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Midwest Edition
October 6 2018 Vol. XX • No. 20
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“The Nation’s Nation’sBest BestRead ReadConstruction Construction Newspaper… Founded Newspaper… Founded 1957.”1957.”
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Inside
Port Road Project Races Toward Finish Line By Dick Rohland CEG CORRESPONDENT
Wisconsin Report Details Hidden Road Costs…10
Golf Outing Mixes Business, Pleasure…14
Operators Shine at Franklin Rodeo…18
Business owners and residents neighboring a 1.4-mi. section of a primary arterial in Superior, Wis., will soon see their two-year trial of construction noise and traffic inconvenience come to an end. Road construction crews are well into the final season of pouring four lanes of new concrete and sidewalk along U.S. Route 2 in the Lake Superior port. The city of Superior, along with its twin port of Duluth, Minn., is the innermost port of call in the United States for international shipping. Cargo ships motor into the twin ports from the Atlantic coast 2,340 mi. away through the St. Lawrence Seaway. The graceful, tied-arch Bong Bridge, which opened in 1985, carries Route 2 traffic over 8,300 ft. of Lake Superior harbor to connect the two cities. Chippewa Concrete Services took on the two-year, $23 million project. The family-run company is nearly 40 years old and provides major paving and concrete services for its clients. Chippewa Concrete Services brought in approximately 15 subcontractors throughout the two-year project while working under heavy traffic and pedestrian volumes to complete the many phases of the road. The city of Superior and the state of Wisconsin are sharing the costs of the project. Chippewa Concrete Services Construction
The amount of excavation on the project was huge, with a major upgrade to the storm sewer system, along with the installation of a new water main. A good representation of Cat, John Deere and Kobelco equipment was on site for excavation and subgrade paving work.
Superintendent Barry Bohman said he is pleased with the progress of the construction and the team effort behind it. “Construction has been going very well. Between our project staff and our subcontracsee CHIPPEWA page 64
A John Deere dozer pushes fill through the far eastern end of the project with a Cat roller coming up from behind.
Table of Contents ....................4 Off-Road Trucks Section ..39-55
Labor Shortage: It’s Not Necessarily About Pay
Snow & Ice Section ..........65-69 By Jennifer McKevitt Business Calendar..................78 Paving Section ..................85-96 Auction Section.............101-109 Advertisers Index................110
CEG CORRESPONDENT
A recent report from the Associated General Contractors of America notes that more than 80 percent of contractors are struggling to fill hourly craft positions or those that require specialized training to perform. In an attempt to lure in talented workers, per diems and other pay structures are growing increasingly com-
petitive. CEG spoke with Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist, who believes the situation will take more than adjusted per diems to resolve. “Construction firms are definitely sensitive to wage and benefits packages,” Simonson said. “However, the problem of attracting qualified workers goes deeper than adjusted costs for meals, travel and lodging.”
The true source of worker shortages isn’t pay-related, he believes. The real issue is training. “About a decade or more ago, schools began de-emphasizing the value of trades,” he said. “Career counselors told everyone that college was the best way to land a high-paying job.” What the counselors didn’t foresee was the see LABOR page 84