Tag: business: Page 51

Business

Komatsu sees profit jump 26% in FY 2013, but expects less demand in coming year

Komatsu says an increase in demand for construction equipment in Japan, China and other regions offset a low demand for mining equipment during fiscal year 2013 adding up to increases in sales and profit for the company. Nonetheless, the has lower expectations for 2014. For the fiscal year ending March 31, the company reported net […]

May 7, 2014

Business

EPA opens applications for DERA grants, drastically cuts emissions reduction program to $9 million

Government fleets will have to make due with drastically reduced funding for diesel emissions reduction grants, as the Environmental Protection Agency has only set aside $9 million this year as opposed to $20 million last year. Starting today, the EPA is accepting applications for its latest round of Diesel Emissions Reductions Act (DERA) grants, part of […]

May 2, 2014

Business

Construction adds 32,000 jobs in April, unemployment rate drops again

Showing signs of momentum after a slowdown from the harsh winter weather seen at the start of the year, the U.S. construction industry saw its largest gain in jobs since the start of the year. The industry added 32,000 jobs in April marking the fourth straight month of gains. The total number of jobs in […]

May 2, 2014

Business

Construction spending up 0.2% in March as homebuilding hits highest pace in nearly 6 years

U.S. construction spending was up slightly in March due mainly to increases in private residential construction, now at its highest rate in nearly six years. Total spending rose in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $942.5 billion, up 0.2 percent from the revised February figure of $940.7 billion. Due to the revision of […]

May 1, 2014

Contractor of the Year

Reputation built upon speed, technology and old school skills makes Jeremy Hiltz our 2014 Contractor of the Year

Although Jeremy Hiltz started his own company in 1996, his roots in construction go much deeper. When he was just five years old he would get up early, creep downstairs, grab his lunch pail and wait for his dad by the door, hoping to get a ride to the jobsite. “I was pretty low maintenance,” […]

May 1, 2014

Business

5 tips for hiring military veterans at your construction company

The economy is growing and construction contractors are scrambling for new employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction employment is expected to grow by 1.84 million jobs or 33 percent by 2020. At the same time there are thousands of technically proficient people exiting the military every year and their numbers are expected […]

May 1, 2014

Business

DOT Chief Foxx sends long-term highway bill to Congress

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Tuesday that Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx sent a long-term highway bill to Congress. The bill, dubbed the GROW AMERICA Act, is based on President Barack Obama’s 4-year, $302 billion transportation reauthorization proposal. Foxx said the bill aims to create jobs while offering a solution to fix the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) before it runs out of money this […]

April 30, 2014

Business

Cummins profit jumps 20% in 1Q due to growing demand in North America

This morning, Cummins reported sizable increases in both sales and profits during the first quarter and raised its forecast for the rest of the year. Thanks to increased engine and component demand in North America, the company reported a 20-percent increase in profit during the first quarter to $338 million, or $1.83 a share, on sales of $4.4 […]

April 29, 2014

Business

A year and a half after Sandy’s devastation, New Jersey leads nation in construction job losses

After Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on the East Coast in October 2012, pummeling the New Jersey shore in particular, businesses in 113 of 565 New Jersey municipalities experienced a combined total of $382 million in commercial property loss, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As a hurricane and post-tropical cyclone, Sandy was responsible for 117 […]

April 28, 2014

Business

CARB approves compliance extensions for contractors, small fleets in work truck powertrain upgrade regulations

The California Air Resources Board voted April 25 to amend some of its emissions regulations deadlines, giving new alternatives to owner-operators and small fleets who were unable financially to comply with the original rule. The amendments passed 11-1, though with some additional changes requested by the Board. Final versions of the amendments will be produced within […]

April 25, 2014

Dealers

In a digital age, survey shows contractors still value personal interactions with equipment dealers

So how do contractors want to interact with equipment dealers today? A joint Associated Equipment Distributors/Randall-Reilly research project, conducted by our Equipment Data Associates division and tapping the opinions of Equipment World readers, delves into this topic. While technology advances and societal changes are pushing certain approaches to the fore, there are plenty of indications […]

April 25, 2014

Business

Caterpillar profit rises 5% in 1Q due to surge in construction equipment sales

After a rough 2013 that saw profits drop 33 percent, the momentum Caterpillar gained during a strong fourth quarter appears to have remained in tact in 2014 and the company has raised its profit forecast for the year. The company today announced profits of $922 million, or $1.44 per share, for the first quarter ending […]

April 24, 2014