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CBO Editorial Staff

  • Resources

    CNH Appoints New CFO

    BURR RIDGE, IL (September 17, 2012) – CNH Global N.V. (NYSE: CNH), a global leader in the agricultural and construction equipment businesses, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Camillo Rossotto, will resign on December 31, 2012, to pursue other interests. Following the Company’s internal succession plans, Pablo Di Si will become CFO of CNH, effective January 1, 2013. Pablo is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Development for CNH’s sister company Fiat Automobiles Latin America (FIASA). Prior to his assignment in Fiat Automobiles, Pablo was the Chief Accounting Officer and Head of Commercial Control for CNH Latin America. CNH Global N.V. is a world leader in the agricultural and construction equipment businesses. Supported by approximately 11,300 dealers in approximately 170 countries, CNH...

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  • Resources

    Construction Materials Prices Increase for August and Year-to-Year

    Big Increase in Diesel Prices Since July and Year-to-Year Jumps in Gypsum and Architectural Coatings Prices Overwhelm Declines in Copper, Steel Products and Aluminum Mill Shapes Indexes, Officials Note   (September 13, 2012) – The cost of key construction materials increased in August and year-to-year, resuming a trend that has forced contractors to pay more for materials even as competitive pressures restrain prices for finished projects, according to an analysis of federal figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. “After years of depressed construction activity, the last thing contractors need is to see materials price increases further erode their already slim margins,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “This isn’t the kind of economic recovery most contractors spent the...

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  • 1,000 Construction Jobs Added in August

    Employment Gains in Residential Construction Sector Offset Nonresidential Job Losses   (Sept. 7, 2012) – Construction employers added 1,000 jobs in August while the industry’s unemployment rate fell to 11.3 percent, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The unemployment declines come as the construction industry continues to shrink, association officials noted, adding that over 214,000 workers have left the industry since August 2011. “While we all breathe a sigh of relief any time the sector adds jobs, these numbers are hardly cause for celebration,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “If it wasn’t for the fact that the housing sector is finally on the mend, construction employment would be heading in...

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  • Resources

    America’s Housing Policy: Charting a Course for Recovery

    Senator Mel Martinez to give this year’s Dunlop Lecture at Harvard   CAMBRIDGE, MA – The U.S. housing market has just suffered its most significant downturn in our nation’s history. Millions of people have lost their homes and millions more are struggling to avoid foreclosure. Others who want to buy a home can’t due to tighter credit standards.  Vacancy rates for rental properties are falling while rents themselves are on the rise.  Why has the main component of the American Dream become such a nightmare for so many families, and how will Federal policymakers respond? On Tuesday, October 2, 2012 former U.S. Senator and Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Mel Martinez will give the 13th Annual John T. Dunlop Lecture,...

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  • Resources

    2012 Construction Technology Integration Report Reveals Lack of Cloud Adoption and Need for Integration in Construction Industry

    Compiled from survey responses of over 450 construction professionals, the report shows a surprising number of companies still storing and transferring project data in spreadsheets.   Bryan, Texas (September 13, 2012) – First presented at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) IT Forum in Chicago, the results from the 2012 Construction Technology Integration (CTI) Survey have been released in a full report and accompanying infographic by JB Knowledge Technologies, Inc., developers of SmartBidNet construction bid software. The 2012 CTI Report compiles and analyzes responses from over 450 industry professionals whoanswered questions on their companies’ cloud construction software usage, mobile expectations, and application integrations. “I recently stated in my keynote address at the 2012 AGC IT Forum, and still believe, that many firms in the...

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  • Resources

    OSHA and the National Safety Council Renew Alliance to Address Fall Prevention, Injury and Illness Prevention Programs

    WASHINGTON (August 29, 2012) – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) renewed its Alliance with the National Safety Council (NSC) to continue enhancing worker safety and health by addressing construction hazards, injury and illness prevention programs and motor vehicle safety. “Our continued alliance with NSC will focus on, among other things, preventing worker injuries and fatalities from falls in construction,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David Michaels. “Falls cause more fatalities than any other hazard in the construction industry. We look forward to collaborating with the NSC to educate and train employers and workers on preventing job hazards.” During the two-year agreement, the Alliance will develop fact sheets on the benefits of employers establishing an injury and illness prevention...

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  • Resources

    The AGC Reports that Construction Employment Declines in 165 Out of 337 Metro Areas Between July 2011 and 2012

    Springfield, Mass.-Conn. Had Largest Percentage Decline, Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill. Lost the Most Jobs; Bakersfield-Delano, Calif. and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. Are Top Gainers   (August 28, 2012) – Construction employment declined in 165 out of 337 metropolitan areas between July 2011 and July 2012, increased in 123 and was stagnant in 49, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that the new data comes out as many metro areas continue to struggle with constricting public sector budgets and uneven private sector growth. “Construction employment is healthy in the handful of areas where private sector demand is on the rebound,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “However, construction employment in most metro areas...

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  • Resources

    ISSA Supports National Pavement Preservation Research Project

    Annapolis, MD – (August 28, 2012) With 50 years serving the pavement preservation industry, the International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) is proud to be a supporter of the National Center for Asphalt Technology’s (NCAT) Pavement Preservation Effectiveness Study, the fifth cycle of the Pavement Test Track. Performance monitoring of pavement preservation treatments in this cycle of the Pavement Test Track and on 2,500 feet of Lee Road 159 in Alabama will allow researchers to determine the service life extension of various pavement preservation techniques relative to pretreatment condition and explore ways to stretch transportation budgets. Seven state departments of transportation and multiple private sponsors have stepped forward to support the expansion of the scope of this research project to include proactive maintenance methods. These methods...

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  • Resources

    Wright Express Releases Monthly Construction Fuel Consumption Index Results for July

    U.S. Construction Industry Fueling Up 1.4% Year-Over-Year in July; Up 0.2% versus Previous Month    SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (Aug. 23, 2012) –  Wright Express Corporation, a leading global provider of value-based business payment processing and information management solutions, in collaboration with IHS (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of information and analytics,  released results of its Wright Express Construction Fuel Consumption Index (FCI), which indicated an increase of 1.4% in July versus its level the previous year. The Wright Express Construction FCI measures national fuel consumption statistics for the construction industry, which provides an accurate and up-to-date indication of construction activity in the United States. “The results of the July 2012 Fuel Consumption Index indicate flat growth in the construction industry despite consistent year-over-year growth,”...

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