Industry News

July 2008

C.R. Laurence Co. Acquires Sommer & Maca Industries



C.R. Laurence Co. Inc., a supplier to the glazing, architectural, construction, industrial and automotive industries acquired Sommer & Maca Industries, a glass machinery manufacturer, effective March 20, 2008.

Cement Industry Environment and Energy Awards Recipients



Five cement plants received special recognition for commitment to improving the environment and their communities at the Seventh Annual Cement Industry Environment and Energy Awards, presented by Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine, at the PCA's Spring Meeting in Chicago in April.

Six categories recognized plants throughout the United States:

• Overall Environmental Excellence — CEMEX, Davenport, Calif.
  
  
• Outreach — Lafarge North America, Sugar Creek, Mo.
  
  
• Environmental Performance — Holcim (US) Inc., Theodore, Ala.
  
  
• Land Stewardship — CEMEX, Davenport, Calif.
  
  
• Innovation — Lafarge North America, Sugar Creek, Mo.
  
  
• Energy Efficiency — California Portland Cement Co., Colton, Calif.

Holcim (US) Trident Plant Exceeds 1 Million Without LTA



The Holcim (US) Inc. Trident Cement Plant in Three Forks, Mont., recently exceeded 1 million hours without a lost time accident (LTA). The plant has not had a LTA in more than six years. With 84 employees, the Trident plant produces about 320,000 metric tons of cement per year and contributes more than $20 million annually to the Montana economy.

Bon Tool Acquires Wha-Lite Corp.



Bon Tool Co. has acquired Wha-Lite Corp. and the operating assets of the Chicago-based tool company. Bon Tool will continue the manufacture of select Wha-Lite magnesium products while maintaining Wha-Lite tool specifications and the company's tradition of providing contractors with lightweight tools. The distribution of products will be handled through Bon Tool's eastern and western U.S. distribution centers, located in Pennsylvania and Nevada.

Mowry Joins Geith as OEM Sales Manager



Geith Inc. hired Allen Mowry as OEM sales manager. Mowry is responsible for attachment sales to strategic OEM, rental and Northeastern accounts. He joins Geith Inc. with more than 10 years of attachment sales experience and has held previous sales management positions with other major attachments manufacturers.

NCMCA Installs Officers The North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association installed officers for the 2008 — 2010 term at the Association's Annual Convention in April. Pictured left to right are Larry Kirby, Kirby Construction Services, Conover — secretary/treasurer; Wayne Starr, Gates Construction Co., Mooresville — immediate past-president/chairman of the board; Gary Manning, Manning Masonry, Williamston — president; and Mike Rogers, Michael J. Rogers Masonry, Brevard — president-elect. Other officers include Jimmy Simmons, Simmons Masonry, Fayetteville — eastern regional VP; Danny Bowman, Bowman Masonry Inc., Winston-Salem — central regional VP; and Don Caldwell, C & R Masonry, Candler — western regional VP.

Barney Retires From PCA



George Barney, senior VP for market development and technical services for the Portland Cement Association (PCA), retired in May. Barney, who had been with PCA since 1970, oversaw PCA's six market promotion programs, as well as its research and development, education and training, market research and building codes activities.

PCA has also named John Prentice as VP of industry liaison. Prentice will be responsible for coordinating the alignment of regional and national programs.

The Kanoo Group, Hydro Mobile Sign Agreement



Gulf Lifting Rental Co. L.L.C., a member of The Kanoo Group, signed a distribution agreement with Hydro Mobile Inc. for the United Arab Emirates territory. The new distributor signed a first purchase order of 12 F-Series, 4 P-Series and 2 M-Series, and is well positioned to serve customers in this high-demand construction market. The company will rent and service the Canadian equipment and will benefit from the technical expertise and training services of Hydro Mobile, manufacturer of mast climbing work platforms.

Lafarge Strengthens Memphis Market Position



Lafarge completed the purchase of a cement terminal in Memphis, Tenn., from Angelle Concrete Products Group LLC, based in Louisiana, known locally as Memphis Cement. The acquired President's Island Cement Terminal and its employees will be consolidated into Lafarge Cement's River Business Unit operations. The addition of the terminal to Lafarge's current Memphis terminal on Henry Street will help ensure reliable logistics service for meeting increased demand of both pure Portland and Portland blends.

Honeywell Acquires Norcorss Safety Products



Honeywell acquired Norcross Safety Products L.L.C. for about $1.2 billion. Norcross, based in Oak Brook, Ill., will form a new line of business called Honeywell Safety Products within Honeywell Life Safety, part of Automation and Control Solutions. Norcross is recognized in several major industry segments, including air purifying respirators, protective footwear, protective headgear, firefighter turnout gear, high-voltage sleeves and gloves, and arc flash protection. Norcross sells its products under trusted, long-standing and well-recognized names, including North, KCL, Fibre-Metal, Morning Pride, Pro-Warrington, Salisbury and Servus. It benefits from one of the industry's most extensive distribution networks with more than 2,500 locations.

Florida Building Commission Approves MASON BOND The Florida Building Commission approved MASON BOND masonry adhesive for use in commercial and residential building construction in the state of Florida. Adhesives manufacturer ITW TACC developed patent-pending MASON BOND as an alternative method for bonding concrete masonry units and other structural materials. MASON BOND recently received code compliance verification from the International Code Council. Comparative testing at an ICC-accredited laboratory concluded that block walls built with MASON BOND are three and one-half times stronger, more durable, and reduce water penetration by more than 80 percent as compared to walls built with mortar. A series of masonry construction projects using MASON BOND were completed in half the time of mortar construction.

NCMA Open House and 90th Anniversary



An NCMA Open House and Lab Dedication was held May 15, when about 250 members, staff members, industry colleagues, family and friends enjoyed a champagne toast in honor of the association's 90th anniversary. Newly renovated NCMA offices were viewed by visitors, including the high-tech audio-visual equipment installed in the classroom and boardroom.

LATICRETE Supplies Award-winning Museum



LATICRETE supplied Navillus Contracting of Long Island City, N.Y., with technical support and a GREENGUARD certified system of LEED compliant setting materials to install 8.1 million pieces of one-inch X one-inch ceramic tiles as the exterior façade for the expansion of the Brooklyn Children's Museum, now the first "green" museum in New York City. Navillus Contracting, led by Matt McCormick, accepted a special Green Award in the annual Spectrum Awards ceremony at Coverings 2008 in Orlando, Fla., for the LEED Certified Brooklyn Children's Museum designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects in New York. To set and grout the 57,000 square feet of mosaic tile supplied by DSA America, Navillus Contracting utilized GREENGUARD certified products from LATICRETE.

Kirchner Block & Brick Honored



The City of Bridgeton, Mo., honored Kirchner Block & Brick on Earth Day for environmentally friendly business practices and products. A Permeable Pavement Symposium was held for consumers, businesses, the construction/contracting industry, and municipal and governmental representatives. Company expert David Mudd conducted a permeable pavement presentation at the St. Louis Earth Day Water Symposium. Bridgeton Mayor Conrad Bowers bestowed a proclamation to Kirchner, noting the eco-friendly and low-impact design of their 3,000-square-foot permeable pavement parking lot.

Grace Construction Products, RS Solutions Form Alliance



Grace Construction Products and RS Solutions have entered into an agreement through which Grace will be the exclusive sales and marketing agent worldwide for the Ready Slump System to Ready Mix concrete producers worldwide. The Ready Slump System is a truck-mounted process control system that can accurately measure, adjust and document concrete slump from the time a truck is loaded until it is poured. The patented system offers producers an accurate, reliable system to control material cost, product quality and provide consistency from one truckload to another.

Sweet Appointed President, Doosan Infracore Portable Power



Shawn R. Sweet has been named president of Doosan Infracore Portable Power and will be responsible for all aspects of the company's global business. Previous to this appointment, Sweet was VP of global marketing for Doosan Infracore Portable Power, having joined the company in January 2008.