Tag: construction: Page 124

Gear

‘Cooling’ hard hat designed to reduce risk of heat stroke in construction workers

As workers toil in the fierce desert heat of Qatar as that country prepares to host a World Cup in 2022, organizers say they hope to reduce their risk of heat stroke with a new hard hat. According to a report from Reuters, scientists at Qatar University have developed a solar-powered ‘cooling’ hard hat. The […]

January 17, 2017

Workforce

Though optimistic about 2017 demand, more U.S. contractors hobbled by skilled labor shortage

The latest construction hiring outlook from the Associated General Contractors of America contains both good news and bad. While the majority of U.S. contractors expect demand to grow in the public and private sectors across all market segments, they continue struggling to find qualified employees to meet that demand. And, according to the results of […]

January 11, 2017

Contractor of the Year

R. Brown Construction is built on expert operation through treacherous terrain, natural disasters

There’s no easy way to get to Willow Creek, California, where Roger Brown has been plying his skills as a contractor for more than three decades. Drive north on Interstate 5 until just near the Oregon border—and then hang a left into the some of the deepest woods and steepest mountains in the country. Keep […]

January 9, 2017

Business

Construction loses 3,000 jobs in Dec. but employment remains up from 2015

After reaching an 8-year high in November, employment in the U.S. construction industry fell slightly, losing 3,000 jobs in December. According to preliminary data from the Labor Department, construction now employs 6.699 million Americans. Despite the loss, construction employment remains at its highest point since December 2008 Since this is preliminary data, job data for 2016 likely won’t […]

January 6, 2017

Business

Construction spending up 0.9% in Nov.

U.S. construction spending rose 0.9 percent in November thanks to gains in both homebuilding and nonresidential projects across the public and private sectors. Spending rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.182 trillion and was 4.1 percent above the November 2015 mark, according to preliminary data from the Commerce Department. Private homebuilding spending rose 1 […]

January 5, 2017

Roadbuilding

Former Iowa DOT head Trombino named president of McClure Engineering

Paul Trombino, the former Iowa Department of Transportation director who resigned from that position unexpectedly in November, will take over as president of McClure Engineering Company effective Jan. 3. The company, which was founded in 1956, reports that roughly 80 percent of its civil engineering services last year were in the public sector. Forty percent […]

December 27, 2016

Business

Year in Review: The Biggest Construction Equipment News Stories of 2016

While everyone has their sights on ConExpo in March, it might be easy to overlook what a busy year 2016 turned out to be. Here’s an quick overview, plus a timeline, of what happened in the construction equipment industry last year. Bonus: check out our editors’ quick predictions for 2017 on page 30. (Note: In order to meet […]

December 22, 2016

Business

LafargeHolcim CEO confirmed as new Chairman of the Cement Sustainability Initiative

During the Cement Sustainability Initiative’s (CSI) annual CEO Meeting in Madrid on Dec. 13, LafargeHolcim CEO Eric Olsen was confirmed as the new Chairman of CSI for 2017. The organization supports the progress of the global cement sector toward sustainable development and helps to unite major cement producers with operations in more than 100 countries. LafargeHolcim is one of […]

December 15, 2016

Business

Construction spending up 0.5% in October thanks to residential gains

U.S. construction spending rose 0.5 percent during October due to gains in homebuilding and government projects. Spending rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.172 trillion and is 3.4 percent above the October 2015 mark, according to preliminary data from the Commerce Department. Spending in the private homebuilding sector rose 1.6 percent to $466 billion during October, […]

December 1, 2016

Workforce

Tribes: Why construction should strive to build tight-knit communities

It’s Thanksgiving, the day Americans celebrate the preservation of our pilgrim ancestors thanks to the generosity of the Native American Wampanoag tribe. In large part, the Wampanoag showed the Puritans how to properly exist in this new land. Their gift was the foundation of the new American community, much of which ran deep in the history […]

November 23, 2016

Business

Home starts jump 25% in October with surge in multi-family building

Following two consecutive months of decreases, construction starts on homes in the U.S. jumped 25 percent in October largely due to a huge increase in multi-family starts. Home starts are at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.323 million, an increase of 23 percent over the October 2015 level, according to preliminary data from the Commerce […]

November 17, 2016

Dealers

JLG names Haynes marketing manager for vertical, low-level access product lines

JLG Industries has named Aaron Haynes as product marketing manager for the company’s vertical and low-level access product lines in North America. Products in this line, considered alternatives to ladders and scaffolding, include the EcoLift series, the 830 P push-around mast lift and LiftPod personal portable lifts. “We see great opportunity in the low-level access […]

November 11, 2016