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November 14, 2012 • Vol. XXV • No. 23 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
Work Continues on $2.8 Billion Homebuilders Mississippi Energy Facility Remain Certain in Six-Year High
By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT Flint Equipm ent Holds Open House in S.C. …8
Kawasaki Unveils 95Z7 Wheel Loader…18
Metso D ebuts Cr ushin g, Scr eening P roduct s…33
Table of Contents ................4 Attachment Section ....25-30 Recycling Section ........33-43 Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................44-46 Parts Section ....................47 Business Calendar ............48 Auction Section ..........58-67 Advertisers Index ..............66
Construction continues on a $2.8 billion, 582-megawatt energy facility on 3,000 acres (1,214 h) in Kemper County, Miss., about 20 mi. north of Meridian. The plant uses electric power plant technology called integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). “Mississippi Power has a need for a new base load generation resource by 2014. Base load generation runs 24/7,” said power company spokesman Jeff Shepard. “It’s been nearly 30 years since Mississippi Power last built base load generation to meet the needs of our customers.” Six years ago, a comprehensive generation study and evaluation of financial, environmental and technological assessments identified the Kemper County energy facility as the best new generation resource for meeting a growing customer demand, according to the power company. After two phases of public hearings, the Public Service Commission issued an order in June 2010, clearing the way for the plant to be built. see PLANT page 54
By Alex Veiga AP REAL ESTATE WRITER
Performance Contractors is responsible for the installation of the gasifier structure, the gas cleanup and byproducts portion of the facility, as well as construction of the water treatment/waste water treatment facility.
LOS ANGELES (AP) Confidence among U.S. homebuilders remains at its highest level in six years, reflecting improved optimism over the strengthening housing market this year and a pickup in visits by prospective buyers to builders’ communities. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Oct. 16 rose to 41 this month, up from 40 in September. That’s the highest reading since June 2006, just before the housing bubble burst. Any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasn’t been above 50 since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom. The gauge of current sales and builders’ outlook on sales over the next six months remained unchanged from September’s reading. But a measure of traffic by prospective buyers rose 5 points to 35, the highest level since April 2006. The survey is based on responses from 400 builders. It has been trending higher since last October, when the reading stood at 17. The index sank to 8, its lowest point dating back to 1985, in January 2008. Recent housing data continue to point to signs that the housing market is making a see HOMES page 47
Construction Sector Adds 17,000 Jobs in October Construction employers added 17,000 jobs in October while the industry's unemployment rate fell to 11.4 percent, according to an analysis of new federal data released Nov. 2 by the Associated
General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that total construction employment levels have changed little during the past year while the declines in the industry’s unemployment rate are
coming as more former workers leave the industry. “Despite five consecutive months of construction employment gains, the overall employment picture is essentially
unchanged from a year ago,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Construction employment appears stuck in a state of mild monthly flux with lit see EMPLOYERS page 56