Tag: business: Page 36

Business

Caterpillar to cut 230 jobs from Illinois plant in move of 2 production lines to Mexico

Caterpillar has announced that it will cut hundreds more manufacturing jobs, this time at its Joliet, Illinois facility as part of its continuing efforts to cut costs. According to a report from the Joliet Herald-News, Cat will cut 230 jobs at the plant and will move production of gear and engine oil valves to a plant in Monterrey, Mexico. […]

March 23, 2015

Business

How to de-clutter your construction office into a (nearly) paperless, more efficient work space

Spring is the time of year when everything is new and fresh, so now that the season has officially arrived, people turn their attention to cleaning and organizing tasks. It’s the perfect time to tackle organizing work space, as well. A cluttered office not only makes you look disorganized to your employees and clients, but […]

March 23, 2015

Business

Navistar sued by federal government for withholding documents from investigation

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed in December a lawsuit against Navistar International Corp. claiming the truck and engine maker improperly redacted and withheld documents the Commission attempted to subpoena. The subpoenas are part of an SEC investigation into whether Navistar violated federal securities laws “by making false or misleading statements or material omissions” regarding […]

March 23, 2015

Business

Friendship morphs into a successful business venture between asphalt, concrete contractors

Sean McDowell knows the ins and outs of asphalt. As the owner of McDowell Construction, a 17-year-old paving company in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, he has handled a range of asphalt projects throughout the Milwaukee area, building up a fiercely loyal clientele. So, when his customers began asking why he couldn’t handle their concrete work for […]

March 18, 2015

Roadbuilding

Holcim board delays Lafarge merger over terms

Holcim’s board of directors has determined that its merger with Lafarge will be delayed due to a disagreement of terms on the deal. The merger was announced last year. In a statement, Holcim said the agenda for its upcoming annual general meeting will only focus on direct Holcim business and not the merger. “Holcim Board […]

March 18, 2015

Business

After 40 years in business, Savannah firm J.T. Turner Construction to cease operations

In announcing that Savannah-based firm J.T. Turner Construction Co. Inc. is closing its doors, founder Jim Turner said his company is the latest victim of the recent economic recession. According to a report from the Savannah Morning News, the company suffered from “reduced profit margins in an increasingly competitive environment, as well as investment in several failed […]

March 16, 2015

Dealers

Plunging yen has boosted Komatsu sales; Caterpillar dealers report “aggressive” pricing

With profit and sales declines in full effect for competitors Caterpillar, John Deere and CNH Industrial, Komatsu earnings reports been the lone bright spot among construction equipment manufacturers. Even Terex, which finished the year with a 27 percent profit increase, is expecting a more challenging 2015 with sales declines. Komatsu sales increased 6.4 percent year-over-year […]

March 12, 2015

Business

Akron mayor, city council butt heads over $2 million in equipment for proposed city-owned construction company

Discussion of a proposed city-owned construction company turned heated within the chambers of the Akron City Council Monday night over $1.9 million in heavy equipment purchases. According to a report from the Akron Beacon Journal, Mayor Don Plusquellic has asked the council for approval to purchase or lease six concrete trucks and four dump trucks as part of his […]

March 10, 2015

Construction Equipment

New York’s Lawrence Merle, owner of Genesee Construction, named 2015 Contractor of the Year

In an awards banquet Saturday night at Wynn Las Vegas, Lawrence Merle of Genesee Construction Service was named Equipment World‘s Contractor of the Year for 2015. Genesee Construction in Dansville, New York, is an $11 to $13 million company that serves as a general contractor and specializes in site prep work. Each year, the Contractor of the […]

March 8, 2015

Workforce

Construction adds 29,000 jobs in February

U.S construction firms added 29,000 workers to their payrolls in February, extending the industry’s streak of employment gains to 14 months. The industry now employs 6.353 million Americans, according to preliminary data from the Labor Department. The new data also revised the employment figure for January upward from the previously reported 6.314 million, to 6.324 million. The revision […]

March 5, 2015

Business

Succession planning: How one future contractor takes preparation to assume the family business seriously

In the past, second- and third-generation contractors often assumed the helm of the company because it was all they’d known, and what they were expected to do. They had years of experience in the field, but often had limited decision-making skills and little management experience. The focus on succession planning has often been on steps […]

March 4, 2015

Construction Equipment

Used heavy equipment values, auction sales fall in January

The Rouse Rental Report for January activity indicated an 0.9-percent decrease to 46.2 percent in orderly liquidation values (OLV) from December across the 14 rental categories the organization tracks monthly. The OLV figure is “a percentage of replacement cost for the average age of equipment sold within that category.” This was a slight dip for the index, […]

March 2, 2015