April 2010 News
Gross Domestic Product rises in Q1 2010
Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010.
University of Illinois Chooses NCFI InsulStar High Performance Spray Foam Insulation to Help Win International Environmental Competition
Super-insulated "Gable Home" wins first place in the U.S., and second place worldwide in the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.
Stanley Black & Decker reports Q1 sales
Stanley Black & Decker reported first quarter net sales of $1.3 billion, up 38% versus prior year due to the inclusion of Black & Decker's results for the roughly one-month period since the two companies merged.
Finch Joins CGW as Application Engineer
Will support CGW representatives and distributors.
Royal Adhesives and Sealants relocates to South Bend
Product line relocation creates new jobs producing high-performance epoxy and urethane adhesives.
AASHTO calls for big expansion of highway system
U.S. highways need $175 billion of work each year to keep pace with demand.
Homeland Security project to create 16,000 building jobs
Largest federal construction project since the building of the Pentagon in the 1940s.
Kansas eyes $8.2 billion KDOT plan
Ten-year, $8.2 billion transportation program includes $1.7 billion of state highway revenue bonds.
Public-private deals hold promise for high-speed rail
California's Alameda Corridor, a 20-mile railroad express line, offers a model for public-private partnerships that draw on a variety of funding sources.
Construction gets underway at 102MW wind project in Utah
Construction is set to get underway soon on the second phase of the Milford Wind Corridor wind project in Utah.
Blog: Adam Fein's Economic Outlook
The economic recovery in distribution is underway. As Adam Fein predicted last July, the wholesale distribution industry will show year-over-year growth in the first quarter of 2010.
MAPI Survey on the Business Outlook: Significant Improvement, Signs of Optimism
Emerging optimism prevails in the manufacturing sector that the "Great Recession" is finally turning to recovery.
New residential home sales surge in March
Sales race to 27% over February; 24% above March 2009.
Increased spending gives rise to optimism on recovery
Economists are revising forecasts and predicting a stronger economic recovery as a result of surging profits.
Sherwin-Williams provides coatings for Battleship Missouri restoration
Museum ship reopens after 12-week drydocking project.
FMI Releases 2010 Contractor Prefabrication Survey Report
Contractors hope to increase hours spent on pre-construction work to 29% of annual workload in next five years.
RIDGID 2010 Reputation Roadshow hits the road
Stops slated throughout the U.S. and Canada.
National construction job numbers on the mend
Sector employment grows in 26 states and DC from February to March.
Lincoln Electric introduces 2010 consumables catalog
New catalog features online Fast-Flip eBook version.
Twentieth Century Fox Selects Solar Power, Inc. for a 158 kW Solar System
Motion picture studio contracts Solar Power, Inc. to design and install SkyMount system.
1st Annual ISA Product Show & Conference nears
More than 1,000 companies in 24 product categories.
Bosch Rexroth GoTo program adds products and capabilities
Adds GoTo products to new portal: eBusiness@Rexroth USA.
New residential construction climbs in March
Privately-owned housing permits climb 7.5 percent; single-family climbs 5.6 percent.
Machine tool consumption up 22.1%
February U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $163.96 million, up 28.8% from January.
Fastenal Q1 profits rise 15%
Fastenal Company reports Q1 net income rises 15% to $56 million, from $48.6 million in Q1 2009.
Grainger posts 3% profit gain
Grainger report first quarter sales of $1.7 billion, up 14% versus first quarter 2009.
Precast Specialities Launches Blog
Rethink:Precast is a new resource for construction professionals.
RIDGID Teams Up with the Cleveland Indians for the 2010 and 2011 Seasons
Emerson's RIDGID Becomes Official Tool of the Cleveland Indians.
Activant Forms Alliance with NAED
NAED endorses Activant Vista Information Services for members.
Activant launches blog
Biweekly posts will promote best-in-class practices for distributors.
Columbus McKinnon launches new corporate Web site
Site permits users to compare products simultaneously and request a quotation through their local Columbus McKinnon distributor.
Hyde to debut alliance with A. Richard tools at National Hardware Show
Will introduce a vast selection of new tools to North American markets under the HYDE and Richard brand names.
Miller launches Hood Hysteria welding helmet design contest
Contest runs through May 31, 2010.
Solar Success! Conference to Reveal Essentials of PV Profitability for Small Businesses
Solar Success! is slated for May 17-22 in Phoenix, at the Arizona Convention Center.
Atlas Copco to Open New Distribution Center in CharlotteNew Distribution Center ensures next day delivery on thousands of items for the North America market.
Activant Portal Designer increases employee productivity
New program helps distributors keep on top of the daily changes that can affect key performance indicators.
Stock Building Supply acquires National Home Centers, Inc.
Acquisition expands Stock's national footprint.
FMI Construction Market Forecast: Industry Should Prepare for Another Year of Decline in Nonresidential Construction
FMI's Construction Outlook: First Quarter 2010 Report Now Available.
Massive medical campus to be built in Riverside County
March Healthcare development is approved for construction; McCarthy named GC.
Ohio DOT Kicks Off $2 Billion Construction Season
ODOT expects to secure or create more than 50,000 jobs.
China's buildings built to last just 30 years
A typical U.S. building is designed for 50 years of service.
Feds approve $3B Ruby Pipeline project
Construction slated to begin late spring 2010.
Crate & Barrel turns to BIM to cut costs, project time
Retailer completes projects 40% faster at half the cost.
Researchers develop early-warning system to gauge bridge rust
New sensor-transponder continuously measures salt ion penetration into concrete.
JCB Adds Yale Lift of Florida and Georgia as new full-line dealer
Adds four locations to Southeast service territory.
Bon Master Catalog Features More Than 5,000 Tools
Catalog of contractor-grade hand tools and materials grows to over 400 pages and over 5,300 products.
Sonnhalter Makes BtoB Magazine's "Top Agencies" List for the Second Year
Named one of the top agencies in the U.S. for second year in a row.
Wells Fargo releases Construction Industry Quarterly Report for Q1, 2010
Climate improves but many industry executives still feel 2010 will be a replay of 2009.
Industry Veteran Denise Stoppleworth Forms IRONCLAD Marketing
Agency serves clients in the equipment industry, including construction, industrial, landscape, recycling, rental, snow and ice management, utility and waste.
AGC Updates Training Calendar
Courses offered in project management, LEED building, federal contracting.
February Construction Spending Drops to 2002 Levels
Single-family and power construction are only bright spots, says AGC economist Simonson.
States OK job-creation bills focused on infrastructure
Washington, Minnesota and Kansas pass major construction-focused jobs bills.
California solar outfits race to meet stimulus deadlines
Planners of green projects, including solar farms, are scrambling to meet year-end deadlines for federal-stimulus funds that would cover 30% of project costs.
Creek Nation plans Oklahoma toll bridge, development
Tribal authority sees bridge as $1 billion boon.
New AGC Book: Federal Government Construction Contracts - Second Edition
Learn how to avoid pitfalls on current projects and compete successfully for new projects.
LIQUID NAILS Goes on TV
Designing Spaces TV show features LIQUID NAILS lessons for DIY projects.
Manufacturers' Shipments Climb Again in February
Trend continues: new orders for manufactured goods up 10 of the last 11 months.
Chicago road construction plan aims to minimize pain
Chicagoans brace for three major freeway projects at once.
Minneapolis Airport Unveils Expansion Plans
Seven-year, $2.4 billion plan would move non-Delta airlines to Humphrey Terminal.
Utah prepares to begin major I-15 expansion project
Project will cost $1.7 billion, complete by December 2012.
