News

Only five short days left until the opening of CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Festival Grounds, and advance registrations continues to outpace the 2017 show. CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE exhibitors are being proactive to safely welcome attendees to the largest construction trade show in North America.

Combatting the opioid epidemic has become an issue of national importance. Opioid use is not only affecting families and communities, but also companies — particularly those in the construction industry.

The frequency and intensity of disasters are increasing, from mighty hurricanes hurling through warm ocean waters, to shifting tectonic plates that build earthquakes, to atmospheric weather patterns that create wide-scale floods. Through it all, critical operations need to be up and running for our communities, companies, survivors and families.

In today’s construction industry, it is more challenging than ever for companies to perform efficiently, effectively and profitably. Costs are rising, the labor shortage is growing, technology and equipment are evolving rapidly and competition continues to increase. What is a construction company to do to improve production, accountability and profit?

Two major manufacturers of construction machinery and equipment are now cooperating on the world market: GHH from Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and MacLean from Ontario, Canada, announced their cooperation at a plant inauguration in Mexico in February.

Let’s clear up two things about artificial intelligence (AI) at the start. First, it’s a broad concept, not a specific product, in the same way hydraulics is a broad concept, not a specific product.

As an industry, there are many things we do well. Filling supervisory and management positions with qualified personnel isn’t one of them. “Sixty percent of managers fail in their first 24 months on the job,” says Bart Gragg, president of Blue Collar University. That rate of churn is costly in human resources as well as in productivity.

It is not always easy to produce a consistently high-quality pavement. Two new technologies that may help in this area are thermal imaging, which measures the temperature of the mat behind the paver, and intelligent compaction.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG is big, and it can be overwhelming if you are attending for the first time. We asked veteran attendees to share their best advice for first-timers coming to the show. Here are 20 things you need to know before you travel to Las Vegas, plus tips for maximizing your time once you arrive.

Under Stacey Tompkins’ leadership, Tompkins Excavating out of Putnam County, New York has grown from a lawn mowing service provider to a woman-owned and family-operated, full-service commercial and residential excavation and landscape construction company. When she’s not dealing with dirt, she’s an active volunteer and mentor in her community and has been honored with numerous business and leadership awards.