Blog

Jeff Winke - Mon April 11, 2016

Jeff Winke's 'Junk Drawer'

Walk into anyone's home and ask to see their junk drawer. Everyone has that catchall drawer that's a mix of functional stuff, nonsensical items, and the you-never-know-when-you'll-need-its....

Brian M. Fraley - Mon March 21, 2016

ECA Drilling Rigs a Perfect Fit for Viaduct Replacement

A Bauer BG 18 H rotary drilling rig sits wedged between an earthen embankment, a shotcrete-covered bridge abutment, a maze of rusty steel trestles and the underside of a historic railroad viaduct in Swarthmore, Pa., on a glacial January morning....

Giles Lambertson - Thu March 17, 2016

The Best Route to Keep U.S. Highways Running Smoothly

An investment firm leases a public toll road and when repairs are required, the lessee pays for it out of pocket. This is how a public-private highway partnership is supposed to work—and is exactly the story of a 70-mile stretch of the Indiana Toll Road....

Giles Lambertson - Mon March 07, 2016

Whom Do Employees Trust With Political News? Survey Reveals Surprising Answer

How do employees in the construction industry and elsewhere follow the news in an election year? Most of them look to their employers for definitive views on issues and candidates. While this is heartening for advocates of the business community, it also illustrates a country adrift on populist waters....

Giles Lambertson - Mon February 01, 2016

At 100, Portland Cement Association Still Holding Strong

At World of Concrete in Las Vegas Feb. 2, the Portland Cement Association officially launches its centennial year celebration. This is not all that newsworthy outside of PCA headquarters. After all, cement has been around for at least a couple thousand years in one crude form or another....

Giles Lambertson - Wed January 27, 2016

Environmental Regulation is a Good Thing… To a Point.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of. Dionne Warwick warbled the song in 1965—five years before the Environmental Protection Agency was formed....

Giles Lambertson - Mon January 18, 2016

No Jobs For Your Equipment? Rent It Out

Is there a skid steer or excavator sitting idle in the yard? Rent it. That probably should be the mantra of every construction equipment-owning businessperson in North America. The demand for rental equipment is growing....

Teddy McKeon - Thu January 14, 2016

Extreme Sandbox Lands Funding on Shark Tank

Extreme Sandbox is a family-owned and operated business in Hastings, Minn., that provides users up-close experiences with heavy equipment. For a premium fee, customers can live out their childhood dreams of moving earth from the cab of a multi-ton machine....

Giles Lambertson - Mon January 04, 2016

Dysfunctional Congress Might be Losing its “Dys”

For way too long, Senate and House chambers in Washington have been described in a single word: dysfunctional. Unfortunately, the description has been accurate. So it is startling to see Congress starting to function for a change....