Tag: contractors: Page 10

Workforce

How one construction firm is using drag racing to recruit new talent

If you want to catch a fish you need bait. And if you want to catch the attention of a mechanic, a 10,000 horsepower, 300 mile-per-hour car is a good start. Mechanics and technicians, as we all know, are in short supply. To recruit them Herzog Contracting, the Association of Equipment Management Professionals and the […]

September 4, 2014

Success Stories

Zeal for diversification, taking care of fleet key to Wm. Winkler Company’s success

“We love to do anything that involves concrete,” says Brian Winkler, 47, president of Wm. Winkler Company.  In fact, concrete has been Wm. Winkler Company’s material of choice since Brian’s grandfather started the firm in Spokane, Washington, in 1919. His grandfather did curb and gutter work, and Brian’s father, the oldest of 11 children, joined […]

September 1, 2014

Business

Expansion of Oklahoma fertilizer plant could put more than 1,000 contractors to work

The massive expansion of a fertilizer production plant in Oklahoma will likely have quite the impact on the construction industry well beyond its local community. The expansion of the Koch Nitrogen plant in Enid, Oklahoma, will begin in mid-September according to a report from the Enid News and Eagle. The $1.3 billion project will be […]

August 6, 2014

Business

The 6 signs of a bad construction boss

Managing employees can be one of the toughest jobs to face when running a company. Too often, contractors build their business without having any training, guidance or expertise in how to deal with their people effectively. If you’re in the black, you might not worry about how good of a boss you are, but poor […]

August 5, 2014

Business

Building the future of your construction company: Matching tech-savvy, young employees in a mentorship with seasoned crew members

When I listen to contractors tell me how they first became involved in construction—usually a tale of early exposure and family tradition—it has hit me that what this industry needs is a corporate adoption program. But as the chances of our own Orphan Train Movement are slim, the best option we’ve got is growing the […]

July 18, 2014

Dealers

Contractor stresses importance of parts and service, tells equipment manufacturers: “You’re only as strong as your weakest dealer”

Edgar Butsch, director of equipment operations, M.A. Mortenson Company, Minneapolis, had some kind but blunt words for equipment manufacturers attending the Association of Equipment Manufacturer’s Marketing Council Seminar last week. “You’re only as strong as your weakest dealer,” said Butsch, who oversees seven equipment shop and yard facilities for Mortenson, a diverse national construction firm. “We […]

June 30, 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

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

Watch our 2014 Contractor of the Year box a guy who outweighs him by 100 lbs. in the Golden Gloves

You don’t get very far in the construction business without a competitive spirit, the ability to duke it out, to hang in there for the count, give as good as you get. In the case of Equipment World’s 2014 Contractor of the Year, Jeremy Hiltz, of Ashland, New Hampshire, those words are more than metaphors. […]

April 22, 2014

Success Stories

South Dakota contractor’s work in his small town’s moment of crisis provides framework for growth

Each February, Gale Nitteberg, his wife Sandy and their grandchildren pack up and head south for about a month to escape the harsh South Dakota winter for the warm beaches of Florida. He says years ago he and his wife talked about leaving South Dakota and maybe moving somewhere warmer, but it was never something […]

April 1, 2014

Business

The 6 habits of highly successful construction company owners

In our recent special report, “The Future of Your Construction Company”, we focused so much on contractors retiring or transitioning out of the business that it almost begs a question. What does it take to succeed in the construction business? I’ve been in the fortunate position of interviewing at length dozens of our Contractor of […]

March 28, 2014

Business

Dearth of women in construction deprives industry of good workers, women of good jobs

Recently, Barbara A. Res penned an insightful column for the Baltimore Sun examining why there are so few women in the construction industry and detailed why and how this should be changed. As contractors across the U.S. continue battling a skilled worker shortage that is impacting completion dates and ability to meet rising demand, it’s a […]

March 24, 2014