Construction Equipment Owner

An owner of a construction company needs to keep his or her eye on a lot of things concerning the industry — from local employment laws to national environmental rules to the latest trends and technology. But probably the most important element of a company a contractor needs to know about concerns tools on the jobsite — the latest in skid-steer loaders, lasers, walk-behind saws, concrete countertop molds and so much more. Whatever you might be looking for, Concrete Contractor’s online portal ForConstructionPros.com makes equipment searching easy with the launch of “Equipment Connection,” an online compendium of  construction equipment and materials.

Concrete contractors will find the most pertinent tools for their jobsites in the “Concrete Equipment” and “Decorative Concrete” categories, but don’t let that stop you from exploring other categories like “Blades & Abrasives,” “Earthmoving Equipment,” and “Hand-held Tools.” I think contractors will find “Equipment Connection” helpful in many ways. For example, visit the “Trowels” subcategory page to find trowels from dozens of manufacturers, or visit the Multiquip company page to find all the equipment this company offers over all categories and subcategories.

Take a look at this valuable online resource, bookmark it and visit it often. Let me know if you have any suggestions to make the site easier to navigate or more helpful to your business.

It’s only one project but a paving job on hold for lack of funds was recently put out for bid in Oak Park, IL. A stretch of East Avenue, a heavily trafficked suburban road, was slated for an overlay since 2007. Lack of funds, however, put the project on hold. But because of more than $600,000 in federal stimulus funding the job is slated to begin in spring 2010.

Hopefully that’s the first of many new paving projects. When you hear of any start-ups — especially delayed projects that have been given the go-ahead — in your market drop us a note. It will be great to track some good news for a change

The continued development of a skilled construction workforce was probably one of the - if not the - largest issue facing the construction industry before the economy went south. With a large constituent of aging construction workers set to retire and not enough young construction workers strapping up their steel-toed boots we were looking a severe shortage of workers. Well we all know what has transpired the past months and this issue has essentially taken a back seat. But when the economy comes around and construction again reaches the heights it was recently at, this issue will be once again be front-and-center for the industry.

To talk about the current state of the workforce in the construction industry and the importance of of developing skilled laborers, the Construction Business Podcast is proud to have Don Whyte, President of the National Center for Construction Education and Research, as its latest guest. Listen as Don shares his thoughts on how construction businesses can continue to develop their employees and the resources the NCCER has available to assist in this important task.

Guest: Don Whyte
Link to NCCER: www.NCCER.org

 National Center for Construction Education and Research [9:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (483)

Last year I heard constant stories from contractors who ended up doing often extensive pavement maintenance work for property managers who couldn’t afford the asphalt overlay they had planned. Maybe this year is looking like that too — or at least it is starting out that way in Lynchburg, VA, where Advisory Board member Steve Young, Young Sealcoating Inc., bases his business. Here’s what Steve told me recently:

“On the commercial end of things, we are getting a lot of bid opportunities for jobs that should be paved. Because asphalt has climbed in cost so rapidly while the economy has declined so rapidly, many property managers are taking a more serious look at asphalt maintenance. Some have gone to the extent of just having lots sealed instead of having them paved - even though they really should be re paved.

“This has lead to two factors: One, we are bidding work that is not as clean, and we are able to get more per square foot as the property owner approaches the contract with relief that it is only going to cost maybe $20,000 to seal instead of the projected $90,000 to pave. The caution however is to make sure that you communicate very clearly with written ‘provisions’ in the contract so that the P.M. understands that sealing it is not a substitute for paving it.

“I am finding that property managers are more eager and willing to respond to the age-old marketing question: “Can we meet to discuss options for reducing your paving costs?” More paving companies will likely need to shift toward providing services for the current market such as tapping into subs that sealcoat and crack repair or learning to sealcoat themselves. There is still plenty of work in this industry, we just need to be flexible enough to see the demand and modify our services to meet the current demand. In the long run, companies will have learned to expand and improve on their overall services…food for thought.”

Food for thought for sure, but it sure would be great if paving contractors could see some of the work postponed last year getting let to go this year.

Let us know what’s happening in your market as the season starts up.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development recently released their figures for privately-owned housing starts in February and with this announcement comes encouraging news: Housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 583,000 which equates to a 22.2 percent increase from January 2009.

This is still 47.3 percent below the revised February 2008 rate of 1,107,000 so housing starts are no where near where they once where. But for those who are the glass half-full type this increase over last month could signal a “bottoming-out” or initial indications that the credit freeze is beginning to thaw.

Gehl Company “chromed-out” a Gehl model 7810E to commemorate the Company’s 150th anniversary. The 10,000-pound unit is covered in chrome, making it a one-of-a-kind skid loader.

The original concept for the machine was created by Form-I Design based in Waverly, Iowa. The design features a highly reflective gold and black finish and includes laser-cut Gehl logos in the ROPS side screens. Large decals on the lift arm display historical milestones of Gehl Company. Milsco, a long-time Gehl supplier based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, contributed a customized seat for the project. Covered in leather, the seat is decorated with silver piping and an embroidered Gehl 150th anniversary logo.

The most challenging aspect of the design was the chrome-like reflective surface of the machine. To achieve this dynamic finish, Gehl Company contracted with XXX Chrome Plating in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The machine’s exterior received chrome plating treatments in gold, black and mercury, using a highly specialized chroming process.

The interior cab components were sanded and chrome plated, and the headliner received a leather treatment to match the seat. Custom-made 3-D chrome plates with a laser-cut Gehl 150th anniversary logo adorn the sides of the bucket, the front of each lift arm and the steel mesh on the rear engine cover.

Looking for some insight into how various states are adjusting to the budget crunch? Check out a nice overview by Daniel C. Brown in the Spring 2009 issue of Asphalt published by the Asphalt Institute.

“For the near term,” Dan writes, “it looks like lowered budgets, reduced new construction, and an increased emphasis on pavement preservation are the orders of the day.”

It’s the “increased emphasis on pavement preservation” that caught my eye. While many miles of state roads are undoubtedly past the point of no return, where preservation dollars spent would be preservation dollars wasted, an emphasis on preserving the existing pavement will enable states to improve road quality while extending pavement life and reducing life-cycle pavement costs.

Maybe this means that pavement preservation will (or has) finally become the legitimate “construction” alternative it always should have been.

I recently read an article that reported on a speech by Doug Pruitt, president of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), at the group’s national convention this month. In it he made reference to a Bureau of Labor Statistics number I found staggering: that in the last 40 years, the construction industry has seen zero productivity growth.

With the rise of computers, advancements in laser and surveying equipment, GPS grading, job costing software, and countless other technological advancements for the construction industry you would think construction productivity numbers would have skyrocketed over the last 40 years. So what’s holding back the industry? Where do you think the responsibility for increasing construction productivity lies? With a project owner? A general contractor? Subcontractors working on a project? Let me know about technologies you’ve embraced on the construction site to help increase productivity with your office or field crews.

If you want a workforce that performs work correctly and efficiently for every job, you will need two important components: proper work processes and timely feedback. Unfortunately, many owners and supervisors either say nothing – or too much – neither of which leads to the behaviors you want. In this Construction Business Podcast Jeff Stokes of Next Level Contractor Systems discusses how to provide timely and balanced feedback that both encourages your workers and improves their on-the-job behavior as well as feedback’s effects on younger workers.

Guest:

Jeff Stokes - Next Level Contractor System
Contact: jeffstokes@gmail.com

 Improve Workforce Performance through Feedback [4:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (464)

A lot of award announcements are stemming from The Work Truck Show that wrapped up last week. One honor went to the Ford F-Series Super Duty which took home the title of Work Truck of the Year. This is a repeat performance for Ford as the company was also recognized for offering the 2008 Work Truck of the Year.

The 2009 F-Series Super Duty line of trucks is available in Regular Cab, Super Cab, and Crew Cab models. Powertrain choices 5.4L 3V Triton V-8, 6.8L 3V Triton V-10, and 6.4L Power Stroke V-8 turbodiesel, with horsepower ranging from 300 to 362.