporters two hours after he secured the chairmanship. "Is it something difficult? Sure, but I think it's one of those things we need to look at." Shuster also said he'll be looking out for Pennsylvania's transportation needs, particularly rehabilitating bridges, locks and dams. "I've got to be the chairman for 50 states but I'm going to make sure I'm paying close attention to my constituents and my state, but at the same… Keep Reading
Power plant pullback triggers October construction starts retreat
The value of new construction starts retreated 14 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $434.9 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. Much of the decline was due to a sharp pullback by the electric power and gas plant category after a robust September. If this category had been excluded from the month-to-month comparisons, total construction starts in October would have registered a 3 percent gain. Greater activity was, however, reported in October for the public works sector, while both nonresidential building and housing settled back. Through the first 10 months of 2012, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis came in at $390.4 billion, a 4 percent gain relative to the same period from one year ago. Keep Reading
USGS says aggregates production increases in third quarter
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released figures showing that an estimated 583 million metric tons (mmt) of total aggregates were produced in the U.S. in the third quarter this year. The figure represents an increase of 6.8 percent compared to this year's second quarter. The estimated production for consumption in the first nine months of 2012 was 1.482 million metric tons – a 1.2 percent increase compared to the same period of 2011. The agency estimates 333 mmt of crushed stone was produced and sold during the third quarter this year. That's a 5 percent increase compared to the second quarter. USGS also estimates U.S. output of construction sand and gravel in the third quarter was 250 mmt – an increase of 9 percent compared to the second quarter. Keep Reading
Facility expected to expand Major Wire’s presence in South
Canadian-based Major Wire Industries Ltd. recently welcomed producers and dealers from the Southern United States to an open house at its newest facility in Salisbury, N.C. The 55,000-sq.-ft. weaving and finishing facility matches Major Wire’s ISO 9001:2008 registered process and quality standards, allowing the company to deliver all of its OptimumWire woven wire products. The open house began with an interactive screen maintenance seminar to help producers identify common screening problems that reduce production rates. Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the facility. “I’d seen Major Wire’s ads in a few of the industry publications, but never wanted to deal with the freight costs to get my screen media from Canada,” says Michael Frings, a North Carolina concrete producer. “When I heard there was a new Major Wire facility in my own backyard, I had to come see it for myself." Keep Reading
