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July 27, 2013 • Vol. IX • No. 15 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910
Inside
Industry Responds to Okla. Tornado Recovery By Jennifer Hetrick CEG CORRESPONDENT
Customer’s Input Used to Improve Iron…10
Weeks after an unrelenting EF5 tornado snatched Moore, Okla., into the sky and viciously slammed it back to earth, the cleanup continues steadily and the hope of rebuilding and restoring remains a far-off, but stoutly believed in, dream. This storm, which hit on May 20, touched down at 2:45 p.m. and stayed on the ground for 20 minutes during which it released 200-mph-plus winds on a 17mi. (27 km) long, 1.3-mi. (2.1 km) wide path. The storm claimed 24 lives, caused count-
SANY , BIK to Sponsor NHRA Team...12
Ritchie Bros. President to Retire This Y ear...48
Table of Contents ................4 Attachment & Parts Section ......................................13-15 Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................23-25 Recycling Section ........31-41 Business Calendar ............42 Auction Section ..........44-48 Advertisers Index ..............50
The industry responded, as it always does, marshaling equipment and operators and finding transport to places that need help.
less injuries and, since it was a spring storm, left untold numbers of orphaned newly born wildlife scattered. The destruction numbers in terms of buildings and property are currently at 4,000 homes and businesses, including the complete destruction of Plaza Towers Elementary School, where students and teachers were trapped for hours in the debris. Initial estimates put the damage to Moore at $2 billion. Moore, however, has not been the only target of the particularly venomous storm season Oklahoma has experienced so far this year. On May 19 at 6 p.m. and lasting until 6:50 p.m. an EF4 tornado with winds up to 200 mph cut a 20-mi. (32 km) long, 1.2-mi. (1.9 km) wide path through the towns of Shawnee, Pecan Valley, McCloud and Little Axe. A third storm, known as the El Reno tornado, another EF5 incident, touched down on May 31 at 6:03 p.m. and lasted until 6:43 p.m., tearing a path that was 16.2 mi. (26 km) long and
Working as they do with The Weather Channel, the Team was able to position itself just out of range of the accurately forecasted Moore tornado and thus was poised to be on the scene at Plaza Towers Elementary School within two hours of when the storm hit. Weeks after the storm, the team has stayed with Moore, in an effort to help the town move toward recovery.
ARAApplauds Job Gains, Losses Split Evenly Congressmen’s Repeal of HIT see TORNADO page 16
Equal numbers of states gained and lost construction jobs in June, highlighting the fragmentary nature of the industry’s recovery, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials added that, despite the fact most states added jobs year-over-year, construction employment levels are below peak levels for nearly every state. “Job gains and losses were quite different last month from the patterns in the past several years as some lagging states — notably Nevada — added workers, while former high-flyers such as Texas, had layoffs,” said Ken Simonson, the
association’s chief economist. “On a year-overyear basis, construction employment has increased in more than two-thirds of the states, but nearly all states lag their pre-recession peaks for construction jobs.” In June, 23 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs, while 24 states shed them. Nevada had the largest one-month percentage increase (5.0 percent, 2,500 jobs), followed by North Dakota (4.2 percent, 1,300) and Iowa (4.0 percent, 2,600). Illinois added the most jobs in June (5,400, 3.0 percent), followed by Washington (4,100, 2.9 percent), Iowa and see JOBS page 48
The American Rental Association (ARA), applauded the action of a bipartisan group of members of Congress to highlight the six month countdown to repeal a tax that will have a damaging effect on small businesses in the equipment rental industry and beyond. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Rep. Charles Boustany (RLa.) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) see ARA page 30