Tag: business: Page 37

Business

U.S. construction equipment exports fall 13.2% in 2014 with decreases in shipments to all regions

Exports of construction equipment made in the U.S. fell  are down 13.2 percent in 2014, according to an Association of Equipment Manufacturers analysis of Commerce Department data. Construction equipment exports fell to $17.26 billion during the year with decreases in shipments to all world regions. U.S. exports of construction machines have fallen for eight consecutive quarters. […]

February 26, 2015

Roadbuilding

18 states and D.C. use variable-rate gas tax for highway, bridge projects

The latest report from the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center (TIAC) shows that 18 states and the District of Columbia use variable-rate gas taxes to fund highway and bridge improvement projects. Such taxes adjust to inflation and the wholesale price of gas, rather than relying the static nature of a flat excise tax. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association […]

February 26, 2015

Roadbuilding

California’s gas tax cut will reduce highway funding, won’t mean cheaper pump prices

The California State Board of Equalization voted to reduce the state’s gasoline tax to 30 cents per gallon from 36 cents, a change set to be implemented in July, according to an Associated Press report. The tax cut reportedly will not cause the price of gas to go down for consumers, but the California Department of Transportation says […]

February 25, 2015

Workforce

Indiana House votes to repeal state’s common construction wage

The Indiana House of Representatives has passed a bill that would repeal a state law that sets baseline wages for construction workers on certain public projects. According to a report from the Indianapolis Star, House Republicans squeaked the bill through Monday, accounting for all the yeas in a 55-41 vote. The bill now moves on to the Senate. […]

February 24, 2015

Business

PHOTOS: Caterpillar unveils new 3-tower HQ campus spanning 6 city blocks in Peoria

[imagebrowser id=199] Caterpillar will make major, but very welcome, changes to the Peoria skyline with the construction of a three-tower company headquarters building along the city’s riverfront. RELATED: PHOTOS: Tour the Caterpillar Visitors Center, a walk through the history of yellow iron The plans are the result of a multiyear study with the aim of creating […]

February 23, 2015

Business

John Deere 1Q profit plummets 43% as ag slowdown continues; further declines expected

In recent years, as the effects of the recession were hammering the construction industry and the profit margins of heavy equipment manufacturers, John Deere posted 15 straight quarters of record earnings on the strength of its farm equipment sales. And now, as construction is fighting its way back, a global slowdown in the agricultural sector […]

February 22, 2015

Business

Contractor honors his father’s legacy with successful paving business

The TCW in TCW Construction stands for “Tony’s Cement Works,” a tribute to the company started by Joe Delgado’s father, which concentrated on driveways, sidewalks and patios. “We use his wheelbarrow logo to this day,” says Delgado, president of the Lincoln, Nebraska firm and one of Equipment World’s 2015 Contractor of the Year finalists. In […]

February 19, 2015

Business

Caterpillar hit with $1 billion in penalties, taxes on Swiss unit as feds open new investigation into overseas profit shifting

If slumping mining demand and oil prices hadn’t made things hard enough on the company’s finances, Caterpillar is now facing increased pressure from the U.S. government for the movement of cash between it and its overseas subsidiaries. After a review of the company’s 2007 to 2009 tax returns, which include a loss carryback to 2005, the Internal […]

February 19, 2015

Technology

Created by a contractor, busybusy mobile app automates construction labor cost management

You won’t find too many contractors that consider themselves a “nerd.” But very early on in my conversation with Isaac Barlow, a 19-year veteran of commercial excavation, he threw the word out there. “My nature is very analytical,” he said while scrolling through thousands of emails on his iPad amid the dull roar of the […]

February 18, 2015

Business

Terex finishes 2014 with a 27% profit increase but expects sales declines in 2015

Terex has released its fourth quarter and full-year earnings report and despite consecutive down quarters to finish the year, the heavy equipment manufacturer saw overall gains in both profit and sales during 2014. Sales were up 3 percent in 2014 to $7.3 billion thanks to increases in every segment except cranes. The figure met the […]

February 18, 2015

Construction Equipment

IronPlanet, Cat Auction Services hold joint auction while awaiting merger; discuss initial moves into market

Still awaiting the completion of its merger announced in December, IronPlanet and Cat Auction Services held their first joint live auction last week in Kissimmee, Florida. We sat down with Jeff Jeter, president of the Americas for IronPlanet to go over how IronPlanet envisions this pending merger moving forward. “Because the deal is not closed […]

February 15, 2015

Workforce

Just about every type of skilled construction profession got a raise last year

Wages for skilled construction workers are up nearly across the board, according to the latest wage survey from the National Center for Construction Education and Research. NCCER surveyed 30 U.S. construction companies and found that 15 of the 17 craft professions included in the study saw wage increases in 2014. As you can see in the graphic […]

February 11, 2015