Dig A Crusher Broadens Attachment Range

Dig A Crusher, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of specialist attachments for the construction, demolition, waste and recycling industries, has been awarded the UK distributorship for the entire Rotar range that includes shears, grabs and pulverisers.

Dig A Crusher, the Cheshire-based company that pioneered the use of excavator-mounted crushing and screening buckets in the UK, has significantly extended its product offering by becoming the exclusive UK distributor for the Dutch-built Rotar range of attachments.

With immediate effect, Dig A Crusher will become the UK’s only source for the Rotar range of grabs, pulverisers and shears. The Rotar attachments range has an excellent reputation for power, durability and reliability across Europe and Dig A Crusher managing director Sean Heron believes they will complement his company’s existing product line-up superbly.

“Since we started Dig A Crusher, we have prided ourselves on offering only the very best attachments in a specific product category,” Heron says.

“That is the way we established the reputation with the Dig A Crusher and Dig A Crusher brands, how we extended the range with the REMU products, and why we have now chosen to work with Rotar.”

Extensive Range With its striking red livery, the Rotar range comprises several key product families including:

RDC Series – Four model range of combi shears with operating weights from 1,800 to 4,100 kg. RDP Series – Four model range of pulverisers suitable for excavators in the 15 to 65 tonne operating weight range. RPG Series – Six model range of five-tine grabs with capacities from 600 to 1,000 litres. RSG Series – Full range of grabs for a variety of handling and rehandling duties; suitable for carriers in the 2.0 to 45 tonne operating weight range. RSS Series – Scrap shears suitable for excavators in the 25 to 30 tonne operating weight class.

Having spent several years seeking a suitable supplier of complimentary attachments to supplement his company’s product offering, Sean Heron says that Rotar is the perfect solution.

“We have worked hard to establish a reputation for top quality specialist products for applications across the construction, demolition, waste and recycling sectors. The addition of the Rotar products to our range cements that reputation,” Sean Heron concludes.

“Our customers can now satisfy all their attachment needs from a single, reliable and highly experienced source that understands their business and its specific demands.”

This article has been taken from the Hub-4.com website

Balfour Beatty acquires HSW

UK-based Balfour Beatty has bought US contractor Howard S Wright (HSW) for US$ 93 million - the company's second acquisition of a US-based contractor in a month. The all-cash deal was sealed by Balfour Beatty Construction US, which is expanding its footprint in North America. HSW provides pre-construction, general contracting and construction management services and has offices in Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Washington, San Francisco, California and Phoenix, Arizona. HSW generated revenues of US$ 401 million and gross profits of US$ 22.7 million in the year ended 30 September 2010, while its order book at 31 May 2011 was US$ 675 million. The company will retain its senior management team and trade under the name "Howard S Wright - a Balfour Beatty Company". Balfour Beatty chief executive Ian Tyler said, "HSW is an excellent geographic and strategic fit with our existing US capabilities, and the acquisition extends Balfour Beatty's skill base and reach in Northern California and the US Pacific Northwest, a significant growth market that is emerging from the downturn." Beatty Construction US said that the combination of the two companies would create the third largest construction services provider in the US general building market, based on 2010 figures. The news came after Balfour Beatty's acquisition of US water and wastewater infrastructure subsidiary Fru Con earlier this month from Bilfinger Berger for US$ 20 million. This article was taken from the KHL Website

Asia remains in sharp focus, commits new president

Volvo Construction Equipment’s new CEO Pat Olney has used his first major press conference to underscore the company’s continued commitment to developing its Asia activities and customer base.

Speaking at his inaugural press conference as Volvo Construction Equipment’s president and CEO, Pat Olney has outlined the company’s ambitious growth strategy for China and the wider Asian region. He also used the occasion to reassure the market that there will be no radical departure from the existing and highly successful Asian strategy promoted under his predecessor’s leadership team, of which he was a senior figure.

Mr. Olney was speaking in Shanghai on May 17th to Chinese journalists from leading trade and business titles, where he highlighted a package of initiatives destined to expand the company’s operations and increase its customer base in Asia. It was no coincidence that China was chosen as Mr. Olney’s first major speech as president, given the importance of the country and the wider region. The company saw revenues in the region double during 2010, making Asia its largest sales area.

“Volvo is well positioned, both in China and the rest of Asia, to capitalize on the huge market opportunity and growth potential,” commented Mr. Olney. “Our dual brand approach (Volvo and SDLG) offers a unique advantage to meet the needs of a much wider customer base. We will support this approach with products dedicated to this market, using local Chinese knowledge and leveraging an expanded Asian manufacturing and distribution footprint. These products will offer superior safety, quality and environmental care, as well as offering best-in-class fuel efficiency.”

Manufacturing, distribution & product expansion in Asia
Volvo Construction Equipment has maintained a heavy investment commitment in recent years. The company recently announced the introduction of its new Volvo F-Series articulated haulers, G-Series wheel loaders and a China localized EC200B crawler excavator. These come on top of a four model range of China-specific excavators – made and marketed by Volvo’s joint venture partner in China, Lingong, under the SDLG brand.

Soft product and service offerings have also constantly evolved to better meet customer needs. The "Volvo Hose Service" is yet another initiative from Volvo aimed at improving machine availability for customers by allowing faster hose replacements on the machines thereby reducing the machine downtime and cut hose cost by up to 30% of the current level. As part of the Volvo Hose Service initiative all Volvo dealers in China would be equipped by state of the art Volvo approved hose making equipment.

In terms of design and manufacturing, investments in China include the creation of a $30 million Volvo Technology Center in Jinan and an $88 million expansion and investment of the company’s Linyi facilities. This comes on top of the $30 million investments made in the Volvo excavator facility in Shanghai since 2003. These initiatives are joined by an ambitious programme to expand the company’s distribution network in China.

“Volvo is committed to supporting the capacity, distribution and product offering in China and throughout Asia,” concluded Mr. Olney. “We will achieve this by a comprehensive programme of investments in our Asian industrial operations, a strengthening of our dealer network and an expansion of Volvo and SDLG branded products that are more closely tailored to the specific needs of customers in this region.”

This article was taken from the Volvo website

AppleRed Plant gets the Twitter bug

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CAT cleared to buy Bucyrus

The United States Department of Justice has given the go-ahead for Caterpillar to acquire mining equipment manufacturer Bucyrus International, concluding the antitrust review process in the US.

The clearance by the DOJ will allow the acquisition, valued at approximately $8.6 billion (including net debt), to proceed as soon as all other conditions to closing have been satisfied. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2011.

The acquisition is based on Caterpillar's key strategic imperative to expand its leadership in the mining equipment industry.

"We were very pleased to hear this positive news from the Department of Justice about this strategic acquisition," said Caterpillar chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman. “Since we announced our plan to acquire Bucyrus last November, we have continued to hear from our customers that this complementary expansion of our mining product range is what they have been looking for from Caterpillar. This will position us to better serve the increasingly complex requirements of those customers."

"This is a critical and important step as we move toward closing this historic transaction that will deliver tremendous value to all the Bucyrus stakeholders,” said Tim Sullivan, president and CEO of Oak Creek, Wisconsin-based Bucyrus.

Caterpillar will fund the acquisition through a combination of cash from its balance sheet and debt. It does not plan to issue equity to help pay for the acquisition.

This article was taken from the Acheiving Business Excellence website

Used Benford MBR71 Compaction Roller for Sale 2005

• Working Width - 710mm
• Machine Width - 830mm
• Weight - 470kg
• Height - 1.3m
• Length - 2.18m
• Fuel Tank Capacity - 5ltrs
• Water Tank Capacity - 20ltrs

This compaction roller is in good working order and is sold in an 'as is' condition.

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2007 Terex TV1300 Ride on Compaction Roller for Sale

• Machine Width - 1.37m
• Operating Weight - 3,435kg
• Height - 1.94m
• Length - 2.37m
• Fuel Tank Capacity - 44ltrs
• Water Tank Capacity - 200ltrs
• Travel Speed - 10.0kph
• Engine - Kubota V2203-M

This compaction roller is in good working order and is sold in an 'as is' condition.

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Bomag BW80 ADH2 - Used Compaction Roller/Breaker 2007

• Operating Weight - 1,620kg
• Working Weight - 800mm
• Fuel Tank Capacity - 23ltrs
• Water Tank Capacity - 100ltrs
• Travel Speed - 8.0kph
• Engine - Kubota D722B

This compaction roller is in good working order and is sold in an 'as is' condition.

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2001 Benford TV1200 Used Compaction Roller for Sale

• Working Width - 1.2m
• Machine Width - 1.27m
• Weight - 2,117kg
• Height - 2.65m
• Length - 2.37m
• Fuel Tank Capacity - 44ltrs
• Water Tank Capacity - 180ltrs

This compaction roller is in good working order and is sold in an 'as is' condition.

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1998 Benford/Terex TV800LB Used Compaction Roller for Sale

• Operating Weight - 1,559kg
• Working Width - 800mm
• Water Tank Capacity - 86ltrs
• Travel Speed - 8.0kph
• Engine - Kubota D905

This compaction roller is in good working order and is sold in an 'as is' condition.

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Sales Up but Prices Fall According to Hometrack

The number of homes sold rose to its highest level for three months in June, a survey found.

The monthly national housing survey from property research firm Hometrack said the volume of sales agreed by agents had risen to 10.6%, the highest since 12.6% in March.

The recovery in sales followed subdued sales in May but the researchers said the bounce was also due to lower prices, which fell 0.1% in June on average.

There are strong regional variations in the market with homes spending six weeks on the market in London but 14 weeks in Wales. Supply has grown across all regions but demand is far stronger, and more in line with supply, in London, the south east and West Midlands than in other regions.

Richard Donnell, director of research at Hometrack, said: “The first six months of 2011 have seen the housing market holding up better than many had expected. Low transaction volumes, low mortgage rates and forbearance by lenders limiting the number of forced sales have all played their part. While average prices have slipped back by 1%, sales volumes have increased off the back of higher demand and greater realism over achievable prices on behalf of sellers.”

He added that subdued demand in the second half of the year was expected to push prices down, with prices falling by 2% over 2011.

This article was taken from the building.co.uk website

Safety is raised to a new level at sara LBS

sara LBS' new range of scissor lift tables conform to the highest safety standards in a wide range of applications. Constructed from steel for strength, the lifts have a maximum load of up to 12 tonnes as standard and include a number of safety features including a 'dead-man' safety switch and safety trip edge.

sara Raises the Bar for Safety with its Scissor LiftsThe sara LBS scissor lift is an ideal solution in wide range of applications requiring load transfer between different levels such as: Vehicle Loading, Car Parking, Work Stations, Loading Bays and Disabled Access for public buildings. The lifts, which are all designed to exceed the BS EN 1570:1998 + A2 2009 safety requirements for lifting tables, can be easily custom designed by sara engineers to provide unique solutions for specific requirements.

One of the many features included is the safety trip edge; designed to detect any possible obstructions and stop the lift immediately during descent, the safety edge is just one of the many features designed to prevent damage to the lifts and, more importantly, ensure personnel safety. Other features include a ‘dead-man’ fail safe which stops the lift in the event of the control button being released and the option of a smooth or non-skid platform top.

Ed Wilks, Operations Manager for sara LBS, comments: “The new scissor lifts are ideal for a number of applications as they require very little space and are easy to install while still carrying a high load. They are designed to be operated with complete safety and built to last without the need of extensive maintenance. The design is also flexible and so we always try to develop a good working relationship with our customers to ensure that every solution meets their specific requirements.”

All scissor lifts are constructed using steel for the frames and scissor arms to maximise strength. The steel is treated with rust inhibiting, industrial strength paint finish; red as standard but other colours are available upon request. A remote power pack and cover is available and particularly useful for application where flooding or hosing down is likely to occur.

This article was taken from Engineering Specifier website

JCB Show promising figures for 2010

JCB See massive recovery of revenues for 2010

Growing demand for construction machinery in BRIC countries pushed JCB’s 2010 revenues grow 50% to £2bn, up from £1.35bn in 2009.

JCB sold 51,600 machines during the year, up from 36,000 machines the year before. Although this indicates a strong bounce back, the number of units shifted was still well short of the 72,000 sold in 2007 or even the 57,000 sold in 2008 when the global downturn began.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) more than doubled to £235m in 2010, compared to £94.5m in 2009.

Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford said: “We started 2010 cautiously optimistic about trading prospects and I’m delighted that our optimism was rewarded with a very strong result for the year. The pace and strength of the recovery varied by market.

"Growth was strongest in the ‘BRIC’ countries and other developing economies, but some established markets, notably the UK and Germany, also performed satisfactorily.

“2011 has also started well for the JCB Group but we are still mindful of economic concerns which could hold back the recovery. We continue to invest in our manufacturing facilities, notably this year in India and Brazil and, of course, in new products, with 13 new machines launched so far in 2011.”

This year JCB is investing more than £20m in modernising and increasing capacity at its 11 UK plants. It is also building a new 350,000 sq ft factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil, for production of backhoe loaders and tracked excavators.

This article has been taken from The Construction Index

EDF seeks advice from Shard's Ainsworth on new nuclear

EDF look to start letting contracts early

The project manager of the Shard, Bernard Ainsworth, is to advise EDF on the construction of its fleet of nuclear power stations, as the French energy giant ramps up its procurement plans.

EDF confirmed that Ainsworth, who has already cut back his hours working on the £425m tower, will take a non-executive directorship on the board of its nuclear new build project.

The move comes as EDF moves on its plans for the £4.5bn first reactor in Hinkley, Somerset, after energy minister Charles Hendry confirmed this week that the government would publish a list of confirmed nuclear new build sites before the summer.

EDF is negotiating with contractor consortiums over the £1bn main civils job on the site. Alan Cumming, its director of procurement for new nuclear, said the firm was examining whether parts of the job could be let early next year.

EDF is unlikely to be able to let the main contract until planning permission is given towards the end of 2012, but Cumming said contracts to train the future workforce, build batching plants and some detailed engineering design work might be let early.

He said: “There’s strong likelihood we’ll put an advance contract in place, to start this [supply chain] engagement. We don’t want to spend big money until we’re certain the planning’s in place. [But] there’s a huge amount to be getting on with.”

He declined to comment on rumours that the joint ventures involving Skanska and Carillion are no longer bidding for the job, leaving just Balfour Beatty with Vinci; Costain with Sir Robert McAlpine; and Laing O’Rourke with Bouygues in the running.

The progress of the UK nuclear programme is despite continued uncertainty over this form of power, following the Fukushima disaster in Japan. This week Italy became the latest country to abandon nuclear power, following Germany’s decision in May.

The International Atomic Energy Authority has organised a meeting of ministers from countries with existing or planned stations next week in Vienna, to provide a consistent global approach.

Analysis by EC Harris revealed that following Fukushima nuclear power station construction costs could increase by up to 15%, as regulators raise safety standards, with the biggest cost increases in seismically active areas.

Paul Stapleton, head of energy at the firm, said: “These changes have potentially serious design implications which change the business case.”

Ainsworth will remain project managing director of London Bridge Quarter, the development vehicle building the Shard.

A source close to Ainsworth said: “His role on the Shard has been designed to accommodate this sort of additional workload.”

This article has been taken from the Building.co.uk Website

Hitachi open European parts department

Hitachi look to improve after sales support with new parts depot

An official opening ceremony has taken place for the new Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) European Parts Depot. The celebration was held at the Oosterhout facility in the south of The Netherlands and the guest of honour was Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (HCM) President Michijiro Kikawa.

Mr Kikawa gave a speech to the other distinguished guests who attended the ceremony, among them Mitsuhiro Tabei, President of HCME. He then presented representatives from the Parts Depot with a special Japanese maple tree, which was planted in front of the building.

In his address, Mr Kikawa emphasised the importance of the new facility, saying: “It is a great honour to officially open this new Parts Depot, and to have the opportunity to join my colleagues from HCME at such an important event in our history.

“The aim of the company investing in this larger, improved facility is to provide the best possible service to our dealers and customers. Parts availability has further increased due to the new facility’s greater capacity and efficiency. This will help Hitachi to boost parts sales and meet the demands of our expanding customer base.”

The 53,000m² depot, which cost €12million, has a covered stock area that is three times the size of the previous Parts Distribution Centre, which was also situated in Oosterhout. It has the capacity to stock up to 90,000 individual parts lines at any one time and will be responsible for distributing them throughout Europe, Middle East, Russia/CIS and Africa. In addition to a special chemical storage area, it includes a 14-metre high storage area for larger items.

Efficiency will be ensured by a dedicated Warehouse Management System, which will guide operatives in unpacking and storing received parts, as well as picking, packing and shipping ordered items. It will employ a total of 70 people, who will have the potential to handle up to 800 packages each day and 70,000 parts items every month.

This article has been taken from the Contractors World website

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