Tag Archive for 'construction industry'

In Response to President Obama’s Infrastructure Bank

Published on September 7, 2010 in Daily Dirt. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Dennis Slater, AEM President

Statement from Dennis Slater, President of Association of Equipment Manufacturers

America’s equipment manufacturing industry applauds the President for recognizing the vital importance of infrastructure investment to the long-term strength and competitiveness of our country. What America needs – and what voters want – is the Administration and Congress to work in partnership right now to finally pass a transportation reauthorization bill that will address longstanding safety and quality issues, and put Americans back to work.

Investing in the rebuilding and modernization of our nation’s roads, railways, runways and transit systems is a strategy that Democrats and Republicans alike should be clamoring to support.  Instead, Congress has let a six-year bill expire while America falls behind other nations that are building infrastructure for future competition in the global marketplace. In the short term, this has and will continue to cost American jobs. In the long-term, it will cost us our competitive advantage – and even more jobs.

While the President’s plan for an Infrastructure Bank and increased capacity in our infrastructure system is an important step, Congress has the opportunity to act now on transportation reauthorization that will result in immediate job creation.  We need a strategic vision for modernizing our country’s infrastructure, and leaders with the courage to make it happen.  We need Congress to pass a transportation bill, and they need to come together on a robust, multi-faceted and sustainable way to pay for it, including consideration of a user fee increase.  Maybe this is not the most popular policy stance in an election year, but there is no such thing as a safe road built by American workers for free.

Editor’s Note:

Site-K Construction Zone has been posting information and comments about the country’s need for a new transportation bill. One, that had been based on a couple of years of intense research and addressed the immediate and long term transportation needs of the country by congressman James L. Oberstar and his committee, has been put on hold a couple times since the last bill,  SAFETEA-LU, expired on September 30, 2009. A year and billions of dollars have been wasted and more debt created while we as a nation sit and wait… A comprehensive transportation bill would be a step in the right direction. Congress doesn’t have to wait until December to pass one. Now would be a good time…

GS

Cat Auction Services’ Denver Auction to Include TARCO Dispersal

Published on September 7, 2010 in Industry Activities. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Cat Auction Services has announced it will hold an unreserved public auction in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, September 30. Coming on the heels of heavy construction and agricultural equipment auctions in Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Neb., Cat Auction Services returns to Colorado for the first time since its successful Grand Junction auction in early 2009. The event will be held at the TARCO, Inc., headquarters at 4781 West 58th Avenue in Arvada, Colo., and will feature a broad assortment of heavy construction equipment from multiple consigners including a complete dispersal for TARCO, Inc. The auction will begin at 9 a.m. local time.

More than 200 pieces of large equipment and a broad selection of smaller items and shop equipment have been consigned to the Denver auction thus far and more items are being added daily. The event is expected to generate interest from across the United States and around the world. Potential buyers are invited to view the entire equipment list and detailed TA-1 level inspection reports online prior to the event by visiting www. catauctions.com. Real-time online bidding will be available on the day of the auction through the company’s website. Participants are encouraged to register early.

Cat Auction Services President Rick Albin said, “In this business you need to take the time to get to know the people behind the consignments. One of our strengths is that we establish close relationships with business owners and help them manage their equipment inventories. Because we’re made up of a group of Caterpillar dealer partners, we know the business inside and out. I encourage anyone who has an interest in quality equipment to come out and see what we have to offer.”

Gary Trettel, chief finanacial officer and general manager, noted that the Denver auction will include a wide range of loaders, compactors, backhoes, motor scrapers, trucks and trailers from a variety of manufacturers like Caterpillar, Volvo, Case and Komatsu.

“We invite the people of the Denver area to stop out and see how we have raised the bar in the auction industry,” said Trettel. “The video on our Leaderboard display gives our buyers — both on-site and online — the ability to see each piece of equipment in action. That, combined with our detailed inspection reports, helps them accurately gauge the value of the item and make a confident bidding decision.” The Leaderboard is Cat Auction Services’ high-impact display screen located at the front of the auction theater, and the feedback the company has received has been extraordinarily positive.

Cat Auction Services entered the heavy equipment auction arena in late 2008 and has been active across the country. Reviews from all corners have been positive, and recent auctions have drawn buyers from 49 states and nearly three dozen countries. The recent auction in Omaha generated over $6 million in sales.

By conducting auctions that provide value to both the buyers and sellers, Cat Auction Services complements and enhances the relationship between Cat dealers and their customers. Cat Auction Services was formed through a unique partnership of Cat dealers with the endorsement of Caterpillar, Inc. The addition of a proprietary auction arm to the portfolio of services available to Cat customers and others in the heavy equipment industry builds upon the company’s existing customer loyalty.

More information about the company and consigning equipment to the September auction can be found at www.catauctions.com.

Group Goetz Architects Promotes Franck Le Bousse, DPLG To Principal

Published on September 7, 2010 in Construction and Daily Dirt. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Group Goetz Architects (GGA) is pleased to announce that Franck Le Bousse, DPLG has been promoted to Principal. In his five years with GGA, Mr. Le Bousse has worked on a wide variety of projects within the firm, including such notable projects as the Herbert C. Hoover Modernization, National Aquarium in Washington, DC, the Embassy of Liechtenstein and the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation HQ. Mr. Le Bousse is a proven leader who is motivated by design excellence, a commitment to outstanding client service and a passion for collaboration.

Mr. Le Bousse is an award-winning architect who has a diverse and international portfolio of projects. His versatile design skills allow him to implement provocative ideas in simple and elegant solutions for projects including major national civic buildings, residential developments, medical facilities, office building interior designs, landscape and furniture design.

Prior to working at GGA, Mr. Le Bousse worked as an Architectural Lead Designer in Chile, Germany and France. Throughout his 16 years in architecture, Mr. Le Bousse led diverse project teams and is recognized for clear and concise communication with clients supported by simple graphic documents. Mr. Le Bousse’s strong leadership has brought projects such as the Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein, the New Interpretive Center at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville, France, the Gala Hispanic Theatre in Washington, DC, the Cancer Care Center in Seaford, DE and the Federal Ministry of Economy in Berlin to completion. Mr. Le Bousee received his Bachelors of Architecture from Ecole d’Architecture de Bretagne in Rennes, France and studied at the International Laboratory of Architecture and Urban Design in Urbino, Italy and the Instituto Universitario di Archittetura di Venezia in Venice, Italy.

“During his tenure at GGA, Franck has demonstrated his abilities as a highly regarded professional, an effective problem solver and communicator and as a strong leader, said Lewis J. Goetz, FAIA, FIIDA, President and CEO of Group Goetz Architects. “Mr. Le Bousse is a tremendous asset to the firm and we are proud to make him a Principal.

Lincoln Electric To Hold Pipeline Welding Seminar In October

Published on September 7, 2010 in Industry Activities. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Lincoln Electric is offering a free Pipeline Welding Seminar intended for contractors and professionals in the pipeline industry. The two-day session will take place on Monday, October 11 from 1-5 p.m. and Tuesday, October 12 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at Lincoln Electric’s corporate headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.

With the growing demand in energy markets, rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and construction of new cross-country and subsea pipelines will continue to increase. The seminar will focus on these topics, as well as new solutions for overall improved safety, productivity and quality.

Topics will include:
- Solutions to common pipeline welding challenges 
- Understanding hydrogen cracking and how to minimize it 
- Effects of welding essential variables, including heat input, on weld metal properties

The session will also include a guest speaker from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Sessions will be followed by welding demonstrations on the latest pipeline welding techniques, equipment and consumables. Tours of Lincoln’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities will also be included.

For more information on this free informational seminar or to reserve a spot, contact Lincoln Electric at (216) 383-8355. Space is limited, and the deadline to register is Friday, October 1.

The Lincoln Electric Company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, fume extraction equipment and plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment. The company holds a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market. For more information, visit their Web site at www.lincolnelectric.com

Deere Responds To Customers’ Soil Challenges With New Construction Offset Disks

Published on September 3, 2010 in Equipment & Products. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

John Deere Construction & Forestry has introduced three new series of Frontier construction offset disks for its dozers and scraper tractors with heavy weight-per-blade ratios to help users cut deep into tough, compacted soil.

“Our customers told us about their heavy soil challenges and we’ve responded with three new series of construction offset disks that offer aggressive disking with 764 High-Speed Dozers, 750J Dozers and 9030 Series Scraper Special Tractors,” said Tom Elliott, product marketing manager for John Deere.

“The offset disks are heavy-duty, deep-cutting construction-grade tillage tools built for productivity, uptime and low daily operating costs,” he added. “These tow-behind units are perfect for a variety of applications, including preparing roadways, subdivisions and construction sites, performing dam work and general land clearing, and mixing and drying soil.”

The DH54C Series features five different widths ranging from 10 to 14 feet, and their heavy-duty steel blades feature 503 to 583 pounds of cutting force per blade to cut through soil. Standard notched disk blades are 30 inches in diameter, .5 inches thick and have 13-inch front and rear blade spacing.

The DH55C Series is available in four different widths, from 10 feet to 13 feet, 9 inches. Their robust steel blades can generate as much as 639 pounds of cutting force per blade.

The durable notched disk blades are .5 inches thick and 32 inches in diameter. Blade spacing is 14 inches front and rear.

The Frontier DH56C Series offers four different widths ranging from 10 feet to 14 feet, 6 inches, and up to 868 pounds of cutting force per blade to tackle hard soil. Durable .5-inch-thick notched blades are 36 inches in diameter and feature 17-inch front and rear blade spacing.

Each of the Frontier offset disks also feature simple gang angle adjustment that enables operators to adjust them quickly. Two separate control arms come standard; one is for transport leveling and the other is for leveling while the disk is on the ground, giving the operator the ability to select the working position for consistent cutting in each soil condition.

All construction offset disks are designed with adjustable disk blade scrapers that keep blades clean for better performance and increased productivity in wet and sticky soils. The Pintle hitch swivels fore and aft, as well as side-to-side, to prevent hitch binding in rolling terrain and other harsh conditions common to job sites.

Locking end washers help keep the end nut of the gang shaft tight during operation. Two gang nut wrenches are supplied with each disk to maintain torque on the gang shafts. Oil bath tapered roller bearings that are sealed with industrial-grade seals keep maintenance to a minimum and come complete with a wear plate.

In addition, multipurpose transport lights come standard and function as taillights, hazard lights and turning signals.