Published Nationally ®
Southeast Edition $3.00
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.”
www.constructionequipmentguide.com
March 16, 2016 • Vol. XXIX • No. 6 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
Construction Firms Add 19,000 Workers
As part of an effort to elevate higher education in the state, Skanska USA is working to complete a multi-million dollar phase two expansion of Florida A&M University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Tallahassee. The five-story building is a more than 81,000 sq. ft. (7,525 sq m) addition to the existing structure. “This project is important because the College of Pharmacy has secured a record number of grants, and has become a leader in securing research grants and conducting research on campus,” said Michael D. Thompson, who serves as the dean of FAMU’s college of pharmacy. “Currently, funding from the National Institute of Health has allowed the college to reach new fund-
Construction firms added 19,000 workers in February, as the number of unemployed construction workers was at the lowest February total since the series started in 2000, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said, however, that sluggish gains in nonresidential construction employment may reflect the fact contractors are having difficulty finding workers to keep up with growing demand. “The overall picture for construction employment is very positive with robust job growth and very little unemployment,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Yet it appears that many nonresidential construction firms have run out of people to hire to keep pace with demand for new projects.” Construction employment totaled 6.6 million in February, the most since December 2008, and is up by 253,000 jobs compared to a year ago, a 4.0 percent increase. Residential construction increased by 15,900 in February and by 155,100, or 6.4 percent, compared to a year ago. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 3,500 jobs for the month and is up by 98,300 jobs compared to February 2015, a 2.5 percent increase. Among nonresidential construction employment categories, the nonresidential
see FAMU page 48
see JOBS page 84
Hills Machinery Company Opens New Location… 12
Anthony E. Norton, FAMU photo
As part of an effort to elevate higher education in the state, Skanska USA is working to complete a multi-million dollar phase two expansion of Florida A&M University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Tallahassee. A History of Paving, Compaction, Milling…68
Florida University Expands With Five-Story Addition By Cindy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT Jef f Marti n Auct ioneer s Host s Spri ng Sale…94
Table of Contents ........4 Asphalt, Concrete, Paving, Compaction & Milling Section ......53-83 Parts Section ........84-85
Schools to Get More Than $700M for Construction By Gary Fineout
Auction Section ....92-97 Business Calendar ......94 Advertisers Index ......98
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) State legislators are going to set aside millions for a new downtown campus of the University of Central Florida as well as $75 million for the state’s charter schools.
Budget negotiators on March 6 agreed to spend more than $700 million on school construction projects. Legislative leaders have agreed to borrow the money to help pay for school construction. Gov. Rick Scott has been opposed to borrowing money for construction projects in the past. The Florida Board of Governors recently
approved UCF’s plans for a 68-acre parcel of land that used to be the location of the arena where the Orlando Magic played. Legislators have agreed to set aside $20 million for the project. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s Web site at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.)