Canada

Coaldale’s Municipal Planning Commission voted at the end of January three to two, to approve the construction of an asphalt plant and crusher. The Southern Alberta Newspapers reported that the owners and partners of the asphalt plant are Ground Breakers Construction, J.B. Construction, Leighton Kolk and a handful of associated business, all of whom have ties to southern Alberta—Coaldale specifically. Source: LethbridgeHerald.com/news

The Netherlands

Magna Tyres Group held a grand opening of its factory in Hardenberg, the Netherlands, Jan. 11, where some of its tires will be produced. The event included an official welcome by CEO Michael de Ruijter and a tour of the facility.

United States

Forty states added construction jobs between November 2016 and November 2017, while 39 states added construction jobs between October and November, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released Dec. 22, 2017. Association officials noted that firms in most states are adding jobs amid expectations that demand will continue to grow thanks to new tax cuts and regulatory reforms. Association officials noted that many construction firms have high expectations for the coming year.

They said that as they prepare an annual construction industry outlook, it is clear many firms expect the administration’s efforts to reduce regulatory burdens and newly enacted tax cuts will further improve market conditions. “This is one of the best business climates many firms have experienced in over a decade,” AGC CEO Stephen E. Sandherr said. “While Washington needs to address infrastructure funding, workforce shortages and multi-employer retirement reforms, 2018 looks to be a strong year for the industry.” Source: AGC

California

Courses in hot mix asphalt, soils and aggregate, and other began in February on the campus of Cal State Long Beach and at California State University, San Jose, via the Joint Training & Certification Program (JTCP). Check the course availability through the rest of 2018 here.

Kansas

On Jan. 25, Jeff Downing of VersaFlex Inc., Kansas City, Kansas, passed away after an almost two-year fight with cancer. AsphaltPro sends kind thoughts to the VersaFlex family.

Maryland

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) reported that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has granted its application for certain exemptions to the agency’s Hours of Service (HoS) regulations. The exemption was published in the Federal Register Jan. 26. First, drivers will not be required to take a mandatory 30-minute break during their work day; instead, they will be able to use on-duty “waiting time” to meet the 30-minute break requirement Second, the maximum on-duty time is extended from 12 hours to 14 hours for those drivers covered under the existing short-haul exception. The exemption remains valid for five years. Read it here.

Missouri

Your AsphaltPro staff, Fayette, Missouri, has teamed up with hall-of-famer industry consultant John S. Ball III of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire, to bring you an online training course for each member of your asphalt paving crew. Check out free previews of lessons or get started by clicking the green “enroll” button here.

Nebraska

Continental announced Jan. 8 a $9.3 million expansion of the rubber mixing operations at its industrial hose plant in Norfolk, Nebraska, to accommodate its North American manufacturing facilities by providing rubber for industrial hoses and other purposes. The plant manager, Dan Granatowicz, stated: “We anticipate that the expansion will enable us to add in excess of 30 associates.” He said construction work will begin immediately and be completed by the end of Q1 2019.

North Carolina

Dynapac North America is changing its identity now that it’s within the Fayat family, and launched its new visual brand at the historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, in January. Readers can see the new visual identity at World of Asphalt in Houston.

Washington, D.C.

• The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) has called for nominations for the Lanford Family Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program, which provides post- high school financial assistance to the children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job. To date, more than 125 scholarships have been awarded to worthy students. The application deadline is April 6. Application information is on www.artbatdf.org.
• The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is seeking potential synthesis study topics as part of the upcoming activities of the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). The deadline for submissions is March 16, 2018. All proposed new topics must be submitted online here.