Western Builder articles from January 2008

Western Builder archives from January 2008

Inland Detroit Diesel-Allison Becomes Inland Power Group.
January 7, 2008... Staff Inland Detroit Diesel-Allison has changed its name to Inland Power Group in order to reflect its broader range of products and services. Inland Power Group supplies engines and transmissions, service, replacement parts, and...

Tri-North Receives AGC of Wisconsin Award.
January 7, 2008... Staff The 55,000-square-foot, three-story headquarters building of Tri-North Builders Inc., Fitchburg, Wis., was recently recognized with a 2007 Build Wisconsin Award from the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin (AGCWI). The award...

Landoll Buys ICON.(I-con Industries Inc.)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Staff Landoll Corp., Marysville, Kan., recently acquired ICON Industries Inc., Beloit, Kan. Formed in 1994, ICON Industries which designs and produces a full line of innovative, high-quality pull-type earthmovers, graders and other...

Custom Equipment Moves Headquarters, Signs Two New Dealers.(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Staff Custom Equipment, Inc., manufacturer of Hy-Brid Lifts aerial platforms, has moved its manufacturing and corporate headquarters to a new facility in Richfield, Wis. The company will also continue operating its original manufacturing...

TAUC Offers Craft-Jurisdiction Guide.(The Association of Union Constructors)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Staff To help prevent jurisdictional disputes between unions working on a job site, The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) has developed a publication that construction professionals can use to more accurately manage work assignments...

Miron Receives Awards From AASHTO And Procter & Gamble.(American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials)(Miron Construction Co. Inc.)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Staff The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) presented Miron Construction Co., Inc., Neenah, Wis., with the 2007 Legacy Award for its involvement with the Fox Cities Trestle-Friendship Trail...

NES Traffic Safety Bought And Renamed RoadSafe Traffic Systems.
January 7, 2008... Staff Private equity investors Aperion Management, LLC and Falcon Investment Advisors, LLC recently announced their acquisition of the NES Traffic Safety Division from NES Rentals Holdings, Inc. The new traffic safety company,...

Gitlewski Joins KBS As Assistant Project Manager.
January 7, 2008... Staff KBS Construction, Inc. has hired Mark Gitlewski as an assistant project manager in its Milwaukee, Wis., office. He holds a bachelor's degree in construction management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Gitlewski is currently...

KBS Completes New Office.(KBS Construction Inc.)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Staff KBS Construction, Inc., Madison, Wis., recently completed construction of its new office and plant at 3841 Kipp Street, Madison. This new facility replaces the company's former office in McFarland, Wis. KBS' new office was built to...

National Survey & Engineering Promotes Schapekahm And Lancour.(National Survey and Engineering Brookfield)(Jonathan Schapekahm and Ryan Lancour)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Staff National Survey & Engineering, a division of R.A. Smith & Associates, Inc., Brookfield, Wis., has announced two promotions in its land-development-services division. Jonathan Schapekahm has been promoted from senior project...

Transportation Construction Expected To Rebound, Stabilize In 2008.
January 7, 2008... By Pat Goss, Executive Director, Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association After two years of unprecedented inflation and unpredictable revenue, Wisconsin's transportation construction market will begin to rebound in 2008, thanks to a...

Executives Predict Both Growth And Challenges.
January 7, 2008... By Wisconsin Department of Revenue State Economy Continues Growth Amid National Concerns Wisconsin's economy remains resilient, showing growth in personal income and employment, despite major drags on the national economy, according to...

This "Off Budget" Year Looms Large.
January 7, 2008... By Craig Thompson, Executive Director, Transportation Development Association The time to work toward better infrastructure funding is now. Much of our public discourse and debate in Wisconsin, as it pertains to state politics and...

2008 Expected To Be Another Good Year In Milwaukee.
January 7, 2008... By Mike Fabishak, CEO, AGC of Greater Milwaukee Projections for 2008 may differ little from what the AGC expected at the beginning of 2007. Back in early 2007, there was a feeling that we would continue to enjoy some of the velocity...

2008 Likely To Be Less Than Great For Underground Work.
January 7, 2008... By Richard W. Wanta, Executive Director, Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association But Efforts To Improve Market Will Continue Due to the lagging economy, the Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association (WUCA) is not expecting a...

2008 Construction Market Should Be Similar To 2007's.(Reed Construction Data)(Editorial)(Statistical data)
January 7, 2008... By Mike Larson, Editor Overall, construction work in Wisconsin should be up a bit in 2008. Reed Construction Data (RCD), publisher of Western Builder, projects the total value of construction in the state to reach $5.4 billion, up 10.3...

CIM Program Will Hold Auction At World Of Concrete.
January 14, 2008... Staff The Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program - a business-intensive program that earns students a four-year bachelor's degree in concrete industry management - will host its annual auction during the World of Concrete show at noon,...

MSA Names Valerius Team Leader.(Jason Valerius)(Brief article)
January 14, 2008... Staff MSA, Baraboo, Wis., has promoted Jason Valerius, AICP, to a team leader in its Madison, Wis., office. Valerius holds masters' degrees in architecture and urban planning from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as well as a...

Bosshard Elected VP Of Southeastern Wisconsin Surveyors.
January 14, 2008... Staff David Bosshard, RLS, of Yaggy Colby Associates, has been elected vice president of the Society of Southeastern Wisconsin Land Surveyors. He will serve a three-year term: one year as vice president, one year as president elect,...

Vermeer-Wisconsin Offers Directional Drilling Workshop.
January 14, 2008... Staff Vermeer-Wisconsin, Inc., Butler, Wis., will hold a directional-drilling workshop for drill-rig operators at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha, Wis., on Feb. 22, 2008. The class covers all drilling functions and offers one-on-one...

ACEC WI Offers Four Cornerstones Of Risk Management Seminar.
January 14, 2008... Staff The American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin (ACEC WI) is offering the "Four Cornerstones of Risk Management" seminar from 8:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Feb. 28 in Waukesha, Wis. Detailed information is available at...

News From Wisconsin Earth Movers' Annual Meeting.
January 14, 2008... Staff The Wisconsin Earth Movers Association's (WEMA) recent annual meeting convened representatives from several earth-moving companies and representatives of WisDOT, the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, the Transportation...

Dan Dean Wins "Wanna Win A WIDE-OUT" Sweepstakes.
January 14, 2008... Staff Dan Dean, owner of MAD Plowing & Mowing, Oregon, Wis., proudly displays his new WESTERN WIDE-OUT adjustable-wing snowplow, the grand prize in Western Products' recent "Wanna Win A WIDE-OUT" sweepstakes.

ARTBA Offers Blue Book For Construction Equipment.
January 14, 2008... Staff The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) recently published its 2007 guide covering most major makes and models of construction equipment. The guide contains more than 1,000 pages of prices, values and...

Air-Conditioning And Heating Associations Merge.
January 14, 2008... Staff The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) merged into the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) as of Jan. 1, 2008. The new association,...

Nortrax Names Brosted General Manager Of Eau Claire Ops.
January 14, 2008... Staff In mid-December, Nortrax Equipment Co., a distributor of John Deere construction and forestry equipment, appointed Eric Brosted as general manager of its Eau Claire, Wis., operations. The midwest region, headquartered in Eau...

Nortrax Names Schoessow Product-Support Manager For Midwest Region.
January 14, 2008... Staff Nortrax Equipment Co. recently named William Schoessow as product-support manager for its midwest region. Schoessow joins Nortrax from John Deere's construction and forestry division, where he most recently served as division...

Register For TDA's 2008 Washington, D.C., Fly-In By Feb. 1.
January 21, 2008... Staff The Feb. 1 deadline for registering to attend the Transportation Development Association's (TDA) fly-in to Washington, D.C., to be held April 9-10 is fast approaching. Fly-in participants will fly to the nation's capital to show...

ABC 2008 Safety Conference Is January 30 In Appleton.(Conference news)
January 21, 2008... Staff The Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin (ABCWI) is holding one of its 2008 construction workers safety conferences for members and invited guests Jan. 30 in the Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, Wis. Some of the topics...

Vermeer Acquires Maxi Drill Manufacturer.(Vermeer Manufacturing Co.)(Horizontal Rig & Equipment)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Staff Vermeer Manufacturing Co., Pella, Iowa, a leading manufacturer of horizontal directional drilling equipment and tooling, has acquired the operating assets of Horizontal Rig & Equipment (HRE), Conroe, Texas. HRE is a prominent...

Rexnord Announces Agreement To Acquire GA Industries.(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Staff Milwaukee manufacturer of power-transmission and water-management components Rexnord LLC has announced that its affiliate, Zurn Industries LLC, has agreed to acquire the stock of GA Industries, Inc., which manufactures automatic...

FMI Predicts 5.8-Percent Growth In U.S. Construction.
January 21, 2008... Staff FMI, Raleigh, N.C., a management-consulting and investment-banking company serving the construction industry, has published its 2008 U.S. Construction Overview. The report offers a comprehensive look at vital construction...

Building Operating Management Magazine Gives Bird-B-Gone Readers' Choice Award.
January 21, 2008... Staff Bird-B-Gone, Inc., a leading manufacturer of bird-control products, was recently awarded the readers' choice award from Building Operating Management Magazine (BOM). BOM Magazine serves building owners and facility executives in...

Giuffre Boom Truck Service Donated For Pumpkin Promotion.
January 21, 2008... Staff A Giuffre Bros. boom truck was key to the annual pumpkin drop at a Milwaukee-area discount store. Children entered a contest to guess the weight of a pumpkin donated by a local farm. At the end of the contest, a Terex 5092 boom...

King Architectural Concrete Wins Cemstone 2007 Award.(Company overview)
January 21, 2008... Staff King Architectural Concrete & Construction, River Falls, Wis., earned the grand prize in the "Residential Exterior" category in Cemstone's recent Decorative Concrete Awards competition. Cemstone is a leading supplier of...

Mead & Hunt Promotes Mettel To Water Resources Manager For Eastern U.S.(Carson Mettel)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Staff Mead & Hunt, an architectural, engineering and planning firm with headquarters in Madison, Wis., has promoted Carson Mettel as its new water resources manager for the Eastern U.S. Mettel's career includes more than 25 years of...

Editor's Report.
January 21, 2008... By Mike Larson Although January and February typically bring cold weather to Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, they bring plenty of hot events for construction-industry professionals. Check out the industry news and industry calendar sections...

Working In Winter.
January 21, 2008... Story by Mike Larson, Editor A few techniques can keep winter from stopping projects cold. There's no doubt about it, winter weather puts a damper on construction activity throughout the Upper Midwest, including Wisconsin and Upper...

Placing A Strong Foundation.(Editorial)
January 21, 2008... Edited by Mike Larson, Editor Specific concrete mix helps keep casino expansion out of the water. Speed and efficiency are key to the $240-million Potawatomi Bingo Casino expansion in Milwaukee, Wis. Since beginning in August 2006,...

It's New Year's Resolution Time!(Editorial)
January 21, 2008... By George Hedley Assessment, goal setting and improvement are essential to success. Edited by Mike Larson, Editor Could you imagine a professional football coach starting the season without a target or goal to win more games than...

Conex Wisconsin Show Wednesday And Thursday.
January 28, 2008... Staff Wisconsin's annual Conex trade show for the construction and commercial landscaping industries takes place Wednesday, Jan. 30, and Thursday, Jan. 31, at State Fair Park in West Allis, Wis. The show features nearly 160 exhibiting...

CONEX Show Offers Free Educational Sessions.(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... Staff Free educational sessions are now among the features of The CONEX Wisconsin/Northern Illinois 2008 trade show being held Jan. 30 - 31, at State Fair Park in West Allis, Wis. The show's producers have just announced sessions on a...

Construction Cost Increases Ease After Rapid Growth.
January 28, 2008... Staff A December report from Turner Construction Co. says its building cost index shows construction costs in the fourth quarter of 2007 increased 1.51 percent over the third quarter of 2007 and 7.09 percent over the fourth quarter of...

Miron Earns Three AGC 2007 Awards.(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... Staff Miron Construction Co., Inc., Neenah, Wis., recently earned three 2007 Build Wisconsin Awards from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Wisconsin. The competition's judging criteria included design and craftsmanship, project...

Gehl Credited With Assist To Brewers.
January 28, 2008... Staff Gehl Co., West Bend, Wis., a leading manufacturer of compact equipment used in construction and agriculture applications, has loaned a new Gehl 6640E skid-steer loader to the Milwaukee Brewers to assist with snow removal and general...

Mead & Hunt Hires 10.
January 28, 2008... Staff Consulting engineers Mead & Hunt, Inc. recently hired 10 new employees, 6 of whom work in its Madison, Wis., headquarters or its branch office in Minneapolis, Minn. Richard Lundeen , AIA, LEED AP, joins the architecture team as a...

Mechanical Contractors Of Northwest Wisconsin Award Scholarships.
January 28, 2008... Staff The Mechanical Contractors Association of Northwest Wisconsin has awarded $1,000 scholarships to Tyler Utecht and Trevor Fedie. The scholarship competition was based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, character...

Mechanical Contractors Of North Central Wisconsin Award Scholarships.
January 28, 2008... Staff The Mechanical Contractors Association of North Central Wisconsin has awarded $2,000 scholarships to Tony Gloudemans and Brittney Johnson. Gloudemans will graduate in 2008 from Little Chute High School. Johnson is a 2005 graduate of...

Fox Valley Sheet Metal Contractors Association Awards Scholarships.
January 28, 2008... Staff The Fox Valley Sheet Metal Contractors Association has awarded $1,000 scholarships to Annie Baye, Kristin Fletcher and Ross Bons. Baye is a 2007 graduate of Northeastern Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Green Bay, and is attending...