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NSSGA names State Aggregates Association Executive of the Year
The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) named Patrick Jacomet as the 2014 State Aggregates Association Executive of the Year. Jacomet is the executive director of the Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association (OAIMA). The award acknowledges significant contributions of a state association and its leadership at the national level. NSSGA President and CEO Mike Johnson says Jacomet received the award in part because of his efforts to organize other state aggregates associations’ responses to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the U.S. rule proposal. NSSGA will present the award at the closing general session for the NSSGA’s 2015 Annual Convention in Baltimore. Keep Reading
Dodge Momentum Index rises in February
The Dodge Momentum Index increased 4.3 percent to 126.3 in February from 121.1 in January, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The index has exhibited somewhat of an alternating pattern of late, up in December, down in January and up in February. Despite the volatility, the overall trend for the index continues to be positive, as it now stands 17 percent higher than one year ago. Dodge Data reports a rise in planning activity for the commercial and institutional sectors influenced the February increase. The institutional sector increased 6.0 percent, while the commercial sector rose by 3.3 percent. There were seven projects exceeding $100 million that entered planning in February, comprised of six commercial projects and one institutional project. Keep Reading
Superior Industries enters agreement to acquire Clemro Western
Superior Industries entered into an agreement to acquire Clemro Western Ltd., based in Calgary, Alberta. Clemro Western manufactures and supplies crushing and screening equipment in western Canada. Superior says the acquisition will allow the company to increase its bulk handling product portfolio for its customers in aggregate and mining production. Keep Reading
ABB invests in new Tennessee facility
ABB announced it plans to invest $30 million to build a manufacturing site and expand its customer experience center for its low voltage products division in Memphis, Tenn. The company says the new facility measures more than 120,000 sq. ft., and it will be used to assemble its low voltage product items, including its breakers. ABB says the investment in the new facility will likely create about 300 jobs within the next five years. The company says its total workforce in North America has tripled to 20,000 the last five years. Keep Reading
Terex FracStac to debut at Florida quarry event
Terex Washing Systems (TWS) will launch its FracStac, the world’s first modular frac plant, at a quarry event the third week of March in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the company reports. TWS says the plant can be used for frac sand processing and other industrial sands. Sean Loughran, TWS director, says frac sand has been more frequently used in the process of oil and gas extraction in recent years, with no signs of the trend abating. Loughran says the FracStac allows customers to produce up to three grades of frac sand, using state-of-the-art controls. TWS will also showcase its AggreSand 206 wash plant to dealers and customers at the Fort Lauderdale event, which holds nearly double the capacity of TWS’ AggreSand 165 model. Keep Reading
Scalper, screen debut at Sandvik’s distributor conference
About 75 people from almost 50 distributors attended Sandvik Construction’s first Global Distributor Conference from Jan. 12-15, Sandvik reports. The company says its Global Distributor Conference gathered distributors to discuss key areas of business growth in 2015. Sandvik says the event included keynote sessions and workshops at the Slieve Russell Hotel in Ireland, followed by a product display at Sandvik’s new Center of Excellence in Ballygawley, Northern Ireland. Sandvik debuted the QE441 scalper and QA335 doublescreen at the conference’s product display, the company says. Other products on display included the QJ341 jaw crusher, the QH331 Hydrocone, the QS331 “S” type gyrator cone crusher and the UH440i cone crusher. Keep Reading
Atlas Copco discontinues mobile crushing, screening business
Atlas Copco plans to discontinue manufacturing its crushers and screeners, the company reports. Johan Halling, president of Atlas Copco’s mining and rock excavation technique business, says that the mobile crusher and screener business did not “fit strategically” for the company. Atlas Copco says production of its mobile crushers will cease at its St. Valentin, Austria, plant sometime in 2015. The company adds that its current mobile crusher and screener customers will receive aftermarket service support if needed in future years. Keep Reading
John Deere creates online video series for customers
With the popularity of online videos, John Deere says it created the John Deere Worksight online video series to highlight the advantage of data analysis for machine optimization. The company says that John Deere Worksight is a technology package that includes the JDLink machine monitoring system, machine health prognostics, remote diagnostics, payload weighing and grade control. Liz Quinn, a John Deere product marketing manager, says many of the company’s customers don’t realize the amount of data they have access to that could help their businesses. She says the company created animations to help customers increase their productivity. John Deere says its construction and forestry division produced the video series to help its customers understand the benefits of the Worksight technologies. The following are all videos included in the series: - Getting the most out of machines - Increasing machine uptime - Creating a productive and profitable job - Securing your fleet - Machine utilization across jobsites - Reducing improper machine operation - Minimizing idle time - Getting the right part… Keep Reading
Kobelco plans to build excavator production facility in South Carolina
Kobelco Construction Machinery USA, based in Katy, Texas, plans to construct a hydraulic excavator production facility in Spartanburg, S.C. Kobelco says its market development has been moving at a faster rate than expected since it re-entered the market in 2013. A North American production factory will allow the company to reduce production lead time for its U.S. customers, according to the company. Kobelco says site preparation for the Spartanburg facility will begin in April. The company expects construction to be completed by December. The $41 million investment will involve the development of a 156,000-sq.-ft. production factory, a 17,000-sq.-ft. office building, machinery parking and a testing area. Kobelco adds that it will have access to major domestic ports, including Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga. The company says mass production will begin at the North American facility in January 2016. Keep Reading
