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OHIO STATE EDITION
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A Supplement to:
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6
4
71
76
199 30 30 75
68
30 77
71 23 22 68
4
70 70
70
22 71
75
77
27
October 13 2012
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Vol. XVII • No. 21
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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Ohio Connection: Ed Bryden, Strongsville, OH • 1-800-810-7640
Murphy Tractor & Equipment Hosts Tech Workshop
M
urphy Tractor & Equipment Co. Inc. hosted a technology workshop at the Brunswick, Ohio, branch Sept. 20. Attendees had the opportunity to eat lunch, win prizes and learn about technology solutions for their machines. Live demonstrations were conducted by Allu Manufacturing, NPK, Topcon and Loadrite. A John Deere Excavator Operator Training Simulator was a “big hit with customers,” said Mark Hash, branch manager. The simulator featured real-world situations, jobsite hazards, safety violations and much more. Its purpose is to educate operators, in a virtual setting, on proper technique, machine controls and safe operation, for real-world jobsite experiences. Jason Welch, machine technology specialist of Murphy Tractor & Equipment Co. Inc., and Chris Fall, territory customer sales manager of John Deere, were both in attendance to present information about JDLink, Fleet Care and Worksight Solutions. For more information, visit www.murphytractor.com. see WORKSHOP page 5
John Deere and Hitachi equipment, along with attachments from vendors, such as Allu Manufacturing, were on display.
ODOT Saves $10 Million in Salt Costs for Upcoming Winter The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced Sept. 17 that state and local governments are projected to save more than $10 million this winter as a result of a change in the way salt contracts are obtained. In the past, ODOT asked salt companies to bid on contracts on a county-by-county basis. This year, the agency gave salt companies the option to provide bids on entire
ODOT districts in addition to individual counties. The result is a statewide savings of $13.11 per ton of salt, which adds up to $10.2 million. “We never truly know what Mother Nature has in store for us each season, but one thing we do know is that ODOT will be fully prepared and our work this winter will cost Ohio taxpayers less money,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray. “This is yet
another example of how we are demonstrating our success of identifying efficiencies here at ODOT so that we can provide the same great level of service to our customers but do it at a lower cost.” Last year, the state averaged $54.02 per ton of salt ordered. This year, the statewide average is $40.91 per ton. In addition to lower costs for ODOT, local governments also will realize significant savings because
many of them combine their salt needs with ODOT’s in order to improve purchasing power. In addition to the lower price per ton, ODOT alone expects to purchase 209,000 tons less salt this coming winter. Since last year’s winter was so mild, huge stockpiles of salt already exist. For more information, visit www.dot.state.oh.us/Pages/Home.aspx.