Construction Equipment
Ag Equipment
Roadbuilding
Dealers
Business
Technology
Tag: advice
Business
Don’t get locked in your office: Why staying in front of your team’s challenges is key to being a good leader
There’s a story behind this heading that contains a powerful message about leadership. Although it happened several years ago, the lesson learned from this experience is still relevant for today’s business world. It was the mid-1980’s and I had just accepted a new position as managing director of Dresser Industries, Europe, Africa and Middle East […]
September 17, 2013
Business
Five tips for growth from an expert construction marketer
Neenah, Wisconsin-based Miron Construction Company has annual revenues of $500 to $600 million and more than 1,200 employees. But contractors don’t have to be a certain size to implement great marketing moves, says Jen Bauer, Miron’s director of marketing. Here are a few of her suggestions: 1. Look around. Take a good look at how […]
September 5, 2013
Construction Equipment
74 tips for reducing equipment costs (21-30)
In my last post covering equipment cost cutting tips 11-20, I looked at eliminating buddy jobs, cutting down emergency work and reducing engine idling.  Here are cost-saving strategies 21-30: 21: Manage omissions Omissions can create common failures that affect numerous downstream components. Omissions can lie concealed or dormant until they trigger events that cause an […]
August 16, 2013
Home
74 tips for reducing equipment costs (11-20)
In my first post covering equipment cost-cutting tips 1-10, I addressed several equipment cost cutting basics, including the impact of faithfully using a computerized maintenance management system. Here are cost-cutting strategies 11-20:  11: Eliminate “buddy jobs” I have seen unnecessary use of two-man jobs many times while analyzing maintenance operations.  If they aren’t really […]
August 5, 2013
Business
Ask for Input: Building success in the construction industry with 6 management actions (PART 3)
In my second post on this subject, I mentioned a circumstance that made me realize I needed to ask for input from my team prior to making decisions. Here’s another example of how getting input before decision making helped to set the company on the right course. Action No. 4: Ask for input prior to […]
July 26, 2013
Business
Want your construction business to be more successful? Diversify your personnel.
In interviewing contractors across the country for our Contractor of the Year program, Equipment World editors get a pretty good sense of what works—and what doesn’t—across a range of business practices. Because turnover in the construction industry is such a problem, I’m always interested to see what strategies contractors use to recruit and retain. However, […]
June 28, 2013
Business
How did Stalco Construction triple its project volume during the recession? Adaptability and marketing.
Kevin Harney started Islandia, New York-based Stalco Construction in 1992 with only $1,700. Fast forward to 2012 and the company made $64 million in revenue and was able to achieve monstrous growth during the recession. Just what kind of growth? Before the 2008 recession, annual project volume at Stalco was $40 million. Now, it’s at […]
June 24, 2013
Construction Equipment
How to convince your boss (or spouse) that you need to be at the next big construction trade show
Our reader research throughout the years ranks trade shows relatively low as one of the ways you gather equipment information. And that’s to be expected, since these shows take place within a limited timeframe. You hear from other information sources – such as our monthly print editions and daily e-newsletters – on a much more […]
June 3, 2013
Business
How to combat negativity in your company with good management
“Our brain is like Velcro to negative experiences and Teflon to positive ones.” – neuropsychologist Rick Hanson Have you ever heard of negativity bias? Unless you’re a psychologist or leadership guru, you probably haven’t. However, even if you’re not familiar with the term, you’re familiar with the effect. Negative bias is the psychological phenomenon in […]
April 3, 2013
Business
Loyalty a two-way street for successful Colorado contractor T-Bone Construction
With a company he built from the ground up starting in 1987, Michael Thibault’s T-Bone Construction in Colorado Springs was going full speed ahead when the recession hit. As a builder of commercial and industrial buildings, truck maintenance facilities, and car and truck dealerships, Thibault was hit with a double whammy. The big customers quit […]
April 1, 2013
Business
Time management, new strategies key to success in post-recession construction industry
Lately we’ve been hearing the recession is finally over. Whether you agree or not, some negative lingering effects have already begun. One of the most visible and immediate impacts is the uptick in workloads from the top down. Many construction companies out there are now dealing with smaller staffs, more work and less time. And […]
February 28, 2013
Safety
Safety walkarounds Part 3: Keeping it going
In Part 1 & Part 2 of this series we covered the definition and importance of management walkarounds as well some advice on how to conduct them effectively. In this last article of the series we’ll look at some additional implementation tips and challenges and conclude with a summary of the overall process. Do’s and Don’ts There are […]
February 21, 2013
Page 1 of 2
Next Page