Published Nationally ®
Southeast Edition
February 9 2011
$3.00
Vol. XXIII • No. 3
“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
Southern Crane Helps Drop Giant Acorn…6
Construction Firms Plan to Hire More in ’11 More construction firms are planning to hire workers this year than are planning to make layoffs, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released Jan. 24 by the Associated General Contractors of America and Navigant. The survey, conducted as part of the Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook, shows the industry may finally be emerging from a severe downturn
that has left millions of skilled workers unemployed. “This won't be an easy year for most firms, but it will be better than last year,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “If current trends continue, this industry will be in a much better position 12 months from now than it is today.” Sandherr noted that while 55 percent of
firms laid off staff and only 20 percent of firms added employees in 2010, the outlook is more positive for 2011. He said that 27 percent of construction firms report they plan to add staff in 2011 while only 20 percent report plan layoffs. Even more positive, expanding firms plan to hire an average of 23 employees, while contracting firms plan to lay off an see HIRING page 56
Caterpillar’s Strong Quarter Profit Hints at Growth
Passion, Tenacity Drives Griffin Brothers…8
By Josh Funk AP BUSINESS WRITER
Fl a. Fir m B egins Ad ding Manpower …29
Table of Contents ........4 Attachment Section ...... ............................21-25 Truck & Trailer......26-28 Recycling Section 33-39 Business Calendar…..42 Auction Section ....53-59 Advertisers Index ......58
The cofferdam at the vertical press pit by T.G. Edwards.
Work Under Way on $300M Oil, Gas Pipeline Plant By Brenda Ruggiero CEG CORRESPONDENT
Construction is well under way on a $300 million pipe manufacturing plant in Tunica County, Miss. The plant is the first manufacturing facility in North America for Wilh. Schulz GMB of Krefeld, Germany.
The Schulz Xtruded Products plant will produce pipes for the oil and gas industry, and plans are to initially employ 200 workers. Over the next five years, the number of employees will increase to 500. The project began on Aug. 20, and is currently running on schedule with subsee SCHULZ page 46
Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar’s soaring profit reflects strong demand in developing nations and offers reasons for optimism about the global economy and the prospects for other American manufacturers. “They are a pretty good barometer,” analyst Jeff Windau with Edward Jones said of Caterpillar Inc. That’s because Caterpillar sells its yellow-and-black mining and construction equipment around the world and can benefit from growth wherever it’s occurring, while its reach also means the company’s business reflects global economic trends. Caterpillar predicts the world’s economy as a whole will grow at a lukewarm rate of 3.5 percent in 2011, but developing regions will grow at nearly double that pace and continue buying equipment for mining and for upgrading their infrastructure. Caterpillar, based in Peoria, Ill., said Jan. 27 that its fourthquarter net income more than quadrupled to $968 million, or $1.47 per share, on $12.8 billion revenue. Those results beat analysts’ expectations and easily topped the $232 million in net income, or 36 cents per share, that it earned a year earlier on $7.9 billion in revenue. Chief Financial Officer Ed Rapp said increases in gross domestic product of roughly 6 percent in developing countries are leading naturally to rising demand for Caterpillar’s see GROWTH page 56