January 2015 News
Strong U.S. residential construction market ahead: PCA
During the 2015 International Builders' Show, PCA Chief Economist and Group Vice-President Edward J. Sullivan announced that housing starts will increase 20 percent to 1.2 million units in 2015. This is up from roughly 950,000 units in 2014, and strong gains are also expected for 2016.
Curry Supply Names National Rental Accounts Manager
Curry Supply Company, a manufacturer and dealer of commercial service vehicles and a provider of equipment to rental firms, named Marc LaBorde as their National Rental Accounts Manager. In this newly created position, LaBorde, will develop partnerships with equipment rental firms throughout the United States and assist them with their purchase of commercial service vehicles.
Fannie Mae: Economy Drags Housing Upward
Driven by strengthening private domestic demand, economic growth is expected to accelerate modestly this year and drag last year’s unspectacular housing activity upward, according to Fannie Mae’s (FNMA/OTC) Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group.
U.S. Housing Starts Rise 4.4 Percent in December
December showed a nice jump in housing starts and may mean your contractor customers are gearing up for a brighter 2015. Starts on single-family homes rose 7% to a rate of 728,000, the highest level since March 2008. Multi-family construction, which has been strong, took a slight dip, with some observers suggesting it was returning to more normal status.
Forecast: 8.1% Growth for Rental Industry
A strengthened economy, growth in employment and lower gas prices, generating increased disposable income, all spell favorable news for the rental industry. Overall, the American Rental Association (ARA) forecasts revenue growth of 8.1 % in 2015 to reach $38.5 billion in the U.S., including all three segments — construction/industrial, general tool, and party and event.
IronPlanet, Cat Auction Announce First Joint Auction
IronPlanet, an online marketplace for buying and selling used heavy equipment and trucks, and Cat Auction Services will hold a live unreserved public auction in Kissimmee, Fla., Feb. 11-13 with more than 1,000 items up for bid. All of the equipment will be backed by IronPlanet’s IronClad Assurance buyer protection program.
Builder Confidence Holding Steady
Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes declined one point to 57, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index released today. This marks the third straight month that the index has hovered in the upper 50s range.
Toro Expands Dealer Network
The Toro Company has added two equipment dealers to their distribution network: Eagle Power & Equipment, based in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, and Indianapolis-based Best Equipment.The new dealers will carry the full line of Toro underground equipment, including directional drills, compact utility loaders, trenchers, vibratory plows and stump grinders.
Doosan, Bobcat Donate to NDSU Scholarship Endowment
Doosan and Bobcat Company have announced their continued support of innovation in education by donating $3 million to North Dakota State University (NDSU) to fund a STEM-related scholarship program. The State of North Dakota will add $1.5 million; the $4.5 million is the single largest gift to establish a scholarship endowment in NDSU history.
Construction Workers in Demand
Recent labor market indicators signal good news ahead for job creation and housing demand, with the number of open, unfilled construction sector positions increasing in November and revised up for October, according to analysis by the NAHB.
Atlas Copco's 1-Megawatt Generator Featured at Power-Gen
Atlas Copco featured the QAC 1200 at last month's Power-Gen International trade show, The units product 1 megawatt of predictable power, the company reports, and can be used in prime power or critical standby applications in a multitude of industries, including construction, mining, and oil and gas. Operators also can parallel as many as 16 QAC 1200 generators for greater dependability, versatility and reduced fuel consumption.
Takeuchi Adds Diamond Tool to Dealer Ranks
Takeuchi-US has announced Diamond Tool as their newest dealer in Pennsylvania. Located in Philadelphia, they will be contracted to support the Takeuchi skid steer lineup.
Construction Companies Added 48,000 Jobs in December
Construction employers added 48,000 jobs in December and 290,000 for the year, the largest annual increase since 2005, as the sector's unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said many firms are expanding payrolls to keep pace with growing construction demand, but are having a hard time finding qualified workers to fill key positions.
Point-of-Rental CLOUD Finalist for Award
Point-of-Rental CLOUD announces it has been selected as a finalist in the 2014-2015 Cloud Awards Program for Best Software as a Service (SaaS) within the U.S.
Manitou Receives New Product Award
Manitou's MRT Series Privilege Plus Rotating Telescopic Handlers received the 2014 "Top 100 New Products" award from Construction Equipment magazine. This is the second award this year for the MRT Series product line, which also received the 2014 LLEAP award from Lift and Access Magazine for material handling.
AED Pushes Agenda to Congress
On Jan. 7, Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) President & CEO Brian P. McGuire delivered a strong message to Capitol Hill urging swift, bipartisan action to spur economic growth and job creation in a letter outlining the association’s policy agenda for the 114th Congress.
Ditch Witch Garners Three Product Awards
The Construction Equipment Top 100 Awards for 2014 have recognized three underground-construction products from the Ditch Witch organization – the JT60 and JT9 horizontal directional drills, and the FXT50 truck vacuum excavator.
Dosko, Iron & Oak "Giveaways" at The Rental Show
Dosko and Iron Oak are giving away a product at The Rental Show. Attendees can register at the companies' booths at the show, February 22 - 25 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La.
Lackmond Promotes Rob Moe
Lackmond Products, Inc. announces that Rob Moe has been promoted to Executive Vice President Sales. Moe has more than thirty years of sales management experience in the contractor supply market.
Rouse Rental Report Highlights
Used equipment prices continue their upward trend, November auction results were down, and achieved rental rates increased, according to the latest Rouse Rental Report.
Non-Residential Construction Dipped in November
Nonresidential construction spending fell 1% on a monthly basis in November, but has still managed to expand 4 percent on a year-over-year basis according to the January 2nd release from the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending for the month totaled $617 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis.
PRO CONTRACTOR RENTALS MAGAZINE
Pro Contractor Rentals provides information of value to rental centers who focus time, resources and attention on meeting the demands of construction contractors and other equipment rental customers.
