Masonry Magazine February 1983 Page. 44
HEAVY DUTY
MASONRY
EQUIPMENT
BRICK CARTS
NEW
LOWER
PRICE
3 MODELS
TO CHOOSE FROM
Tilt capacity from 600 lbs. to 1000 lbs.
FORKLIFT MORTAR TUBS
NEW
LOWER
10 cu. ft.
full batch
capacity
6 cu. ft.
Reinforced
corners on
all tubs
batch capacity
ADJUSTABLE
SCAFFOLDING
NEW
LOWER
PRICE
New!
Legs capped to
keep mortar out.
Set-um down and
they-re set up.
For single story
structures and
interior partitions
up to 9' high.
Low cost-easy to use.
Write for a FREE brochure and contractor's pricing
on these and other masonry items for the contractor.
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED.
STAR
TOOL CO.
4101 Garland Dr.
Dept. TM
Fort Worth, Tx 76117
817-485-6073
COMPUTER CONNECTION
continued from page 43
The supplier was so embarrassed by the overcharge that he immediately drove 60 miles with a rebate check for $10,000. The computer system had cost $30,000 to install, but in its first month of use, it had already recovered one-third of its original price.
Another example dealt with pallets. The contractor had a job where $6,000 worth of pallets were waiting to be picked up by the supplier. The foreman had not been able to get a driver to take the time to do this so the contractor could have the credit he deserved. When the computer processed the supplier's final materials bill, it showed the contractor that none of the pallets had been collected. He instructed his staff to pay the final invoice minus the $6,000 for the pallets and informed the supplier he could have the pallets whenever he wanted to pick them up. Can you imagine the problems the contractor would have encountered if he had paid the invoice in full and then wanted the pallets picked up for credit?
A final example deals with contract opportunity. A contractor was involved in a fast track job. The job was started just prior to the installation of the computer. Productivity on the job was great. Everyone felt very positive about it. When the computer analyzed the job, it confirmed that productivity was high but the tender-to-mason ratio was out of balance. An investigation of this condition by the contractor revealed that the owner had not decided on the number of fixtures, thus causing the contractor extra tender set-up and breakdown time. The contractor with his computerized data was able to negotiate a change order which saved him over 20% of his total computer cost.
Experience shows that very close monitoring can make a 1% to 3% difference in job costs. If a contractor is doing $3 million per year, a monitoring system should be able to save the business over $30,000 annually. This type of job cost monitoring could be done manually but would require a tremendous amount of manpower. A computer can do it better and faster. A management information system capable of this type of monitoring sells for $20,000-up. As you can see, it is possible for a $20,000 investment to return $30,000 annually. This is why some say the computer is a tool to help the rich get richer.
USG Lime Plant to be Biggest in Texas
United States Gypsum Co.'s lime plant and quarry in New Braunfels, Tex., will become that state's largest producer of industrial and construction lime, thanks to a $34 million capital expansion program under way. The new rotary kiln will produce approximately 600 tons of high calcium lime a day, almost doubling the capacity of the present plant. As part of the expansion, a kiln will be converted to produce dolomitic lime, making New Braunfels the only commercial producer of this important product in Texas.