October newsletter
Complied By: Amanda Martyka and Erin Rigik, editorial assistants

SAFETY
Lift Applications & Equipmment’s APS Conference & Expo set for Houston
The 3rd Annual Aerial Platform Safety Conference & Expo will take place Oct. 4 – 6 in Houston. The conference will feature more than 30 sessions led by industry professionals covering all aspects of aerial safety, including equipment design, maintenance, and inspection guidelines, operator training, accident prevention and investigation, effective fleet management, standards and regulations, and more. There will also be equipment demonstrations by leading manufacturers. Registration is still open. For more information, visit http://www.apsconference.com/.

PEOPLE, PLACES, PROJECTS Ingersoll Rand announces new president Larry Silber was named the new president of utility equipment for Ingersoll Rand, effective Aug. 1. Silber will continue his previous position for sales to the rental industry for the divisions of Ingersoll Rand construction technologies. Silber joined Ingersoll Rand in 1978 as a sales trainee in the tool and hoist business. Since then, he has been the vice president of sales for North America in the Ingersoll Rand construction and mining group and president of Ingersoll Rand equipment and services in North America.   United Rentals releases QUIPS, makes appointments United Rentals released $63 million of its 6.5 percent convertible quarterly income preferred securities (QUIPS), effective Sept. 29, 2006. Prior to this redemption, $222 million of the QUIPS were outstanding. United Rentals also appointed three new employees in late August. John J. Fahey is now vice president, assistant corporate controller and principal accounting officer, Todd G. Helvie is the new senior vice president and controller and Irene Moshouris was made vice president and treasurer. Fahey has been with United Rentals since 2005 and was formally the vice president, assistant corporate controller. Helvie joined United Rentals in 2006 as vice president, taxes and business development. Moshouris left Avon Products, Inc., where she was the vice president and deputy treasurer, to join United Rentals. All positions are now effective.   Two new cranes join ALL Erection & Crane Rental Corp. ALL Erection & Crane Rental Corp. has introduced two new cranes to its fleet, both Model 7755 22-ton Carrydecks. The new industrial cranes were bought to fulfill a strong interest from contractors for cranes with greater capacities. The Model 7755 at 9 feet, 10 inches tall, 8 feet wide and 24 feet long with the telescoping boom completely retracted, features a reach of 67 feet for the main boom and up to 80 feet with the optional jib. Additionally, the carrydeck allows for up to 60 square feet of load space.

Leica Geosystems opens online store Leica Geosystems released a new online store, allowing its customers to purchase an assortment of its products direct from the source. “This new online store is another way we can provide construction customers with jobsite solutions that meet their needs,“ said Valerie Richardson, vice president of marketing and customer support for Leica Geosystems, Inc. America. The new site features online training using product brochures and video demonstrations. For more information, visit www.buy.leica-geosystems.com.   Speakers needed for Rapid 2007 The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) is looking for speakers for Rapid 2007, the annual rapid technologies and additive manufacturing conference. The conference is slated May 1-3, 2007 in Detroit. SME is looking for speakers to present useful information on selection and applications. Those with knowledge of new progress in technology are also encouraged to apply. For more information, visit ww.sme.org/rapid.   Ahern Rentals announces increased revenues Las Vegas based Ahern Rentals experienced a 26 percent revenue increase during the second quarter, compared to last year. The company reports its equipment rentals and similar revenues improved 31 percent in 2006. Ahern has also raised its average rental rates by seven percent throughout its 32 branches. Ahern has invested the additional revenues to add new equipment to its fleet that now boasts more than 20,000 units.   New agreement between Iveco Motors of North America, Inc. and MQ Power MQ Power will now utilize Iveco Motors of North America, Inc. to power its KD Series industrial power generators, using Iveco Motors’ NEF and Cursor diesel gen-drives. “We needed to find a supplier whose engines were Tier III compliant,“ said Jim Rose, MQ Power’s director of product management. Available in the fourth quarter, the gen-drives will be used on six new MQ Power KD Series models with power outputs from 80kWE to 420 kWE.

TRENDLINES

Between January and Sept. 1, 2006, the construction industry saw a monthly payroll growth of 12,000. This is a 15,000 decrease from the prior two years. Nationwide, the average monthly payroll growth was 176,000 in the first quarter and 112,000 in the second quarter.

- Business Week

The United States cement and concrete additive demand is expected to grow an annual 6.2 percent until 2010. Mineral additives such as fly ash and blast furnace slag are expected to grow the fastest, although chemical additives will still remain the leading additive. 
- Freedonia Group 

Boston’s Big Dig tunnels are now expected to cost nearly $15 million to repair, a $12 million increase from previous estimates. Since the July ceiling collapse, the number of problems throughout the tunnels have drastically increased. At least 3,300 brackets have been found to be insufficient in supporting the ceiling. 
- The Boston Globe 

According to the Commerce Department, July 2006 saw the greatest decline in construction spending since 2001. The spending dropped by 1.2 percent, after 0.4 percent incline in June and a 0.4 percent decline in May. 
- The New York Times

By 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor expects there to be 197,000 construction management positions available. Additionally, construction is expected to be the only goods-producing sector where employment is expected to grow. In universities nationwide, construction management programs have doubled to tripled in terms of enrollment growth in the last five years. 
- ConstructionTrends.com

CALENDAR Oct. 2 – 6 Lift Applications & Equipment magazine’s Aerial Platform Safety Conference& Expo and Rodeo Houston Marriott Houston, TX http://www.milomediapub.com/ Oct. 25-26 Conex Central Florida 2006 Orange County Convention Center (West Building Hall C) Orlando, FL http://www.conexshows.com/ Oct. 31- Nov. 2 SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress and Exhibition Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Rosemont (Chicago), IL http://www.sae.org/comvec Nov. 2 – 4 Texas Society of Architects 67th Annual Convention and Design Products Dallas Convention Center Dallas, TX http://www.aia.org/ Nov. 3-10 National Safety Council Congress and Expo San Diego Convention Center San Diego, CA http://www.congress.nsc.org/ Jan. 8 – 11 Pro Mat 2007 McCormick Place South Chicago, IL http://www.mhia.org/ Jan. 23-26 World of Concrete 2007 (With World of Masonry) Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nev. http://www.worldofconcrete.com/ Feb. 7-10 International Builders’ Show Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL http://www.buildersshow.com/ Feb. 7-10  The Rental Show  The Georgia World Congress Center  Atlanta, GA  http://www.ararental.org/     For more news, trendlines, calendar items, and features, look for the September/October issue of Lift Applications & Equipment to be hitting your mailbox soon, as well as the October 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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