Construction Industry News

In the search for a solution to the federal government’s slow progress towards a comprehensive infrastructure package, many states have passed infrastructure bills of their own. And there are more in progress—Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker pitched a $18 billion transportation spending bill to legislators last week.

This weekend, the $85 million, 18-story Hard Rock Hotel project under construction in New Orleans, Louisiana, collapsed, killing two workers on-site and injuring 30 more people on the jobsite or in the area. Another worker is still missing four days later, and one of the bodies of the two victims has yet to be recovered.

Saudi Arabia’s new public sector procurement law, Government Tenders & Procurement Law (GTPL), will go into effect Nov. 29, 2019, covers all government projects and aims to streamline procurement and promote the use of local companies on public sector works. Details here. 

Equipment and software investment growth decelerated during the second consecutive quarter and is expected to moderate at 3.9%, according to the Q4 Update to the 2019 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook just released by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation. Overall, the economy is expected to expand 2.2%, down from the previous estimate of 2.5%, with growth driven primarily by consumer spending. Details here. 

The Las Vegas Monorail Company secured long-term financing needed to help fund construction of a new station at Sands Avenue and to replace a short-term loan facility. The new station will provide a direct connection to the Sands Expo Center, The Venetian and The Palazzo Resorts, and to the MSG Sphere (the 18,000-seat entertainment venue currently under construction). Details here. 

Oct. 9, 2019, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and Graepel North America hosted Congressman Don Bacon  as he, took a tour of Graepel’s facility, and discussed the public policies issues creating the biggest challenges for Graepel and many in the equipment manufacturing industry during a town hall style discussion. Details here. 

Dodge Data & Analytics will hold its 81st annual Dodge Construction Outlook Conference on Oct. 30-31, 2019, at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, where the company will unveil the construction industry outlook for 2020. Details here. 

Hino Trucks is stepping into the National Football League (NFL) arena again to announce an additional partnership with an NFL team—the Los Angeles Rams. As the “Official Commercial Truck of the Los Angeles Rams,” Hino will work with the Rams to carry out their mutual goal of creating an authentic experience for their fan bases in southern California. Details here. 

Hexagon’s Geosystems division has announced plans to further cooperate with Procore, a provider of construction management software, to bring more efficiencies to the building construction industry. The developing relationship between the two organizations focuses on linking Hexagon’s reality capture, measurement and digital construction positioning solutions and Procore’s suite of construction management solutions. These integrations will result in increased efficiency and productivity across building construction projects. Details here. 

Rosendin has been honored with 3 industry awards (2019 Safety Excellence Award from National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC, Women in Construction of the Year 2019 Award, and The Regional Hispanic Contractors Association's 2019 Luna Award for Business Advocate of the Year in Austin) for their efforts to further inclusion and diversity in construction, as they celebrate 100 years in business. Details here. 

The Engineering Contractors' Association (ECA), has chosen John Hakel of the Southern California Partnership for Jobs (SCPFJ) as their 32nd annual dignity, integrity and generosity (DIG) Award recipient. The DIG Award is specific to the construction industry. Hakel serves as the executive director at SCPFJ, a group whose mission is to engage elected officials and educate the public on the need for continued infrastructure funding that creates thousands of jobs in construction within the region. Details here. 

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) hasannounced the winners of the 2019 John P. Gleason Jr. Leadership Awards, honoring PCA members who have exhibited leadership in advancing industry programs and initiatives. Details here. 

The Dodge Momentum Index moved 4.1% higher in September from the revised August reading of 137.9. The Momentum Index, issued by Dodge Data & Analytics, is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. Details here.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Diesel Laptops, diesel diagnostic software and hardware provider, has announced they will be offering a limited-edition Awareness Pink Laptop as an option with select diagnostic kits. For every Awareness Pink Laptop sold in October, Diesel Laptops will donate $100 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Details here. 

We love a good report. And you probably do, too, but we know the idea of sitting down with a 35+ page survey in the midst of your hectic schedule is often laughable. That’s why we’ve broken down the top takeaways from four of the industry’s most recent reports below.   

 “Some major advanced economies have struggled to generate growth momentum, including the U.S., the United Kingdom and Australia. In China, where the authorities are stepping up investment in infrastructure to prevent a continued slowdown, growth will remain positive, contributing to a slight acceleration in growth in total output in the emerging markets.” Details here. 

US LBM Holdings LLC, a distributor of specialty building materials in the United States, has acquired Forge Lumber, which operates locations in Cincinnati and nearby Kentucky. Details here. 

JLG Industries Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company and global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms and telehandlers, has announced a new podcast series on JLG DirectAccess. The series kicks off with a 15-minute podcast detailing the updates to ANSI A92, which take effect Dec. 10, 2019. Details here. 

Spearheaded by the National Center for Construction Education and research, (NCCER) and Build Your Future (BYF), the seventh annual ‘Careers in Construction Month’ is in full swing this October. The celebration was launched to increase public awareness, inspire the next generation of construction craft professionals and make an impact on the perceptions of a career in construction. Details here. 

Bomag Americas Inc. and SMS Equipment Inc. have announced their cooperation for the sale and support of Bomag compaction, milling, paving, and reclaiming/stabilizing equipment for roadbuilding and other construction market segments throughout Canada. Details here.