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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” www.constructionequipmentguide.com Published 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. 28, Washington, PA•19034 • 215/885-2900 ToWashington, ll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910 • www.ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com January 2015 • Vol. LIV No. 2 • 470 Maryland Drive ••Ft. PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910 Nationally
Inside
$23M E-ZPass Interchange to Open This Spring By Brenda Ruggiero CEG CORRESPONDENT
Beck Equipment Invests in New Paint Booth…8
A new E-ZPass-only interchange will soon be available to visitors traveling to and from the Pocono Mountains in Carbon County, Pa., on the Turnpike's Northeastern Extension. The interchange, located between the Mahoning Valley and Pocono interchanges, is scheduled to open to traffic in the spring. The project, which
is valued at $23 million, is 100 percent funded by toll dollars and is being coordinated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. In addition to new northbound and southbound on- and off-ramps, the project includes construction of a new bridge over the Turnpike and widening on Route 903 to accommodate turn lanes to the Turnpike ramps. Traffic signals also will be installed at the intersections of Route 903 with the
Table of Contents ........4 Paving Section ......65-78 Parts Section ............100 Business Calendar ....100 Auction Profiles Section ..........................105-121 Advertisers Index ....122
see INTERCHANGE page 24
Industry Firms Add 48,000 Jobs in December
D.A. Collins Finishes Work on N.Y. Bridges…40
Skurka Family Continues Construction Tradition…52
new ramps. The project is being built in two phases. Phase 1 was completed in 2010, and Phase 2 is currently under construction. Phase 1 was a design-build contract to construct the northern half of the new Route 903 bridge over the Turnpike. Phase 2 construction began in early
A section of precast arch culvert is set into place. The culvert will be extended across the entire width of Route 903.
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. see AGC page 100
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 see ELFA page 30