Western Builder articles from January 2007

Western Builder archives from January 2007

Bechthold inducted to Hall of Fame.(Ned Bechthold to become member of National Asphalt Pavement Association Hot-Mix Asphalt Hall of Fame)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Staff The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) has announced that Ned Bechthold of Payne and Dolan, headquartered in Waukesha, will be inducted into the NAPA Hot-Mix Asphalt Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who...

Tramac Celebrates 40th Anniversary.
January 8, 2007... Staff Tramac Corporation and Tramac Equipment Ltd. celebrated their 40th anniversary in October. To commemorate the occasion Denis Bataille, president, arranged a celebration at the Fairmont Le Manoir in Charlevoix, Canada, for all North...

College Awards Contract.
January 8, 2007... Staff The Beloit Daily News reports that Klobucar Construction Co., of Beloit, and J.H. Findorff & Son, Inc. in Madison will join forces to construct the $31-million, 106,000-square-foot Beloit College Center for the Sciences. Designed by...

Wetland Work Must Wait 30 Days.(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Staff While Enbridge Energy Co. received its permit for waterway and wetlands crossing for two petroleum pipelines, the Department of Natural Resources requires that Enbridge wait 30 days before beginning the wetlands work in order to...

New Heavy Equipment Operator Training.
January 8, 2007... Staff Professional trainers have begun to recognize that becoming a modern heavy equipment operator may require human abilities that cannot be taught. Studies show that in typical vocational training programs anywhere from 10 percent to 30...

People.
January 8, 2007... Staff Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Steven P. Richman as President. Richman brings more than 25 years of experience in the hardware and power tool industry, and will be responsible for...

WAPA Members Earn Awards.
January 8, 2007... Staff The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) announced that Tower Asphalt Inc.'s Lakeland, Minnesota, Asphalt Plant and Rock Road Companies' Beloit, Wisconsin, Asphalt Plant have earned NAPA's Diamond Achievement Commendation for...

Wisconsin Ranked Tops For Manufacturing.
January 8, 2007... Staff Wisconsin is ranked as one of the top states in the country for manufacturing. According to findings by eMvoy, a Chicago-based industry research group, Wisconsin is the sixth state in the country best positioned to compete nationally...

Governor Awards Bond Allocations.(Department of Commerce)(Reich Tool & Design Inc.)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Staff Governor Doyle announced that Reich Tool & Design, Inc. of Menomonee Falls will receive $6 million in Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) allocations from the Department of Commerce to help the company expand and create opportunities in...

Bypass expansion plan underway.(four lane WIS 26 bypass around Fort Atkinson in Jefferson County)(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Staff The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Southwest Regional office in Madison has begun preliminary engineering design for completing a four lane WIS 26 bypass around Fort Atkinson in Jefferson County. The proposed...

Tomahawk River Bridge improvements approved.(Brief article)
January 8, 2007... Staff As part of his "Grow Wisconsin" initiative to invest in Wisconsin's infrastructure and stimulate our state's economy, Governor Jim Doyle recently signed an $896,000 contract to improve the Tomahawk River Bridge on Willow Dam Road in...

Intrastate Trucking Regulations Changed.
January 8, 2007... Staff With a recent change in state regulations, commercial truck drivers who travel within Wisconsin's borders may drive a maximum of 12 hours after resting for 10 consecutive hours, which is two more hours of required rest than under the...

ABC Of Wisconsin Files Brief.
January 8, 2007... Staff ABC of Wisconsin recently filed a "friend-of-the-Court" Brief with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the case of Mule Hill Materials & Nursery, Inc. v. Town of LaPrairie. The case could help determine how land owners can establish...

Wisconsin Court Rules On "Natural Disaster" Liability.
January 8, 2007... Staff In the blockbuster movie "Armageddon," the federal government discovered an approaching asteroid that was on course to collide with the Earth. In the movie, the government hired a band of contractors to blow up the asteroid. After a...

2007 construction market.(estimated construction industry figures in 2007 as compared to 2006)(Editorial)
January 8, 2007... By Barry Gantenbein, Editor, Western Builder In Wisconsin A Mixed Bag It isn't every year an editor can start an economic forecast off by painting a positive picture for the construction market. This is an industry of ups and downs,...

State Executives Project Growth.(Wisconsin's economic forecast)(Construction industry's forecast)(Truck industry's forecast)
January 8, 2007... By Wisconsin Department of Revenue Wisconsin Expected to Show Moderate Growth in Next Biennium The Wisconsin Economic Outlook report released recently by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue suggests that Wisconsin will follow national...

Five emerging trends for 2007.
January 8, 2007... By Greg Sitek Although there are many changes on the horizon, the following have been noted as the most probable: Green construction is becoming a serious part of the construction process. It is being required to some degree in all...

Moderate increases for ready mixed In 2007.
January 8, 2007... By Cherish Schwenn Promotion Director, Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association What does the future hold for the concrete industry in 2007? If the slumping residential market continues, 2007 could prove to be a challenging one for...

Elections Are Over.
January 8, 2007... By Bob Cook A divided legislature may afford moderates in each body the opportunity to work together to address the transportation problem. Executive Director, Transportation Development Association Election Day brought a lot of...

What's Ahead For Concrete Pavements.
January 8, 2007... Kevin W. McMullen, P.E., President, Wisconsin Concrete Pavement Association The WisDot concrete highway program was smaller that 2005's and looks like it will be smaller again in 2007. 2006 is done and completed and it proved to be an...

AGC looks ahead.(Associated General Contractors)
January 8, 2007... By Mike Fabishak AGC of Milwaukee Undoubtedly, 2006 will go down as one of the more exceptional years for construction. With the economy humming, consumers relatively happy (aka buying), the stock market rising and gas pricing...

Moore Promoted To Putzmeister Director.(Ian Moore, Putzmeister America )(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Staff Putzmeister America has promoted Ian Moore as director of Customer Support, responsible for service and support of the company's full range of concrete and material placing equipment. He will be based from Putzmeister's main North...

Spancrete Promotes Brunette Plant Manager.(Forrest Brunette to be promoted at Spancrete Group Inc.)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Staff The Spancrete Group, Inc., long recognized as the leader in the precast/prestressed concrete industry, recently promoted Forrest Brunette to the position of plant manager at the Spancrete plant in Green Bay. Brunette joined Spancrete...

AWPT Hires Industry Veteran.(Aerial Work Platform Training, Tony Groat)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Staff Aerial Work Platform Training (AWPT) has hired industry veteran Tony Groat as its North American membership development director. Groat is responsible for acquiring new members, training centers and developing services for IPAF's...

Marlowe Selected CSI Executive Director, CEO.(Walter T. Marlowe to join Construction Specifications Institute )(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Staff The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) announced that Walter T. Marlowe, P.E., CAE, has been selected as the new executive director and CEO of CSI. Marlowe accepted the position recently at CSI's offices in Alexandria, Va....

ECTC Announces 2007 Board Of Directors.
January 15, 2007... Staff Members of the Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC) reelected their board of directors during recent meetings in Minneapolis, Minn. The reelected board members will fulfill one-year terms effective immediately. The 2007...

DNR Headquarters Presented Award.
January 15, 2007... Staff Accumulating more honors than a critically acclaimed film, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Northeast Regional Headquarters building was presented the "Award of Merit" by the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance at their...

Midwest Hardwood Corporation Receives Loan.(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Staff Governor Jim Doyle announced that Midwest Hardwood Corporation, Park Falls, Price County, will receive a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant-Economic Development (CDBG-ED) loan from the Department of Commerce. ...

Norscot Introduces New Cat Collector Models.(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Staff Norscot has introduced a six-model series of die-cast scale models bearing "weathered" finishes suggesting Caterpillar[R] equipment that has been hard at work. "You'll find mud splashes, dirty tires and even grime in the nooks...

Tax News, Tips For 2007.
January 15, 2007... Staff The latest tax news affecting contractors and a few tips to make tax time a bit easier. The following information was provided by Heidi Blumenthal, director, Congressional Relations, Tax and Fiscal Affairs, for the Associated...

Consulting Engineers Deliver Wisconsin's Transportation Program.
January 22, 2007... By Rose Morgan, President, American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin Consulting engineers play a significant and vital role in the state's transportation program. As partners with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation,...

WICA Elects Officers.
January 22, 2007... Staff The Wisconsin Insulation Contractors Association elected the following for 2007: Mark Borchardt of L&S Insulation was elected president; Brian McLees of Sprinkmann & Sons was elected vice president; and Mark Skofronick of...

Elk Foundation Makes Third Land Purchase.(Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)(Snipe Lake Property)
January 22, 2007... Staff The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has made another purchase of undeveloped lands in northern Wisconsin to protect a 120-acre parcel within the Chequamegon/Nicolet National Forest. Called the Snipe Lake Property, the parcel will be...

Smaller Contractor -- Big Capabilities.
January 22, 2007... By Jeff Winke From humble roots to technology advocate As the crow flies, Burlington, Wis., is easy to get to. For wingless mortals, it's a bit more difficult. The 9,936 residents of this southeastern Wisconsin community don't...

Two-Way Data Flow.
January 22, 2007... Staff Two-way data flow provides the opportunity for real-time exchange of information between machines in the field and the office, making the "connected construction site" a reality. If you think about it, information has become the...

GIS In Pipeline Management.
January 22, 2007... By Matthew A. Clemonds, manager -- GIS & Field Services, and Rachel Isaacs, GIS project manager -- Advanced GIS Technology (AGIS), an EMS Group Company Location accuracy is just one issue facing pipeline managers. The true challenge is...

Choosing The Right Blade.
January 22, 2007... Staff Choose a blade and turn a multi-terrain loader into a mini dozer. When landscape, construction or utility contractors encounter soft, muddy underfoot conditions, sloped terrain, sensitive surfaces such as turf, or tight spaces on...

AEM Set To Work With 110th Congress.
January 29, 2007... Staff As the 110th Congress convenes, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) looks forward to advancing the legislative goals of its members. "Continued strengthening of the economy should be a major emphasis of the new...

Manitowoc Crane Group Names New VP.
January 29, 2007... Staff Manitowoc Crane Group has announced Robert M. Hund is joining its executive team as vice president, Worldwide Marketing. Bob brings more than 18 years' experience to the post and will be responsible for strategic planning, direction...

National Survey & Engineering Promotes Mortensen.(Tom Mortensen)(National Survey and Engineering Brookfield)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Staff Tom Mortensen, registered landscape architect, of National Survey & Engineering, a division of R.A. Smith & Associates, Inc., civil engineering, planning, surveying, landscape architecture, GIS, and 3-D visualization consultants,...

Jansen Group Announces Staff Additions.
January 29, 2007... Staff The Jansen Group, Inc. is pleased to announce the following staff additions: Dave Olson as project manager, currently working on Midtown Center's Office Depot. Dave has 25 years of multi-state experience within the build...

Applied Technologies Hires Hassing, Jankowski.(Applied Technology Associates Inc.)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Staff Applied Technologies welcomes Kathleen Hassing and Kevin Jankowski to its Brookfield office. Both have joined the Environmental Department as water/wastewater project engineers. Hassing graduated in May 2006 from UW-Madison with...

Working To Improve Operator Productivity.
January 29, 2007... Staff Professional trainers have begun to recognize that becoming a modern heavy equipment operator may require human abilities which cannot be taught. Studies show that in typical vocational training programs anywhere from 10 percent to...