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.