Construction Bulletin articles from March 2008

Construction Bulletin archives from March 2008

Two promoted at MFRA.(Sirish Samba, P.E.)(Steve Janson)(McCombs Frank Roos Associates)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Staff McCombs Frank Roos Associates, an engineering, planning and surveying firm, promoted two employees at its Twin Cities office. Sirish Samba, P.E., was named executive vice president of the firm. He has been with MFRA since 1994,...

Veit adds employees.
March 3, 2008... Staff Veit recently added five new employees to its corporate administration, demolition, foundation and earthwork divisions. Joyce Brown joins Veit as a human resources compliance coordinator. She has 28 years of experience, most recently...

Gunkel is new CEO.(promotion of Tom Gunkel as chief executive officer)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Staff Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis, promoted Tom Gunkel to CEO and president. For the past seven years, Gunkel, a 25-year veteran of the company, served as president and chief operating officer and was the second non-family member...

Dressta promotes Olson.
March 3, 2008... Staff Dressta North American promoted Bob Olson to vice president, sales and marketing responsible for all machine sales, marketing and service support for Dressta products in the U.S. and Canada. Olson joined the company in 2006 as...

SMSC donates $1 million.(Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Staff The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community provided a $1-million grant to the Spirit Lake Tribe of North Dakota for economic development. Approximately $468,000 will be used to complete construction of a new tribal courthouse, another...

CMAA responds to budget.(Construction Management Association of America)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Staff Bruce D'Agostino, president of the Construction Management Association of America, responded to President Bush's 2009 budget through a statement emphasizing that cuts made to fund highways and transit systems are well below levels...

Emphasis on Safety Increases.
March 3, 2008... By Ivy Chang Contractors and construction workers can access a wide range of safety information and products through many different sources. Among the most hazardous construction projects are underground work, such as utilities and...

Regulations Lead to Safety Training.
March 3, 2008... By Arnie Kraft The workplace benefits when employers and employees recognize safe procedures and practices. Safety regulations are defined as mandatory requirements that aim to prevent or reduce injury. They include laws and...

MUCA Celebrates 30 Years.(Minnesota Utility Contractors Association)(Conference notes)
March 3, 2008... By Ivy Chang Utility contractors organization conducts fall meeting with seminars to inform contractors. The annual fall meeting of the Minnesota Utility Contractors Association included a variety of seminars to help contractors...

Steven Thomas dies.
March 10, 2008... Staff Steven J. Thomas, owner of Thomas and Sons Construction, Rogers, Minnesota, died on February 11 from cancer. He was 79 years old. Thomas began his career with the Minnesota Highway Department in late 1950s, then worked for Barton...

AEM elects Cherne Industries.
March 10, 2008... Staff Cherne Industries, Minneapolis, manufacturer of pipe plugs, vacuum testers, joint testers and deflection gauges, is a newly elected member of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) international trade group. Cherne produces...

Nortrax offers Morbark equipment.
March 10, 2008... Staff Nortrax Equipment Co. in Minnesota, the most recent addition to Morbark equipment, is an authorized Morbark industrial equipment dealer with three locations: Bemidji, Duluth and Grand Rapids. In addition to Morbark equipment, Nortrax...

RCD acquires Tectonic Partners Inc.(Reed Construction Data )(Tectonic Partners Inc)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Staff Reed Construction Data (RCD), a division of Reed Business Information, announced the completion of its acquisition of Tectonic Partners Inc., a developer and content provider of building information modeling (BIM). The combination of...

File Economic Census now.
March 10, 2008... Staff If your business received a 2007 Economic Census form in December and you returned it on time, the?Associated Construction Publications thanks you. But if you missed the February 12 deadline, please seek a 30-day extension and...

Editor's Report.(Editorial)
March 17, 2008... By Ivy Chang At the time of this report, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed the Transportation bill that House and Senate members compromised over a weekend to pass. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce...

Industry News.(Brief biography)
March 17, 2008... Staff Karl Beaster , American Engineering Testing Inc., St. Paul, earned his Professional Geologist Licensure recently. Beaster attended Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin, and transferred to the University of Wisconsin, where he...

A&P earns safety award.(Adolfson & Peterson Inc. )(Brief article)
March 17, 2008... Staff Adolfson & Peterson Construction earned a 2008 CHASE Achievement, White Level, award for its safety program. The company has long focused on safety and has one of the lowest experience modification ratings, .50, in the construction...

View bridge progress.(Brief article)
March 17, 2008... Staff Construction on the I-35W bridge is on and ahead of schedule. Piers are rising on both sides of the Mississippi River and crews removed the first steel forms on Pier 3 southbound. They've also completed pouring concrete on several...

PCI accepts abstracts.(Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute )(Brief article)
March 17, 2008... Staff The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute will offer a track of seminars featuring peer-reviewed technical papers at its 2008 Convention on October 6-8. Abstracts for papers will be accepted through April 2 and must be submitted...

Wind energy ranked.
March 17, 2008... Staff The American Wind Energy Association ranked states on their wind production. Texas was ranked first, California was second and Minnesota was third. The association ranked Minnesota ninth for potential wind capacity with a current...

Executive Order 08-01.(Brief article)
March 24, 2008... Staff Minnesota's Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed an executive order that ensures state contractors and subcontractors only hire employees legally eligible to work in the United States. The order, effective on January 29, applies to all...

Load restrictions posted.
March 24, 2008... Staff The South Dakota Department of Transportation posted Spring Load Limit restrictions on certain highways across the state effective on March 3: (See chart below.) The report is used as a guide only and does not take...

Future Builders Scholarship.
March 24, 2008... Staff Kraus-Anderson Construction Company, Minneapolis, created the Future Builders Scholarship that offers two $1,000 scholarships for high school seniors who will pursue a degree in commercial construction management. One scholarship...

Tennant to acquire EU company.(European Union)(Applied Sweepers)(Brief article)
March 24, 2008... Staff Tennant Company, Minneapolis, entered into a purchase agreement with Applied Sweepers, Falkirk, Scotland, in a deal worth $68 million. Applied Sweepers is a leading manufacturer of subcompact outdoor sweeping machines in the United...

Callais receives certification.(Brief article)
March 31, 2008... Staff LeRoy Callais, senior engineering technician III at American Engineering Testing, Inc. in Rogers, Minnesota, received his certification as reinforced concrete special inspector. Callais, who attended Technical College in St. Cloud,...

New Director of Quality.
March 31, 2008... Staff Kraus-Anderson Construction Company, Minneapolis, named Michael L. Spence, AIA, as its director of quality to oversee an integrated process for quality at all levels. He will work with project managers and superintendents to maximize...

More acres acquired.(Northern Oil & Gas aquired Brigham Exploration)(Brief article)
March 31, 2008... Staff Northern Oil & Gas, Wayzata, Minnesota, acquired 6,000 additional acres in Mountrail County, North Dakota, near Parshall Field where oil exploration is concentrated. The company, formed in early 2007, now controls 22,000 acres; 3,000...

Safe Routes grant begins.(Schools safety program)(Brief article)
March 31, 2008... Staff Applications are available for South Dakota schools to participate in Safe Routes to Schools program that will identify improvements and incentives to make walking and biking to and from school a routine for primary and middle school...

Xcel Energy tests wind storage.
March 31, 2008... Staff Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, will begin testing a new technology to store wind energy in batteries. Utilities producing electricity from wind energy is challenged to provide a constant flow of power because of changing weather...

IronPlanet sales up 42 percent.(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 31, 2008... Staff Online auction company IronPlanet reported gross auction sales of $231 million in 2007, an increase of more than 42 percent over 2006. Fourth quarter gross auction sales were $84 million, a 65-percent increase over the same period in...

Scholarships available.
March 31, 2008... Staff The ARA Foundation will award 23 scholarships worth $37,000 for the 2008-2009 academic year to students attending technical/vocational school, college or graduate school who work in the rental industry. Ten scholarships of $1,000...