ALABAMA STATE EDITION
231
65
72 Florence
2
Huntsville
20 Decatur
72
565 59
43
A Supplement to:
231
431
31
5
Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
20
Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
80
85
Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
82
December 11 2013
65
231
43 84 431 331
84
84 52
Vol. XXV • No. 25
31
45
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
Dothan
65 98
Mobile
10
Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Cowin Supplies Volvo Excavators for Sister Companies
wells. “We’ve worked very hard to minimize any inconvenience to our guests, and have opted to complete a majority of work after mall hours. One inconvenience that has been noticeable is the carousel, which is currently undergoing a complete restoration. It was taken apart by hand and carefully packed for a long truck ride to San Francisco. It’s being restored by craftsmen and will return in late July. It’s quite a labor- intensive project.” Retailer Von Maur opened its first department store in the state this fall at the Galleria. The mall’s Wynfrey Hotel is completing a $20 million renovation. Last year, Galleria owners General Growth Properties and Jim Wilson &
It’s been said that the only constant in the world is change. Such is the case for family-owned and operated Good Hope Contracting Inc. and its sister company Blount Springs Materials, both based in the same facility in Cullman, Ala. Two key additions to the staff over the last year or so have changed the face of the company. Richard Brown joined the organization as vice president of Good Hope Contracting Inc., and Ray Henry is the new vice president of Blount Springs Materials. Both work together on equipment acquisition decisions and agreed to change their equipment purchasing process. Blount Springs Materials operates five quarries and is the sole company supplying Good Hope Contracting Inc. aggregate material for its five asphalt plants in Alabama. For both companies, purchasing machines is an integral part of success. When Blount Springs Materials needed to replace excavators at two aggregate plants, Henry and Brown tackled the need by testing machines from multiple manufacturers. “During this specific evaluation, we looked at four different manufacturers’ machines,” said Brown. “We had distributors representing four manufacturers deliver to our quarry virtually exacting machines in the same weight class for a specified one week period of time to compare.” After testing four machines, the consensus of the operators and management alike was to invest in a pair of Volvo EC480DL’s. “With the Volvo machine, the operators really liked the layout of the cabin, the way it ran, the quiet operation and the overall features,” said Brown. “The one aspect of the machine that brought out a lot of comments from our operators was the speed of the Volvo. “When we did our test on the four different manufacturers’ machines, we realized about a three percent increase in fuel efficiency in the Volvo machine, which doesn’t sound like much but it adds up quickly. In comparison to the older machines that we traded, we saw about a 3 gallon per hour savings, which essentially equates to a 25 to 30 percent fuel savings over previous generation machines.” The machines were purchased as a package deal and were delivered by Cowin Equipment Company in April 2013. “The service that Cowin provides, and the price, fuel effi-
see RIVERCHASE page 6
see COWIN page 2
Hoar Construction photo
Operator uses the back bucket to mix the soil.
’Tis the Season: Shoppers Rejoice Riverchase Galleria Renovations By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
A $60 million renovation of the state’s largest shopping mall is nearing completion near Birmingham, Ala., just in time for the 2013 holiday season. Work began on the project in mid-2012. “Riverchase Galleria is currently undergoing an extensive redevelopment,” said Thomas Martin, senior general manager of General Growth Properties. “Shoppers will notice enhanced amenities with new soft seating and food court furniture, new architectural elements including pendant lighting in center court, remodeled food court restrooms, enhanced pedestrian bridge entrances and enclosed parking deck stair-
Page 2 • December 11, 2013 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Fuel Efficiency, Service ‘Seal the Deal’ for Brown, Henry COWIN from page 1
ciency, machine cost, ownership costs and resale value of the Volvo machine were the deciding factors when compared to the other manufacturer’s machines we were considering,” said Brown. “The Volvo machines were just the best fit for us.” Brown and Henry were pleased with the service they received throughout the process, working with Cowin Equipment Company’s sales representative, Jay Rousey. “He was very helpful in providing us with the information we requested and for providing us with a machine to use for feedback from our operators,” said Brown. “We actually knew what we were buying instead of what he was selling. “We’ve worked with Cowin on other machine purchases in the past, including some IR rollers and a couple A40 Volvo articulated trucks. We’re very familiar with the overall parts and service support we get from Cowin. If we call and have a problem, they’re very responsive to either fix the problem or provide us with a replacement till we can get the problem fixed. The field service technicians are very knowledgeable. “On the newer Volvo machines we really don’t have any issues that require their attention. For parts, generally speaking, if they don’t have something in stock already, we call today, we have it tomorrow.” Many in the industry have questions and concerns about the new Tier IVi technology. This is not an issue for Brown. “With these new Tier IVi machines, in our quarry applications, there is nothing different our operators need to do than with our previous machines,” said Brown. “If you run the
(L-R): Jay Rousey, sales representative of Cowin Equipment; Ray Henry, Blount Springs Materials; and Richard Brown, Good Hope Contracting, meet to discuss the performance of one of the new Volvo excavators.
machine the way it’s designed to be run in a quarry application, you see no difference. At this point, our scheduled maintenance is no different either.” Brown and Henry agree that the fuel efficiency of the machines along with the service and warranty Cowin provides sealed the deal for the purchase. As the machines age, Brown said he may consider rotating them out with other Volvo machines. “Downtime is a big thing in the quarries and we look for machines that would absolutely give us the most efficient running time combined with a distributor that adds
The operator uses the Volvo EC480DL to stockpile material ready for transport to the crusher for final aggregate output.
value to the machine, which Cowin did,” said Henry. “If we’ve had any problems, they’ve given us immediate response time. For the Volvo excavator itself, we looked closely at the strength and structure of the boom. We were very impressed with the weight of the boom as well. And like Richard said, fuel efficiency was a big part of the decision, but overall, we looked for not only a good machine, but a well-built machine with a good resale value supported by a distributor that could add value to us and respond quickly, which they do at Cowin. The machine’s only special require-
ment was to be equipped with a heavy-duty rock bucket. Otherwise, they spec out perfectly for our application. When asked about the work that will keep their machines running and overall observations of their industry, Henry said, “I think the state of Alabama has taken an aggressive view on road repair and highway construction. Our paving division company, Good Hope Contracting, has been very fortunate to have current contracts and the opportunity to bid on a lot work that is coming up in the near future. Good Hope has been busy in 2013 and continues to be busy, which is real positive for the Blount Springs side of the business, which feeds aggregate materials to them.” “We’re running three asphalt crews right now,” said Brown. “The biggest thing that we’re seeing that is helping us right now is the Governor’s ATRIP [Alabama Transportation Road and Improvement Projects] funding bill. That has really helped counties get some additional funds to resurface county roads or provide chip seal, which we don’t do, but we sell the aggregate for it. ATRIP helps the counties resurface the roads in a way that they would not be able to if they didn’t have that funding available. There’s been a lot of this going on and they are into their third round of funding, which includes several projects that are out there that are coming up that are based on ATRIP money. We’re also seeing a bit of an increase in highway work over the last three years.” (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s Web site at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.) CEG
A Blount Springs Materials operator continuously loads rigid frame rock trucks to keep up with the day’s production requirements.
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • December 11, 2013 • Page 3
YOU’RE ABOUT UPTIME, FUEL EFFICIENCY AND COMFORT. THAT’S SMART.
Smart Works. Birmingham, AL 205-841-6666 Mobile, AL 251-633-4020 Montgomery, AL www.nussgrp.com 334-262-6642
BURNSVILLE, MN (800) 552-1189 ROCHESTER, MN (800) 562-1505
Huntsville / Decatur, AL MANKATO, MN 256-350-0006 (800) 862-6225 Oxford, AL ROSEVILLE, MN 256-832-5053 ST. CLOUD, MN FL (800) 704-0935 Pensacola, (888) 310-6225 850-479-3004
DULUTH, MN (800) 835-6225
www.cowin.com TOOLS THAT MAKE YOUR BUSINESS WORK™
Volvo Construction Equipment
Page 4 • December 11, 2013 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • December 11, 2013 • Page 5
Page 4 • December 11, 2013 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • December 11, 2013 • Page 5
Page 6 • December 11, 2013 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Work Inside Mall Requires Hand Tools, Mini-Excavators RIVERCHASE from page 1
Associates of Montgomery announced the makeover to bring new life to the 27-yearold shopping complex. The Hoover City Council approved up to $25 million in sales tax incentives for the project. Riverchase Galleria contains more than 1.5 million sq. ft. (139,354.6 sq m) of retail space, and stands as one of the largest shopping centers in the United States. As a result the mall has ranked as one of the top tourist destinations in the state. The impact of the current redevelopment project alone could be as much as $100 million. “Any project of this size doesn’t come without challenges. I think the biggest concern is always the unknown,” said Martin. “You can plan everything out and set deadlines for each project, but odds are things aren’t always going to go as planned. It often makes things even more challenging when you add in more than one general contractor.” Birmingham-based Hoar Construction has been on the job since for the entire project. “Public safety has been our number one concern at all times,” said project manager Daryl Whitehurst. “We managed this by working behind barricades. No work started until drywall barricades went up and there was no access to the work site. A lot of work has taken place at night, between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.” According to Whitehurst the Galleria job was challenging because more staff was required and work could be split into 25 jobs. Work inside the mall required smaller hand tools. Mini-excavators were used in tight spaces in the bathrooms, but their use was limited. Replacing the mall’s two elevators in the glass chambers was more labor intensive because crews had to work with demo and chain saws surrounded by barricades and stores. Under normal circumstances steel would have been set with forklifts, lulls or a crane but that wasn’t an option in this case. “In renovating the existing restrooms, we had to rip out the old plumbing,” said Whitehurst. “Near JC Penney, we demolished two small retail spaces and built new restrooms on the north end of the mall. In the parking decks we changed out all the lighting, the fixtures and light levels, which were low. We installed a new signage package, installed new flooring and enhanced lighting at the lobby and the pedestrian areas with custom light fixtures and custom awnings and new handrails to bring them to today’s standards.” Work on the parking deck, required lulls, scissor lifts and backhoes on the job. Crews ripped out old sidewalks and used cast iron pipe for underground work. Crews installed
Hoar Construction photo
A 125 ft. (38.1 m) boom lift is used to install new lighting in the food court area of the mall.
metal stud framing, drywall and ceramic tile work. “It’s rewarding, because we’ve had the added challenge of working at an operating mall,” said Whitehurst. “You have to take more steps to complete the job. We’ve done a lot of work in the center court as far as installing theatrical lighting in the skylight system. The area is over 100 feet high, so that’s meant bringing in man lifts. We’ve also installed sheets of fabric that stretch from above, and there are LED lights with different colors. We’ve also used a lot of
Georgia Buggies to haul materials in and out of the job site.” Bobby Paasch, construction project manager of IDC, said hotel renovations will soon be complete. “The Wynfrey Hotel is in transition of being turned into a Hyatt-Regency Hotel. The exterior of the building has been washed, windows polished, there’s new landscaping and pool upgrades have been made. The public spaces such as the ballrooms and meeting rooms have received new wall coverings, paint, carpet and light-
Hoar Construction photo
The operator relocates the topsoil.
ing fixtures. Guestrooms are receiving a complete makeover, including receiving new air conditioning units, plumbing accessories and furniture.” IDC began work on the exterior of the 15story building last July. Construction on the interior commenced at the beginning of October. The hotel has stayed in operation during the entire project. According to Paasch maintaining a low profile makes every day unique. The crew’s primary concern is to keep the hotel operating smoothly during the transitions. Work is done at all times of the day in order to accommodate guests’ busy schedules. According to Martin changes will make for a better shopping experience. The lighting throughout the parking decks will be enhanced greatly, and guests will find it easier to remember where they parked in the decks due to the extensive color coding of each parking deck floor. Guests will enjoy new elevators throughout the decks and new landscaping throughout. “This makeover signifies the commitment Riverchase Galleria has to the Hoover community and to our shoppers as a whole,” said Martin. I have an overwhelming sense of pride as the redevelopment and renovation of Riverchase Galleria nears. To be able to give something back to the community who has given us so much throughout the years makes all of our hard work and dedication to this project worthwhile.” (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s Web site at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.) CEG
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • December 11, 2013 • Page 7
www.jcbofalabama.com
Comfort: Industry’s largest cab; up to 46% more cab space
Cost of Ownership: 16% more fuel efficient than the competition
Safety: First and only skid steer with a side door entry with 270° total visibility; 60% better than competition
Productivity: 21% more productive than other skid steers in performance tests
Serviceability: Up to 24% better SAE rating with industry leading access to service points
Ask your JCB dealer about a Demo so you can join the REVOLUTION!
SMALL PLATFORM
Skid Steer Loaders 1350lbs - 2050lbs 612kg - 930kg
LARGE PLATFORM
Compact Track Loaders 1500lbs - 2050lbs 681kg - 930kg
LEEDS 8920 Weaver Ave. Leeds, AL 35094
www.jcbofalabama.com
(205) 699-2699
Skid Steer Loaders 2250lbs - 3295lbs 1021kg - 1495kg
MONTGOMERY 791 Anderson Rd Monthgomery, AL 36110 (334) 262-8104
Compact Track Loaders 2250lbs - 3200lbs 1021kg - 1452kg
ANNISTON 30 Plunkett Ave Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 312-4639 3335
Page 8 • December 11, 2013 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide