MC Magazine

People & Products

ALL adds new products to its fleet
ALL Erection & Crane Rental Corp. of Cleveland has contracted for 120 new aerial lifts and 150 new hydraulic cranes as part of its commitment for 2007 and is already pursuing acquisitions for 2008. In addition, ALL has closed the deal on 10 new Tadano hydraulic cranes, including three 130-ton all-terrain, one 200-ton all-terrain and six 80-ton rough-terrain cranes.

ALL Aerials, part of ALL’s family of companies that sells and rents new and used aerial lifts, says the new aerial models represent major manufacturers such as Genie, Snorkel, Skyjack and JLG. For more information, call ALL Aerials at (330) 659-9600 or visit www.allaerials.com.

The new hydraulic crane equipment contracts are with major manufacturers such as LinkBelt, Grove and Terex, and include 35-ton to 550-ton capacities. For more information, call (216) 524-6550 or visit www.allcrane.com.

Hanson announces promotions
Hanson Pipe & Precast Inc. has announced the promotion of several Northeast Division staff members. Sue Tanenbaum, Midwest vice president, will take on the added responsibility of the Ohio area and its five facilities. Pat Kelly, formerly the Midwest production manager, was promoted to Ohio Area production manager. Cory McKinnon, the Apple Valley plant manager, advanced to production manager, and plant foreman Travis Elder was promoted to Apple Valley plant manager.

Hanson said the reorganization streamlines its operations in the Northeast region, creating a more cohesive and efficient group to serve its customers in Minnesota, Ohio and South Dakota.

Hanson completes expansion of Rose Bowl facilities
Hanson Structural Precast Pacific has completed a project to build new locker room facilities at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Rose Bowl officials rushed new locker room construction last summer to meet the Jan. 1 deadline for the college football bowl game between the University of Southern California and the University of Michigan.

To expand the locker room facilities while maintaining the look of the Rose Bowl and because land surrounding the Rose Bowl is in short supply, the Rose Bowl Operating Co. chose to build the facilities underground. The new home and visitor locker room is a 25,000-square-foot facility and 30 feet below the ground.

Halo smokeless ash receptacles hit the market
Quick Crete Products Corp. of Norco, Calif. has introduced a virtually smokeless ash receptacle for the disposal of cigarette and other tobacco-related litter in public areas. The innovative Halo product virtually eliminates tobacco smoke and odors, says the company, keeping the surrounding air cleaner and easier to breathe.

The Halo’s covered design also eliminates the unsightly appearance caused by partially smoked or spent cigarette and cigar butts. The Halo’s design and special features effectively trap the smoke inside so it can’t seep out through the top. It requires no installation and is available in seven different styles, ranging from classic to contemporary, with a wide variety of color and surface finishes.

For more information, call (949) 481-7559 or visit www.quickcrete.com.

Bowco announces new manager
Bowco Industries of Portland, Ore., has announced that Bob Hoerner has joined the company as sales manager. He brings many years of sales experience in the financial services to Bowco. Hoerner, who had been in the mortgage industry in sales and sales management, has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Marketing and Finance from Portland State University.

Contact Horner at (503) 653-9405 or bob@bowcoind.com.

Hamilton Kent announces director of sales
Hamilton Kent of Toronto, a manufacturer of resilient rubber gaskets and connectors for precast concrete pipe and structures, has announced the appointment of Randy E. Reimer to director of sales.

Reimer is responsible for all aspects of Hamilton Kent’s sales throughout North America. He brings with him a wealth of sales management and customer service expertise acquired during more than 15 years in sales and sales management, most recently a vice president of sales for a large mechanical/electrical contractor in southwestern Ohio. Call (416) 675-9873 extension 252 for more information.

ACT breaks ground on new corporate headquarters
Advanced Concrete Technologies Inc. of Portsmouth, N.H., a supplier of turnkey concrete production plant and equipment solutions, recently celebrated the ground breaking of its new corporate headquarters in Greenland, N.H.

The new facility will serve as the North American hub for all customer service, technical support and parts warehousing operations, as well as corporate offices for key management, administrative, sales and technical support staff. Once completed, ACT will have plenty of room not only for support staff but also for meeting facilities and an extensive spare parts inventory for overnight delivery support.

Construction is expected to be completed by the first quarter with move-in by March. Visit www.concretebiz.com for more information about ACT.

Dutchland bids adieu to long-term employee
Dutchland Inc. of Gap, Pa., a producer of water storage tanks, wastewater treatment plants and other precast products, has announced the departure of long-time employee Paul Stoltzfus. He had been a valued member of the Dutchland team for more than 17 years.

Contacts for Dutchland are Dave Beiler, sales; Jill Stafford, engineering and drafting; and Ira Altman, purchasing. Visit Dutchland at www.dutchlandinc.com.

A-LOK adds to sales team
A-LOK Products Inc. of Tullytown, Pa., a manufacturer of watertight connectors for pipes and manholes, manhole liner and lifting systems, and invert systems, has named Bud Dallas salesman in the Northeastern territory of the United States. Dallas joins A-LOK from the manufacturing sector and presently resides in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Visit www.a-lok.com for more information.

Mixer Systems introduces first U.S.-made planetary mixer
Mixer Systems Inc. of Pewaukee, Wis., has introduced the first planetary mixer to be both designed and manufactured in the United States. Until now, the only planetary mixers available were either built entirely overseas or assembled in the United States from foreign-made components, says the company.

Domestic design and manufacture offer a significant advantage, says Mixer Systems, because delivery is shortened to weeks rather than months and customers won’t have to wait for shipments from overseas.

The new patent-pending mixer features an electrical system that is built for the U.S. industrial environment and won’t have to be rewired, and it is made from U.S. components for durability and low maintenance. The mixing paddles are made of cast Ni-hard material to be abrasion resistant; urethane guards protect the mixing arms to extend service life; and the gearbox is sealed to prevent contamination. The planetary mixer is available in 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 4 cubic yard sizes.

For more information, call (262) 691-3100 or visit www.mixersystems.com.

Dirt Bag battles dust in the Middle East
Dirt Bag Inc. of Calumet, Mich., a manufacturer of dust filters for computers, is doing its share to assist our overseas military with its recent delivery of 9,000 PC Dirt Bags to the U.S. armed forces.

The company uses patented technology in a special filter designed to protect computers from airborne dust, dirt and grime – a perfect solution for the sandstorm environments in the Middle East. In such conditions, dust settles on the computer monitor, insulating the components and causing the machine to overheat. Dirt Bags are also useful in wood shops, metal shops, concrete factories and other dusty environments.

For more information, call (906) 337-2433 visit www.dirtbag.biz.

Indiana Phoenix offers new truck model
Indiana Phoenix of Avila, Ind., has introduced a new truck model for precast operations. The new model is designed specifically for yard use, making it more affordable for precast operations performed in the yard because it does not include unnecessary features like six-wheel drive or the ability to drive at highway speeds. It makes precast and front discharge operations more affordable, says the company.

The new truck has a maximum geared speed of less than 30 mph and comes with a 20,000-pound, nondriving front axle and a single-drive tandem rated at 46,000 pounds. It has a 10 cubic yard mixer constructed of Hardox 450 Brinell steel for maximum life.

For more information, call (260) 897-4397 or visit www.phoenixmixers.com.

Easi-Set launches new Slenderwall feature
Easi-Set of Midland, Va., recently launched a new lead detection feature on its Slenderwall architectural precast panel system. H2Out is a unique in-the-caulk joint, secondary drainage, street-level leak detection system. Caulk leaks exit to the outside of the building and can be located within 20 feet of the leak whether the building is five days, five years or 20 years old, says the company.

H2Out was developed to assist building owners in protecting their building investments. It allows a fast, inexpensive method of visually inspecting for caulk failures, which could let rain water enter the building and eventually cause damage. Leaks are more easily detected because of the tell-tale damp spot that appears after rain water has covered the building. A drainable material directs water to the exterior of the building through a weep tube.

Smith-Midland Corp., which owns Easi-Set, launched a new Web site featuring Slenderwall at www.slenderwall.com.

Spancrete reinforces its staff
Spancrete Group Inc. of Waukesha, Wis., has recently promoted a longtime employee and added several sales representatives.

Forrest Brunette was promoted to plant manager at the Spancrete plant in Green Bay. He joined the company more than 11 years ago, where he served as production manager, lead bridge production manager and in quality control. In his new role, Brunette is responsible for production and personnel schedules as well as logistics related to job delivery.

Doug Meidl was promoted to sales representative for Spancrete’s northern Wisconsin territory. Meidl, located in the Green Bay sales office, joined the company more than 16 years ago, working most recently as an estimator. He will provide architectural and structural precast solutions for architectural and engineering firms, developers and contractors.

Tim Holien was hired as a sales representative in Spancrete’s northern Wisconsin territory for the transportation section located in the Green Bay office. He has more than 20 years of related experience and is a member of ASCE and SCI. In his new role, Holien will provide structural and architectural precast engineering guidance for customers in the transportation construction market.

Shane Connor was hired as a sales representative in Spancrete’s Chicago market, which is located in the company’s Arlington Heights sales office. He has more than 10 years of related construction experience and is a member of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). Connor will work with architectural and engineering firms, developers and contractors to provide architectural and structural precast concrete solutions in Illinois.

CTMA provides solutions for concrete tile/paver needs
The Concrete Tile Manufacturers Association, based in Buena Park, Calif., was formed by several manufacturers in the late 1990s to raise awareness of concrete tiles as well as to develop performance standards and specifications.

Since its inception, CTMA has created performance standards and specifications for concrete tiles; launched its Q-Tile (Quality-Tile) Assurance Program to guarantee quality through an independent lab; produced a CTMA Handbook to cover all aspects of installation and maintenance; and published Concrete Tile Tales, a full-color newsletter.

For more information about CTMA, visit www.concretetile.org or contact William Love at wlove@artobrick.com or (310) 768-8500.

Cheng launches complete line of concrete countertop products
Fu-Tung Cheng recently announced his newest build-your-own concrete countertop product line: Cheng Concrete Countertop Products. Cheng’s company, Cheng Concrete Exchange, a division of Cheng Design Products, partnered with Canadian-based Interstar Corp., a manufacturer of pigments, admixtures and fibers for the concrete industry.

The partnership will help to expand the Cheng Concrete Countertop Product line, improve the performance and ease of use of the products, and make the products more accessible online and at select building supply retailers throughout the United States. A few of the marquee products in this line include Cheng Pro-Formula Mix, Cheng Slurry, Cheng Sealer, Cheng Wax and Cheng Polish.

For more information, call (510) 849-3272 or visit www.chengdesign.com.

Holcim plant wins national award
The Holcim Theodore Plant in Alabama was recognized by the Council of State Governments (CSG) as the winner of the 2006 CSG Associates Award for corporate citizenship. The Holcim plant and its leadership were honored for their ongoing commitment to helping the community near the plant rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

The CSG award was presented to Holcim plant manager Joe McFalls by Gov. Brad Henry, Oklahoma, who highlighted two specific projects Holcim undertook to help the community rebuild.

The first project was the rebuilding of a rural health clinic in Bayou La Batre. The clinic, which serves low-income residents in the Theodore community, was initially destroyed by the hurricane, and although it was rebuilt, it later suffered another blow when it burned down the day before it was scheduled to reopen. Holcim donated $50,000 and helped raise $120,000 to restore the clinic.

Holcim officials also coordinated with the local Habitat for Humanity office to support efforts to build new homes for those who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Holcim and other industries arranged to have the concrete donated for all 11 houses built in the Belwood subdivision in Theodore. Holcim employees also provided volunteer labor on the building projects.

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