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Midwest Edition
July 23 2011 Vol. XVIII • No. 15
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
Shale Drilling Creates Natural Gas Supply Boom
Roland M achinery, Oliver Stores Add Norco...14
Calif. Outsources Bay Bridge Work to Chinese Firm TrynEx Moves to New Michigan Facility...18
Const ruct ion I ndustr y Lend s a Hand.. .80
Table of Contents ............4 Attachments Section33-37 Crushing, Screening & Recycling Section ....55-68 Truck & Trailer Section .... ..................................71-77 Business Calendar ........83 Auction Section ......85-93 Advertisers Index ..........94
By Elaine Kurtenbach AP BUSINESS WRITER
SHANGHAI (AP) China’s biggest heavy machinery maker wrapped up work on the new, tougher east span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge on July 11, hoping success with the $6.3 billion project will help it clinch more overseas contracts. California’s Department of Transportation chose A retention pond takes shape at a well site. Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. to fabricate shale. These days, excited general contracthe steel girders and tower meant to improve the earth- By Giles Lambertson tors or construction equipment dealers don’t quake resistance of the bridge linking San Francisco CEG CORRESPONDENT give a hang about the general. He never and Oakland after the 1989 Loma Prieta quake colsparked a construction boom. The New York town of Marcellus was lapsed part of the bridge. The shale did. Running southwest from named for a Roman general, not for the Zhenhua, which until recently focused mainly on town’s outcropping of natural gas-bearing DRILLING see page 46 see BRIDGE page 18
Construction Spending Declines in May By Derek Kravitz AP REAL ESTATE WRITER
WASHINGTON (AP) Builders began work on fewer projects in May, led by steep declines in apartment construction and less spending by state and local governments. Construction spending declined 0.6 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $757.9 billion, the Commerce Department said July 1. That put overall spending barely above
an 11-year low hit in February. And it is roughly half the $1.5 trillion pace considered healthy by most economists. Analysts say it could be another four years before construction returns to healthier levels. The weak construction spending data showed Americans are reluctant to both build and buy. Home construction fell 2.1 percent. But much of the decline was because an equal decline in apartment building, which can be volatile from month to month. Construction of
single-family homes dropped 0.3 percent. Spending on government projects fell for the eighth consecutive month. The 0.8 percent in May dropped government construction spending to a seasonally adjusted $276 billion annual rate, the weakest pace since February 2007. State and local governments accounted for all of the declines in government spending. They have been cutting back on building projects as they deal with large budget deficits. see SPENDING page 26