Midwest 03 2015

Page 1

Published Nationally

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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.”

Midwest Edition

www.constructionequipmentguide.com

January 31, 2015 • Vol. IXX • No. 3 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910

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Inside

Industry Firms Add 48,000 Jobs in December

Northern Green Expo Features ‘Cam pfires’...8

ClearSpan Adds Hybrid Buildings...12

A Cat 345D excavator and a mini Cat excavator work together chipping concrete off at the base of the dam between a set of piers.

Minn. Dam Almost Finished By Dick Rohland CEG CORRESPONDENT

Vermeer Launches Search for HDD Crew...22

Table of Contents ................4 Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................39-47 Attachment & Parts Section ......................................51-53 Recycling Section ........69-82 Business Calendar ............83 Auction Section ............87-93 Advertisers Index ..............94

Forms stand and will soon be ready for a concrete pour between two piers that will be outfitted with a new, steel crest gate.

A two-year, $16 million rehabilitation project on a 100-year-old dam that marks the end of the navigable portion of the Mississippi River in Minnesota will soon be completed. Wide ranging concerns

from structural deterioration to the health of the state’s fishing industry sparked the decision to make the improvements, said Jason Boyle, state dam safety engineer of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, (DNR). Edward Kraemer and Sons Inc., based

Construction employers added 48,000 jobs in December and 290,000 for the year, the largest annual increase since 2005, as the sector’s unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said many firms are expanding payrolls to keep pace with growing construction demand, but are having a hard time finding qualified workers to fill key positions. “Construction firms are clearly ramping up their hiring to keep up with swelling demand for construction,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Demand for workers to construct apartments, pipelines and huge industrial projects is likely to remain robust in 2015.” Construction employment totaled 6.16 million in December, the highest level since March 2009, with a 12-month gain of 290,000 jobs or 4.9 percent, Simonson noted. Residential building and specialty trade contractors added a combined 13,500 employees since November and 132,100 (6 percent) over 12 months. Nonresidential contractors hired a net of 34,400 workers for the month and 158,200 (4.3 percent) since December 2013. The heavy and civil engineering construction seg-

see DAM page 60

see AGC page 92

ELFA Predicts Top Equipment Acquisition Trends The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), which represents the $903 billion equipment finance sector, revealed its Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2015. Given U.S. businesses, nonprofits and government agencies will spend nearly $1.5 trillion in capital goods or fixed business investment (including software) this year, financing a majority of those assets, these trends impact a significant portion of the U.S. economy. Businesses will find opportunities presented by a steadily improving economy and favorable credit conditions as they make their decisions for equipment replacement and expansion. ELFA President and CEO William G. Sutton

said, “Equipment financing is a critical source of funding for a majority of U.S. businesses, allowing them to acquire the equipment they need to operate and grow. It enables equipment acquisition, which plays a critical role in driving the supply chains across all U.S. manufacturing and service sectors. To assist businesses in planning their acquisition strategies, we have distilled recent research data, including the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s 2015 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook Report, industry participants’ expertise and member input from ELFA meetings and conferences to provide our best insight for the Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2015.”

ELFA forecasts the following Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2015: 1. Investment in equipment and software will reach an all-time high in 2015. As the U.S. economy continues to improve, business investment is forecast to reach a record $1.484 trillion in 2015. As business investment grows, demand for equipment financing will increase. 2. Businesses will invest in equipment not just to replace aging assets, but also to aid in expansion. The pent-up replacement demand that has driven equipment investment in previous years may be supplemented by long-awaitsee ELFA page 92


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