Construction News Tracker Video: US Construction Equipment Sales Triple

US sales of construction equipment tripled over the past 15 years, growing to contribute more than $57 billion annually to the US economy; plus more construction industry news on the September 18, 2014 edition of Construction News Tracker

Jobs market continues to rise...

Construction equipment economic impact...

And a massive battery complex gets a green light...

That and more on Construction News Tracker brought to you by Caterpillar and produced by ForConstructionPros.com

We reached a five year high in construction employment last month for the first time since 2007. The unemployment rate for construction is at 7.7 percent. However, the hunt for skilled tradesmen by contractors continues. Chief AGC Economist Ken Simonson says there has been a gain of 232,000 jobs this year shpread among heavy construction, residential and nonresidential building.

Construction Industry Added 20,000 Jobs in August

Related to jobs, Tesla and the state of Nevada have cut a deal for the auto manufacturer to build a massive $5 billion electric car battery gigafactory. Nevada is giving tax breaks and incentives of $1.5 billion over 20 years, and Tesla will build a highway link to Interstate 80 and U.S. Hihgway 50 for the complex at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. We're talking staggering numbers with this deal - 6,500 employees, major infrastructure needs and 3,000 construction workers needed before the doors open.

Nevada's New Tesla Gigafactory Could Create 3,000 Construction Jobs

A major construction industry study shows the equipment sector delivers more than $57 billion to the U.S. economic coffers. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers claims construction equipment has grown by volumes over the past decade as President Dennis Slater outlines for us...

Groundbreaking occurred this week for the Atlanta Braves new stadium. The 41,000-seat triple deck ballpark is being built in suburban Atlanta Cobb County near the intersection of Interstates 75 and 285. When completed the $627 million project will give baseball fans another new structure to enjoy the game; hopefully beginning with the 2017 season. Play ball!

Pickup truck affecianados, which is a lot of you in construction, can take note of this. Consumer Reports has placed the Dodge Ram 1500 Eco Diesel at the top of its test ranking for fuel performance. When compared with other makes the 1500 Eco Diesel scores tops for fuel at 27 mpg on the highway and 20 mpg overall - considering it's the only turbo diesel pickup on the market.

High fives go out to our ForConstructionPros.com boss, Kris Flitcroft, who was selected by Folio Magazine as one of the top women in media. As executive vice president she leads the entire AC Business Media construction industry team. Here's a look at her video submission entry. Congratulations Kris.

In closing, keep your head and your heart going in the right direction, and you won't have to worry about your feet.

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