SAFETY

New crane rules could prevent accidents
The Seattle Times reported new safety rules for construction cranes might soon be in effect. The push for new regulations was spurred when a tower crane collapsed in downtown Bellevue killing a 31-year-old lawyer and causing millions of dollars worth of damage to three buildings. The governor's head labor advisor, Peter Bogdanoff, met with the Senate's labor-committee chairwoman to discuss the possibility of implementing new rules; a process that can take several months. Bogdanoff said operator training requirements may be introduced in the Legislature even if investigators decide the collapse had nothing to do with human error. "They [construction owners] are well aware of the risks involved. It's in their economic interest to make sure accidents don't happen," Bogdanoff said. "Anything we do ought to be effective. We have to be measured about what we're doing. " Rep. Steve Conway, D-Tacoma, chairman of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, said lawmakers are focusing on both the frequency of crane inspections and operator certification.

Students receive special lessons during safety week
24hourdash.com reported that 60 construction students at Wirral Metropolitan College received special lessons to promote European Safety Week for Young People, provided by Wirral Partnership Homes (Building Services) Ltd. Students met with Denny Beacham, Safety, Health and Environmental Manager for Building Services. Beacham worked with students training in joinery, bricklaying, painting and decorating, as well as talking about the risks of the construction industry and providing a specific training course about asbestos awareness.

PEOPLE, PLACES, PROJECTS

Acquisition of JLG Industries, Inc. complete
Oshkosh Truck Corporation completed the acquisition of JLG Industries, Inc. as of Dec. 6, 2006. The transaction was valued at $28 per share, equaling $3.2 billion. With the acquisition complete, Oshkosh is expected to report over $6 billion in net sales for fiscal 2007. JLG is the 15th acquisition Oshkosh Truck Corporation has made in the past 10 years. "We are excited to have a large group of key JLG executives remain with us to continue running the business while we collectively work together to realize cost synergies and operational improvements in a global market," said Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "I am confident in our ability to make a smooth transition based on the history of successful acquisitions we've made during the previous decade."

IVECO forms agreement with Armstrong Power Systems
IVECO MOTORS of North America, Inc. has announced its new partnership with Armstrong Power Systems, a producer of diesel, natural gas and propane generators. Armstrong Power Systems will utilize IVECO MOTORS' line of diesel engines, including the NEF, CURSOR and VECTOR gen-drives in its 30 kilowatt to 700 kilowatt generators. Armstrong Power Systems distributes its products throughout North America, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. "Armstrong will help expand IVECO MOTORS into new areas of the world where end users have already taken so well to our engine families," said Vincenzo Perrone, general manager of IVECO MOTORS of North America.

JLG awarded contract with U.S. Army
The Department of the Army chose JLG Industries, Inc. to refurbish its All-Terrain Lifter Army System ("ATLAS") vehicles and SkyTrak(R) Model 6000M vehicles, the predecessor to the ATLAS product. The new contract is worth $23.7 million. “This new contract builds upon the partnership between the U.S. Army and JLG and reflects the trust and confidence they have in our company and our programs,“ said David Peacock, JLG's vice president of government products and programs. “JLG has refurbished more than 450 vehicles for the U.S. Army that are used in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.“

Manitou launches new Web site
Manitou launched a new, worldwide Web site, manitou.com. A new U.S. specific Web site, us.manitou.com, replaces the old sites. The new site allows for a new, global view of the Manitou group as well as a newly designed look.

New Jergens, Inc. facility opens in Shanghai
Ohio-based Jergens, Inc., a manufacturer of high-precision standard tooling components, opened a new office in Pudong, Shanghai. Jergens Shanghai Commercial Co., Ltd will accommodate Chinese customers with product information and ordering. The facility is also working to arrange improved import and export trading to allow faster and more economical services to Chinese customers. With the opening of the new office, a new Chinese product catalog, available to download at jergensinc.com, was recently released.

IVECO partners with Lynx Power Systems
IVECO MOTORS of North America, Inc. has announced an agreement to provide NEF and Cursor Gen-Drives to Lynx Power Systems for its product line of diesel generators. Lynx Power Systems is a Keenesaw, Ga. based company produces LP, natural gas and diesel generators from 10 kilowatts to 1,000 kilowatts, which are available nationwide. “IVECO MOTORS is excited to team up with such a reputable OEM company who values quality products and customer service as much as we do,“ said Vincenzo Perrone, general manager of Iveco Motors of North America. “We know we’ll be able to provide Lynx Power Systems the wide range of horsepower diesel engines their extensive line of generators will need.“

ALL Aerials adds new aerial lifts to fleet
ALL Aerials, part of the ALL Erection & Crane Rental Corp. family of companies, added 120 new aerial lifts to its fleet. The aerial lifts, which include equipment from Genie, Snorkel, Skyjack and JLG, are expected to begin arriving late 2006 and into 2007. “We are aggressively pursuing acquisitions of new equipment,“ Michael Liptak, ALL Erection & Crane Rental vice president of operations said. “Every year, we expand and upgrade our fleet with the newest, safest, top quality equipment available.“

TRENDLINES

The White House expects the ecomony to expand 2.9 percent in 2007, down from previous predictions of 3.3 percent.
- cnn.money.com

BusinessWeek.com reported that housing construction is in a localized recession. On Nov. 17 the Census Bureau reported that starts on construction of single-family homes dropped 14.6 percent in October, the lowest level since July, 2000. Permits dipped 6.3 percent to the lowest level since December, 1997.

Morgan Stanley’s chief economist told InvestmentNews the global economy is headed for a slowdown in 2007. The biggest impact will be felt if the U.S. succeeds in imposing protectionist measures against China, he said.

GlobeSt.com reported that Real Estate Media plans to increase coverage of green building initiatives. This change follows a study that found U.S. corporate leaders see green construction as a prominent trend over the next three years.

The Arizona Republic reported that as Democrats take control of the House and Senate as of this January, they will make increasing the minumum wage a top priority. Those who oppose the increase say they will have less opportunity to expand their staffs, which will impeed job creation.

CALENDAR

Feb. 24-March 1
Futurebuild 2007
Earls Court 2
London, UK
futurebuild.co.uk/

Feb. 28-March 2
Frame Building Expo
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis, Ind.
nfba.org

March 7-9
Specialized Transportation Symposium
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Orlando, Fla.
scranet.org/event

March 19-22
World of Asphalt 2007 Show & Conference
Georgia International Convention Center
Atlanta, Ga.
worldofasphalt.com

March 21-24
Annual Convention & Constructor Expo
San Antonio, Texas
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
agc.org

April 10-14
SC&RA Annual Conference
Westin La Cantera Resort
San Antonio, Texas
scranet.org/event

April 16-18
Product Safety Seminar
Millennium Maxwell House
Nashville, Tenn.
aem.org

April 17-19
The Total Facilities Management Show
Festival Hall B, Navy Pier
Chicago, Ill.
todaysfacilitymanager.com

May 2-4
2007 Annual Education Conferences
Flamingo Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nev.
abc.org

May 15-16
Marketing Council Seminar
Las Vegas Hilton
Las Vegas, Nev.
aem.org

For more news, trendlines, calendar items and features, look for the February issue of Lift Applications & Equipment to be hitting your mailbox soon, as well as the February issue of CraneWorks. For more information on Milo Media, or any of our publications, visit http://www.milomediapub.com/. And if you, or your company, have news releases you would like to send us for consideration in our magazines, do not hesitate to contact Lindsey K. Anderson, Managing Editor, at lindsey@milomediapub.com or by calling (847) 852-4387 ext. 106.

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