Passion for Heavy Equipment & Construction

Heavy Equipment News

Monday, March 31, 2008 by Monster Toys , ,


KOREA
New Hyundai Heavy Technology Slashes Shipbuilding Time
Hyundai Heavy Industries said Sunday that it has developed a new technology that makes it possible to launch a completed ship while continuing shipbuilding work at the same dock.

"The new technology is expected to help reduce the terms of works by almost 20 percent because we no longer have to stop building ships to launch a completed ship," a company source said. "The number of days working at a dock will decrease by 13 days from 70, and it will make it unnecessary to remove and install again various facilities and equipment."

JAPAN
Caterpillar CEO says U.S. probably in recession
TOKYO (Reuters) - The chief executive of Caterpillar Inc , the world's largest maker of earthmoving equipment, said the United States economy is probably in a recession but would likely recover from late this year.more stories like this.

Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Owens made the comments at a news conference in Tokyo to announce that the firm was raising its stake in a joint venture with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd <7011.t>.


USA

NEW YORK, USA
Heavy equipment sales prosper abroad
(AP) - THE COMPANIES: American heavy-equipment makers such as Caterpillar, Deere & Co. (NYSE:DE) and Manitowoc Co. (NYSE:MTW) have so far dodged the slowdown in the U.S. economy, relying on increasing sales volume overseas to report high profits even with a recession looming.

THE ECONOMY: The U.S. economy has slowed to a growth rate of just over 2 percent for 2007 and is forecast to slow even further this year. Economies in developing markets such as Russia, India and the Middle East, though, are booming on new oil wealth and the development of other industries.

Heavy equipment companies take refuge in overseas markets
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Caterpillar, Deere and other companies that make heavy equipment are enjoying some of their best financial results in years -- and doing it as the American economy grinds toward recession.

The companies are enjoying the building booms going on in China, India, Russia and the Middle East. In those places, the demand for backhoes, cranes and tractors is on the rise.
Peoria-based Caterpillar, for instance, recently reported a 13 percent increase in profits despite an eleven percent drop in North American sales.

Still no updates on stolen bulldozer
Detectives are still on the lookout for a 17,000-pound piece of construction equipment stolen Jan. 30 from the Morning Sun community.

Rick Watson of Conway, owner of the yellow Caterpillar D4CXL bulldozer, reported the missing vehicle Jan. 31 to the Criminal Investigation Division of the White County Sheriff’s Department. Valued at $45,000, the dozer had less than 3,000 hours on it and was parked in the 3700 block of Hwy. 367 just outside the Searcy city limits. The serial number, 1FWO465, has been entered into the databases of the Arkansas Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center, and if located anywhere in the United States Watson and the sheriff’s department will be notified.


Metal thieves spill chemical into Benton County pond
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Scrap metal thieves who sawed down a decommissioned power pole last week caused an estimated $100,000 damage and spilled roughly 180 gallons of oil mixed with a hazardous chemical, the Benton County Sheriff's Office said.

The theft of $443 worth of copper wiring was reported to police last week. It happened on property owned by the Knife River Corporation.

Authorities believe the chemical might have spilled into a nearby pond. Bill Mason, a clean-up specialist with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, said Knife River hired a private contractor to contain and investigate potential contamination.

Steel Costs Set to Add Fiver Percent to Volvo Construction Equipment Prices
Restricted supply and burgeoning demand for steel, especially in China, has led to the cost of iron ore rising by over 70% on the worldwide markets. This has resulted in a sharp increase in the price of steel and consequently in the production costs of manufacturers of construction equipment. To offset some of the impact of these rises, Volvo Construction Equipment will increase the prices of its machines, attachments and parts by five percent.

"Manufacturers of heavy construction equipment are being particularly hard hit by the current record prices of commodities, such as steel, oil, iron ore and rubber," says Mr. Scott Hall, Executive Vice President of Volvo Construction Equipment. "With no sign of commodity prices cooling in the foreseeable future it has become unavoidable that these costs be offset in the form of a price increase."

Caterpillar taking control of Japanese joint venture
Caterpillar Inc., moving to boost its presence in the booming Asia-Pacific market, on Wednesday unveiled an approximately $500 million transaction that will boost the heavy-equipment giant's 50 percent ownership stake in a Japanese joint venture to a controlling 67 percent.

For more than four decades, the Peoria-based manufacturer and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. have operated an equally owned venture that makes Caterpillar-branded construction and earthmoving equipment.

Not so odd jobs: Farmers stay in ag arena with extra employment
FAIRBURY — Bob Printz has a stake in more than one piece of the agriculture pie. First and foremost, the Fairbury man is a farmer. But Printz also runs a trucking company, stores and sells seed, and sells farm equipment.

“We’re one big pie,” Printz said.
Printz is among Central Illinois farmers who don’t just till the soil. Whether out of necessity or more for fun now, they have their hands in other ag-related businesses, as well.

Reno Contracting Set to Build $50 Million Marriott Hotel in Historic Gaslamp Quarter
SAN DIEGO - (Business Wire) Walt Fegley, President of Reno Contracting, one of Southern California’s premier general contractors, is proud to announce his firm’s construction of a new Marriott Residence Inn located in the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. The new hotel is next to the historic Brunswig Building, built in 1900, which originally housed the Brunswig Drug Company.

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Heavy Equipment News

Monday, March 24, 2008 by Monster Toys ,



ENGLAND
Heavy equipment used to bury 728-pound man
LONDON - A British man who weighed 728 pounds when he died was winched into his grave Friday with the help of a mechanical digger.


The heavy-lifting equipment took more than four hours to lower the oversized coffin of John Christian Jeffrey into his final resting place at a cemetery in southwest England.
The 29-year-old was found dead in his room at a hostel for people with drug, drink and mental health problems in Taunton on Feb. 28.



QATAR
NBK holds seminar on heavy equipment
THE heavy equipment department of Nasser Bin Khaled and Sons Services (NBK), the sole agent of the German BOMAG heavy machinery in Qatar, recently organised a conference on BOMAG equipment in Doha.Participants in the conference included representatives from BOMAG and consultation companies, as well as general manager of NBK, Ahmed Habib and manager of the heavy equipment department, Fouad Hijazi.


CHINA
Chinese firms dumping, but it is okay: BHEL
Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has accused Chinese companies of grabbing equipment supply contracts for mega power projects by dumping, but the navratna PSU has declined to move the government on the issue.


"The Chinese currency, yuan, is under-valued. There is a case of dumping," K Ravi Kumar, chairman and managing director, BHEL, told PTI when asked as to why his corporation lost out on contracts for the two ultra mega power projects (UMPPs) to Chinese companies.


US


Companies say schools aren't pushing trades as a career
Several local construction companies say they need more workers, blaming the shortage on educators.


Pat Pate, owner of Pate Construction in Pueblo West, says he needs 200 workers. Right now, he has about half that number.


Pate thinks the reason more workers aren't available is because school teachers discourage students from considering construction as a career.


Doug Houghton, owner of Acorn Construction, agrees. He says he can't find enough skilled workers.



Hydraulic Excavator comes with 7 in. multi-color monitor.
PC270LC-8 Driven By Improvements In Efficiency, Operator Comfort And Fuel Economy
Rolling Meadows, IL, For CONEXPO - CON/AGG 2008- Komatsu America Corp. introduces its new PC270LC-8 hydraulic excavator. Distinguished by enhancements in efficiency and information technology upgrades, the hydraulic excavator offers improved operator comfort and a new low emission engine that improves fuel consumption. Primarily used for general contracting and underground utilities installation, this powerful excavator has a net horsepower of 187 HP and an operating weight of 65,336 to 67,393 pounds. The PC270LC-8 exemplifies the Komatsu design concept of matching highly efficient engines and advanced hydraulic systems to provide leading edge productivity and low-cost operation.


The new PC270LC-8 is standard-equipped with the latest Komtrax(TM) technology, which sends machine operating information to a secure website utilizing wireless technology. Data such as operating hours, location, cautions, and maintenance alerts are relayed to the web application for analysis. The Komtrax wireless equipment monitoring system increases machine availability, reduces the risk of machine theft, allows for remote diagnosis by the distributor, and provides a wealth of other information to drive business efficiency and productivity.


WESLACO - Thieves stole over half a million dollars worth of construction equipment from a Valley business.


Henry Hartzog, the manager at Nueces Power Equipment, says it's the third time equipment's been stolen. He tells us it's "very frustrating, very aggravating."


Hartzog says whoever stole the high priced items knew what they were doing. He adds the thieves may even have posed as customers at one point.


460-foot crane is safe, officials say
GRAND RAPIDS -- The tower crane being used to build River House condominiums is similar to the one that toppled in New York last weekend.


But even as they watched the sobering news unfold, local construction officials don't fear for the safety of their workers or the public passing beneath the 460-foot-tall structure on Bridge Street NW.


"It's a pretty safe operation. There's a lot of planning that goes in before a tower crane goes up," said Bruce Burgess, vice president of Wolverine Construction Management Co.



Big construction project completed ahead of schedule
When the Arizona Department of Transportation crews completed a major construction project earlier than expected last weekend, one official compared it to art.


"It was almost like watching a ballet of heavy equipment," said Tim Tait, community relations director for ADOT, who together with many others, watched the work. ADOT finished the demolition of the north side of the Carefree Highway Bridge at Interstate 17 and Carefree Highway more than 32 hours ahead of schedule. The demolition began on Friday and was scheduled to continue through 5 a.m. Monday.


Instead, the project was completed 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

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Equipment News

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 by Monster Toys ,



USA

Local and state authorities investigating stolen heavy equipment in Warren County
WARRENTON, Ga. - An ongoing criminal investigation by agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and deputies with the Warren County Sheriff's Department has led this week to the recovery of more than $500,000 worth of stolen heavy construction equipment.
Although no one has been charged in connection with the theft case, which involves Warren and Glascock counties in Georgia and at least three counties in South Carolina, a local man and his business have become targets of the probe, The McDuffie Mirror has learned.

Enough! To Dirt And Heavy Equipment On Union Street
BAY ST. LOUIS (WLOX) -- Marsha Favre and her neighbors say they've put up with dust and the rumble of heavy construction equipment long enough.
"It's vibrating our houses. These houses are on the historic register. The dirt and dust from it, the vibration is what I'm really concerned about," Favre said. "These old houses here are up on pier foundations. We've just finished restoring them after hurricane Katrina."
Eutaw Construction , the company doing infrastructure work for the city has leased land from a property owner to stock-pile dirt for the gas, sewer and water replacement project.


Hollis approves heavy equipment leases
HOLLIS, NH — Yankee thrift gave way to modern financial analysis as town meeting voters decided to buy seven pieces of heavy equipment using a lease-purchase plan.
But it took nearly two hours of discussion Wednesday night for voters to agree with selectmen that the equipment — two fire trucks, a forestry truck, a dump truck, a backhoe, an excavator and a skid steer — should be paid for through a lease-purchase agreement instead of traditional capital reserve funds.
Townspeople also approved money for another police officer and mobile data terminals for police cruisers, as well as for downtown sidewalks and modifications to elderly tax exemptions that will give qualifying residents more tax relief.
But it was the heavy equipment purchases amounting to about $1.3 million, and especially how to pay for them, that took up the bulk of the five-hour meeting.


Ramey Pleads Guilty In Theft Of Heavy Equipment
CHATTANOOGA, TN - A man who authorities say was at the center of an organized vehicle theft ring entered guilty pleas in Federal Court on Thursday.
Prosecutor Gary Humble said Dale Ramey, 49, faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
He said in 2004 Ramey, who is from Catoosa County, Ga., was found with several stolen pieces of heavy equipment.
Ramey has been free on bond since his arrest, but he was taken back into custody after a hearing before Magistrate Bill Carter.
Joseph Brent Starnes of the probation office said Ramey has been uncooperative with his North Georgia probation officer, including failing to find a job and lying to her by saying he has been working with the FBI.


Deere looks overseas for future sales
LAS VEGAS, March 13 (UPI) -- U.S. farm and heavy equipment maker Deere & Co. Thursday said it will lean on overseas markets, where construction equipment sales are expected to boom.
Samuel Allen, president of Deere's construction and forestry division, said in Las Vegas at a trade show, "China is clearly a very large market," pointing out that no large equipment manufacturers in the country dominate the market.
None "have more than a 6 percent or 7 percent market share," he said.
Similar to Caterpillar Inc. Chairman Jim Owens' talk at the show Wednesday, Deere sees emerging markets as hungry for heavy equipment.


Construction Equipment Theft Continues to Plague Equipment Owners in 2007, Lojack's Annual Theft Study Reveal
WESTWOOD, Mass. - According to the study, which analyzed LoJack stolen vehicle recovery reports for the calendar year 2007, construction theft continued at a steady clip with professional theft rings fueling the issue and skid steers being the number one theft target.



SOUTH AFRICA

Heavy equipment manufacturer introduces next series of ADT upgrades
South African heavy equipment manufacturer Bell Equipment is introducing significant upgrades to its articulated dump trucks (ADTs), which include new ribless bins across the range, as well as upgraded software to facili-tate new electronic features on the trucks. Coupled with the general upgrades across the range, Bell is also introducing the higher-power articulated truck, the B30D.


QATAR

NBK holds seminar on heavy equipment
THE heavy equipment department of Nasser Bin Khaled and Sons Services (NBK), the sole agent of the German BOMAG heavy machinery in Qatar, recently organised a conference on BOMAG equipment in Doha.Participants in the conference included representatives from BOMAG and consultation companies, as well as general manager of NBK, Ahmed Habib and manager of the heavy equipment department, Fouad Hijazi.


INDIA

BHEL, NTPC in talks to set up JV for heavy equipment
NEW DELHI: The row between the two power PSUs, BHEL and NTPC, over manufacturing of heavy main plant equipment, may finally be settled. The two companies are discussing the possibility of a joint venture (JV) for manufacturing heavy equipment like boilers and turbines for all types of projects including the super-critical thermal power plants. Both the companies have constituted two separate committees to discuss the issue.

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Equipment News

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 by Monster Toys ,


USA

Cemetery excavators use heavy equipment to dig through frozen soil
For the crew of Sycamore Monuments, it is never too cold to dig. In the long winter months, cemetery excavators continue to work every day. Cemetery excavator Jim Rose said they keep busy digging about three graves per week at DeKalb's Fairview Park Cemetery, one of the 12 cemeteries they maintain.

Monday morning, Rose estimated there was about a foot of frost permeating the black earth beneath his feet in Fairview Park Cemetery.

“This time of year is an ordeal because the frost is just so thick,” Rose said.
The last couple of weeks of changing weather patterns have added to the toughness of the soil, he said.


Manitowoc Co. joining Chinese crane manufacturer
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The Manitowoc Co. announced toiday it has formed a joint venture with a Chinese company to produce mobile and truck-mounted hydraulic cranes.

The announcement was made at ConExpo 2008. The joint venture with TaiAn Dongyue Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. will be located in TaiAn City, Shandong Province, approximately 300 miles south of Beijing.

“This transaction solidifies Manitowoc’s position in one of the world’s fastest-growing construction markets,” said Eric Etchart, president of Manitowoc’s Crane segment, in a news release.

He said the deal furthers its mission of bringing manufacturing and service closer to the customer. “With growing demand for infrastructure and industrial expansion, this joint venture is an excellent addition to our manufacturing base and our global reach,” Etchart said.

Caterpillar expects boost in sales, revenues from emerging markets
Caterpillar Inc, which stands to benefit from 'infrastructure growth opportunities in the world's emerging market' as well as upgrade work in North America and Europe, expects to see sales and revenues approaching $60 billion by 2010, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Owens told analysts at a major trade show late today.

The presentation marks the first time Caterpillar, which had 2007 revenues of $45 billion, has ever publicly projected annual sales of $60 billion.

Job market still stiff, but companies planning to hire
The outlook was bleakest in the construction industry, where 28 percent of companies anticipate growth and 13 percent expect job cuts.
Those numbers are down from the year-earlier quarter, when 36 percent expected to hire and 7 percent planned to downsize. They're up from the current quarter, in which just 17 percent of companies expected to hire from January to March, but the first quarter is typically a slower period for the construction industry.


CANADA

Record construction, record number of hits on gas lines
Excavators and other heavy machinery hit natural gas pipelines a record number of times in B.C. last year, a period in which billions of dollars worth of construction was going on.

In a release to be issued tomorrow, Terasen Gas reports 1,739 of those potentially explosive incidents in 2007. That's more than 100 more than the 1,624 in 2006 and the 1,639 in 2005.

INDIA

BHEL, NTPC mulling heavy equipment JV: report
Public sector majors BHEL and NTPC are reportedly in talks for setting up a joint venture (JV) for manufacturing heavy equipment like boilers and turbines for all types of power projects, including the super-critical ones.

In September 2007, the two companies had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a JV for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects only. But, the scope of the agreement can be expanded to main plant equipment.

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Case 1150 Bulldozer Videos

Monday, March 10, 2008 by Monster Toys , ,






An up close view of an older model of the Case 1150 Bulldozer

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Equipment News

Tuesday, March 04, 2008 by Monster Toys ,


JCB delegation visits Mannai Heavy Equipment
'The Qatari market is one of the fastest growing in the world at the moment,' said a Mr. Mike Yates- JCB District Sales Manager Middle East, 'and we wanted to get to know Mannai HED, our partners in Qatar, better. This was also a great opportunity to gather first hand market intelligence,' he said, explaining the visit.
JCB is one of the world's top four manufacturers of heavy construction equipment.
With humble beginnings, starting out of a garage in 1945, today JCB produces more than 160 different models of machinery in some of the world's finest engineering factories across 5 continents.


Heavy Equipment Burglaries
Kansas, USA
Local heavy equipment and machinery companies are putting their guard up after a string of burglaries. Police say thieves stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment beginning several weeks ago.
Companies like Victor L Phillips, White Star and Foley Rental all report losing everything from backhoes to skid loaders. The thieves broke in through secured fences, literally drove the machinery through the fence and loaded up the equipment onto a stolen semi-truck.
The damage to the yards is totaling in the thousands of dollars.


Deere expands with joint venture in China
Deere & Company says it is expanding its global presence with a joint venture in China.
The Moline-based farm equipment maker says it has signed an agreement to own 50% of Xuzhou Xuwa Excavator Machinery Company.
The Chinese company is a leading manufacturer of construction equipment and is a subsidiary of Xuzhou Bohui Science and Technology Development.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.


Skid steer loaders and forklift trucks from Hyundai Construction Equipment
Hyundai Construction Equipment specialises in providing premium heavy earth moving equipment like excavators, loaders, skid steer loaders and forklift trucks for usage in a wide range of industries. The skid steer loaders available from Hyundai Construction Equipment come in two configurations. The HSL650-7 model comes with standard hand throttle lever, console, auxiliary piping, dual element air cleaner, vandalism protection and spark arresting muffler. Optional equipment provided for this model by Hyundai Construction Equipment include enclosure cabin, fenders, heaters, master switch, self levelling system, pre cleaners and back up alarm.
With a Kubota V2203M engine, this model enables the operator to concentrate on manoeuvring and lifting tasks for fast cycle times. Maintenance of the wheel loaders from Hyundai Construction Equipment is easier with removable oil coolers and swingable tailgates that facilitate easy and regular engine, battery and oil level checks.


Rush Enterprises, Inc. Appoints James C. Underwood to Board
SAN ANTONIO, March 3, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Rush Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq:RUSHA) (Nasdaq:RUSHB), which operates the largest network of heavy- and medium-duty truck dealerships in North America and a John Deere construction equipment dealership in Houston, Texas, announced that James C. Underwood was appointed to the Board of Directors of Rush Enterprises, Inc. on February 21, 2008.

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