March 2010 Vol. 65 No. 3
Business
May 2010 Business News
Business news from LAN, Rain for Rent, Caterpillar, Ritchie Bros., US Composite Pipe South, CertainTeed, PPIC, Envista, JCB, Volvo CE, Terex and Gehl.
LAN
Planning, engineering and program management firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) has named E. Tyson Thomas, P.E., to the position of vice president.
LAN
Planning, engineering and program management firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) has named E. Tyson Thomas, P.E., to the position of vice president.
Since joining LAN in 1978, Thomas has served in a wide variety of roles, including design engineer, project engineer, project manager, department manager, program manager and principal-in-charge. His experience encompasses all areas of civil engineering, including site infrastructure development, environmental permitting and compliance, water and wastewater engineering and storm water engineering. Thomas has worked with a wide array of clients throughout the country including local and state agencies, districts and special authorities, industry, municipalities and private entities.
His current responsibilities within LAN’s Infrastructure Business Group include project and program management, business development and management of production staff for coastal, port and marine, water, wastewater, storm water, environmental, and municipal and industrial infrastructure projects.
Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech University, where he also serves as a member of the Civil Engineering Academy. He is a registered professional engineer in the states of Texas, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 713.266.6900, www.lan-inc.com
Rain for Rent
Rain for Rent has launched a newly enhanced online customer portal that allows customers to access their accounts through the Rain for Rent website, www.rainforrent.com. Now customers can view account data, rental status, download invoice or equipment reports on demand, and set up report subscriptions in a variety of formats.
Rain for Rent provides turnkey liquid-handling solutions with specialized pumps, tanks, pipe, filtration and automation. 800.742.7246, www.rainforrent.com
Caterpillar
As part of a long-term strategic initiative, Caterpillar, is conducting a study that could lead to a new hydraulic excavator facility being built in the United States. Such a move could triple the current capacity of hydraulic excavators now produced by the company in the U.S. and could double the number of Cat employees in the U.S. dedicated to excavator production, and further leverage excavator production in Japan to serve increasing demand in China and across Asia.
Currently, the company only produces two excavator models at a facility in Aurora, IL, where it also produces wheel loaders, soil and landfill compactors, wheel dozers and components. In addition, Caterpillar produces excavators in Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Indonesia, Japan and Russia. If the contemplated decision were finalized, the new facility would manufacture the two models now made in Aurora, as well as several additional excavator models now produced in Japan and exported to the U.S.
Ritchie Bros.
American buyers generate 74 percent of gross auction proceeds at Richie Bros. Auctioneers’ unreserved public auction. Ritchie Bros. sold more than $42 million of heavy equipment during a two-day unreserved public auction, March 24-25 at the company’s permanent auction site in Houston, TX. Bidders from 53 countries, including 48 U.S. states, 10 Canadian provinces and one territory registered to participate on-site and online at www.rbauction.com to compete on more than 3,300 lots sold during the multi-million dollar Texas auction.
More than 1,300 of the registered bidders participated online and purchased more than $12 million (30 percent of gross auction proceeds) of heavy equipment, trucks and real estate during the auction. 713.455.5200, www.rbauction.com
US Composite Pipe South
Dee Bryant and John Simonson recently joined the US Composite Pipe South team representing Flowtite pipe, which has been utilized worldwide for over 30 years. Bryant will serve as the national business development manager and Simonson was named regional sales manager for the Texas region. Flowtite meets national standards for glass-reinforced plastic pressure and non-pressure pipes used in the public works market and is fast becoming included as a standard product by owners and engineers for new large diameter sanitary sewers and slipline rehabilitation projects across North America. 225.658.6166, www.uscpsouth.com
CertainTeed
CertainTeed Corp. and its sister Saint-Gobain companies in North America have been selected for the second straight year as a 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Energy Management by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This prestigious award recognizes all of Saint-Gobain’s North American businesses, including CertainTeed, for their accomplishments and leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.
In 2009, Saint-Gobain’s energy-use reduction equated to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions released to the atmosphere of more than 70,000 tons, a savings equivalent to the amount of energy required to manufacture wallboard to cover nearly 45,000 homes or insulate 100,000 homes.
“CertainTeed is committed to preserving our environment through sustainable manufacturing and developing products that will improve energy efficiency,” says Peter Dachowski, president and CEO for CertainTeed. “We are pleased with our employees’ dedication to energy management which has made this year’s ENERGY STAR Partner of Year award possible.” 800.233.8990, www.certainteed.com
PPIC
The Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) has reached a milestone by successfully completing its 100th buried pipeline condition assessment project at a power plant. Over the course of these projects, PPIC has gained industry specific expertise to help ensure on time and on-budget execution of these projects. One of the most critical tips for coordinating the project between contractors, inventory and other needed supplies is for power plants to have a proactive plan based on the various inspection result scenarios. 866.990.2466, www.ppic.com
Envista
Envista Corporation, a provider of web-based software for infrastructure project coordination, announced the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) has now deployed Envista’s Software-as-a-Service application. WSSC is the eighth largest water and wastewater utility company in the country serving 1.8 million customers in a 1,000 square mile area.
Envista subscribers leverage the real-time exchange of planning information to synchronize construction and maintenance projects for roadway and pipeline replacement projects. WSSC will manage thousands of miles of infrastructure using Envista’s visual, map-based solution that flags project conflicts for immediate decision-making. WSSC maintains a network of nearly 5,400 miles of sewer pipeline, and 5,500 miles of fresh water pipeline. Nearly 25 percent (about 1,380 miles) of their pipeline network is more than 50 years old, and is being upgraded by the utility.
Envista’s map-driven system enables all parties to view the locations of all infrastructure projects in their area and the related data. Users can respond quickly to conflicts, reduce needless street cuts, and pro-actively take advantage of work-share and cost-share opportunities to save time and ratepayers’ dollars. 978.232.6300, www.envista.com
JCB, Volvo CE
JCB and Volvo Construction Equipment have entered into a framework agreement under which they will cooperate on the engineering and manufacturing of skid steer loader and compact tracked loader products for distribution under their respective brands and through their respective global dealer networks.
It is envisaged that the first mono boom Volvo branded machines will be in production at JCB’s Savannah, GA, facility by year-end 2010. Volvo Construction Equipment will then transition skid steer loader models over time from its Pederneiras facility in Brazil.
Terex
Terex has entered into an agreement to divest the Terex Atlas heavy construction equipment business, which is located in Ganderkesee, Germany, and knuckle-boom crane and related components businesses, which have operations in Vechta and Delmenhorst, Germany. Also included as part of this transaction are the sales and service business located in Bradford, United Kingdom, and the Terex minority ownership position in the Atlas Chinese joint venture. Terms of the transaction with a private investor are not being disclosed, although the business is being divested with an agreed-upon amount of capital to be transferred with the business. The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2010.
Product lines being divested in the transaction include crawler, wheel and rail excavators, knuckle-boom truck loader cranes and Terex Atlas branded material handlers. The transaction also includes the Terex Atlas UK distribution business for truck loader cranes in the United Kingdom. The Atlas business is reported in the Terex Construction segment, with the exception of the knuckle-boom truck loader cranes, which is reported in the Terex Cranes segment.
Terex compact equipment made in Germany, namely mini- and midi-excavators and compact wheel loaders, as well as the Terex Fuchs material handler line, will remain with Terex as part of the construction business segment. Also not part of the transaction are Terex rigid and articulated trucks, backhoe-loaders and other products manufactured in the United Kingdom. 203.222.7170, www.terex.com
Gehl
Daniel Miller succeeded Malcolm “Mac” Moore as president of Gehl Co., effective April 1. Miller was appointed vice president, manufacturing operations in December 2005 and previously was director of manufacturing operations upon joining Gehl in October 2001.
Moore was named executive vice president and chief operating officer in August 1999 and then president and chief operating officer in April 2003.
Miller’s appointment was one of several management changes announced by Gehl. Shannon Van Dyke was promoted from corporate controller to vice president-finance and corporate secretary. Serge Bosché was promoted to vice president sales and marketing, effective immediately. Bosché, who had joined the company with Gehl’s acquisition by France’s Manitou B.F., will continue to serve as the president and CEO of Manitou North America, a sister company in Waco, TX. www.gehl.com
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