Construction Equipment Owner

On January 29, IronPlanet completed its largest single-day auction, worth $20.88 million in equipment sold. this represents a 10 percent increase over the company’s previous single-day record - $18.97 million, set on January 31, 2008.

More than 15,000 visitors from 147 countries participated in the auction, which featured more than 750 lots located in 30 states. Twenty percent of the equipment sold at auction went to international buyers located in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers also conducted an unreserved public auction last week that resulted in being the largest Reno, Nevada auction in company history. The April 3, 2009 auction generated gross auction proceeds in excess of $23 million.

Almost 1,800 people from 23 countries registered to bid on auction day, including more than 870 people who registered to bid online in real time. Internet bidders purchased $9 million of equipment (40 percent of the total amount sold). Out-of-state bidders purchased $21 million of equipment (89 percent of the total), including $4 million of equipment purchased by out-of-country bidders (16 percent).

I found out a few days ago that Harold Neal, president of Neal Manufacturing Co., died at the too-early age of 63. It took me a few days to write about it as Harold and I go back to 1990 when I started in this industry — and he wouldn’t take my calls.

Harold was a tough guy, a tough competitor (you can ask those he competed with), with a little of a prove-yourself-to-me attitude. But after meeting him a few times, talking with him at NPE and particularly at the first NPE West show in Long Beach, CA, in 1991, I must have shown him something because that spring I was able to reach him on the phone — and he gave me his direct line. Ever since then he spent a good deal of time teaching me about this business, from the technical differences between gear pumps and his piston pump to how a contractor should run a sealcoating business. He was one of those who helped me make my way in this industry, and I won’t soon forget it.

But that’s what he did for me. What he did for the industry was even more important, starting with equipment developments aimed at making sealcoating operations more efficient and more profitable, which helped businesses grow and expand. He also was known to offer credit to start-up contractors who really couldn’t justify the loan, but many of those folks are still in business and have Harold to thank for getting them started.

He also laid the groundwork for what is today National Pavement Expo. Neal Manufacturing used to host “customer appreciation” events in Atlanta that offered sessions on various pavement maintenance topics and and exhibit floor full of Neal equipment. Many, many contractors left those events with a new piece of equipment on order, and that recognition by Bob Woltering lead to the first NPE in Nashville…which lead to where we are today.

There are many people out there who contributed early on to the development of the pavement maintenance industry, and there are many who contribute to the industry’s progress today; Harold Neal was one of the first, one of the most influential, and one who won’t be forgotten.

According to an Associated Builders and Contractors news item, the results of a new study, conducted by George Mason University’s John M. Olin Institute for Employment Practice and Policy, showed from 2000 to 2007, construction labor unions spent more than $1 billion in union wages to underbid nonunion contractors in a practice called “job targeting.”

In job targeting programs, also known as market recovery funds, organized labor officials collect fees from union members and then funnel that money to union contractors - and in a few cases, nonunion contractors - to compete for projects on which they otherwise would not be competitive.

Additional Results of the The Olin Institute study, “Job Targeting and Market Recovery Practices of Construction Unions: Their Apparent and Hidden Costs,” included:

• Job targeting programs needlessly increase public construction costs
• Job targeting programs give unions an unfair advantage
• Job targeting programs are unknowingly funded by taxpayers

This episode of the Construction Business Podcast focuses on project management software basics and how construction business owners and project managers can utilize this tool on the job. Typically equated to a dashboard in a vehicle, in general project management software gives the user a snapshot of the overall project. With this tool, contractors are able to much more easily organize everything that goes into the project and pull everything together. This leads to greater productivity, efficiency and in the end revenue on each job.

Listen now as Craig Capano, Dept. Head for Civil Construction and Environment with the Wentworth Institute of Technology, shares his insights on project management software and discusses the benefits these systems have for contractors.

Guest: Craig Capano
Contact: capanoc@wit.edu

 Project Management Software Basics [10:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (394)

Atlanta, GA - Doosan Infracore is expanding its development on its hybrid excavator with enhanced energy efficiency and lower exhaust emissions. The Doosan hybrid excavator, slated for launch by 2012 in North America, is touting reduced fuel consumption and an overall design that will reduce the environmental impact of CO2.

The Doosan hybrid excavator will be equipped with a diesel engine, electric swing motor, electric converter and an ultra-capacitor that will store excess energy during turning and light-duty operations. The reserve electricity will then be used to assist the power of the engine during heavier work; allowing the engine to maintain low revolutions and high efficiency combustion during acceleration.

Doosan Infracore’s first hybrid excavator is slated to be a 22-ton model with an approximate 35% reduction in CO2 and fuel consumption when compared with the DX225 standard hydraulic excavator. The increase of fuel efficiency will save approximately $10,000 in fuel cost per machine each year according to the company.

The concrete industry is a fast-paced market. I see a lot of new products and technologies come across my desk and computer every day. With our many active industry associations, progressive-thinking contractors and manufacturers generating new ideas, it can be hard to keep up on everthing that’s new out there, let alone get that information beyond our industry to architects, designers and the public. That’s why I was excited to see an interivew with Hycrete President David Rosenberg on FoxBusiness.com. Rosenberg discussed his company’s waterproof concrete system and stimulus plan opportunities for the concrete industry.

In a USA Today article it is reported that Frank J. Santoro has offered the ex-NFL star a job with the Newport News construction firm. Apparently Vick has lined up a 40-hour-a-week, $10-an-hour job at one of W.M. Jordan Co.’s 40 commercial construction jobs. But this isn’t his long-term career choice. Michael Vick’s agent told a federal bankruptcy court judge he hopes Vick can return to the NFL next season with an incentive-laden contract that could be worth “high into the millions.”

This news allowed me to kill about 15 minutes trying to come up with comparisons between Vick, the NFL and construction. So what would be the construction equivalent to an interception (since this is what I most remember to be the highlight of Vick’s ability) - pouring your asphalt into the competition’s paver? And what piece of construction equipment would be most like Vick - a skid steer - it’s small, nimble and though it can do a lot, can only get you so far? Leave a comment if you come up with comparisons of your own.

The compact wheel loader is relatively new to the construction industry and though it may not have as many hours on it as compared to other equipment, many contractors and equipment rental houses are finding a variety of applications where these units excel. Often overlapping duties typically performed by a skid steer, the compact wheel loader is commonly becoming preferred for heavier lifting, travel of long distances and when a project calls for numerous cycles. Join the Equipment Connection Podcast as industry product experts share their insights on the features of the compact wheel loader and where owners will see the biggest return on their investment.

Guests:
Sam Meeker, Compact Wheel Loader Marketing Specialist - Caterpillar
John Sogandares, Regional Product Specialist - Compact Class Construction Products - Wacker Neuson
Mark Myrick, International Sales Manager - Compact Power

Wacker Neuson Compact Wheel Loaders

Caterpillar 906H and 908H Wheel Loaders

Compact Power 700 Series Compact Loader

E-mail the Equipment Connection Podcast

 Applications of Compact Wheel Loaders [20:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (180)

Normally I’m not one to crow about anything technology related (usually because I don’t take the time to figure it out) but a revamped website that went “live” just yesterday really deserves some attention.

It’s called Equipment Connection and it’s such a high-caliber upgrade over what our ForConstructionPros.com website offered as it’s product research tool before that it’s almost inaccurate to term this new site an upgrade. It’s going to do for online research what the Ipod did for music selection and the Tivo did for recording television programs; its ease of use is that much better.

Even though it starts with equipment, it doesn’t end with equipment (and materials, tools, services, videos, manufacturer information and more). It’s the way Equipment Connection integrates so much of the industry that makes this something worth using. In this day and age we know that “content is king,” and that’s where this site starts. But you can have access to all the content in the world but if you can’t navigate it what good is it? It’s the fluidity of the site that I think makes it so valuable.

Say you’re interested in asphalt pavers. You go to the site and you have two options: Type “asphalt paver” in the search box, a menu drops down, and you can click on the category you want; Or, just use the handy category list on the left to take you to the asphalt paver section. Once in the section you can view products by company, you can view pavers by product from most recent back, or you can just get a listing of all companies that manufacture asphalt pavers. And you can even view pavers in an A-Z list by product name. And it’s all right there in front of you. You don’t have to back out or click to the “home” page to do anything; it’s all done right from whatever page you’re on.

Ease of use, fluidity, comprehensive information. You never know, I might even use this thing.