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January 21, 2015 • Vol. XXVII • No. 2 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
AED Urges Congress to Spur Growth
LK Gregory Prepares Site for SunTrust Park…8
Brasfield & Gorrie photo
On Jan. 7, Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) President and CEO Brian P. McGuire delivered a strong message to Capitol Hill urging swift, bipartisan action to spur economic growth and job creation in a letter outlining the association’s policy agenda for the 114th Congress.
Designed for patients seeking world-class health care, the comprehensive Florida Hospital for Women in Orlando will treat females in all stages of life.
Guettler Brothers Purchases 10 Cat Trucks…12
Florida Hospital for Women to Provide World-Class Care Designed for patients seeking world-class health care, the comprehensive Florida Hospital for Women in Orlando will treat females in all stages of life. The 12-story, 400,000 sq. ft. (37,161 sq m) structure will house 322 beds, and will offer services that include obstetrics, maternal fetal medicine, gynecologic oncology, women’s surgery, neonatal intensive care, mammography, wellness and education and the High-Risk Breast Center. Brasfield & Gorrie serves as general contractor on the more than $200 million dollar project, which began with pouring pink concrete into the foundation in February 2014. Throughout the night and into the next day, an estimated 700 trucks poured concrete, making it the second largest pour in central Florida history, following the 2006 construction of Florida Hospital’s Ginsburg Tower.
The association recommends a series of key actions to make it easier for construction equipment distributors to succeed by reducing costs of doing business and expanding product markets, including the association’s top priority — provid-
see HOSPITAL page 38
see AED page 32
By Cindy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT
MB to Bring ‘Crushing’ Demo to Vegas...40
Table of Contents ........4 Parts Section ........40-41 Paving Section ......43-54 Auction, Profiles Section ..............................80-103 Business Calendar......89 Advertisers Index ....100
“Restoring stability to federal transportation programs before construction season commences will help sustain and create millions of jobs in the equipment industry, the construction sector and the broader economy.” Brian P. McGuire AED
Industry Jobs Expand in 224 Metro Areas Construction employment expanded in 224 metro areas, declined in 64 and was stagnant in 51 between November 2013 and November 2014, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials
said contractors in many parts of the country were benefitting from growing demand, yet labor shortages threaten to undermine the sector’s recovery. “It is good news that construction employment is now rising in two-thirds of the nation’s metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, chief
economist of the association. “But now that the unemployment rate for construction workers has fallen to a seven-year low, it has become a major challenge to find qualified workers in many fields.” Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas, added the largest number of construction jobs in the past
year (16,200 jobs, 9 percent), followed by Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (11,000 jobs, 10 percent), Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill. (9,100 jobs, 7 percent) and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash. (8,900 jobs, 12 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred see AGC page 32