William L. “Bill” Esker (61) of Teutopolis Passes – J.B. Esker

William “Bill” L. Esker, 61 of Teutopolis, passed away on Monday, May 27th surrounded by his family at Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri. Funeral services will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Teutopolis.  The visitation will be Thursday, May 30th from 3-7 PM.   A parish wake service & rosary will follow at […]

AT A GLANCE: Six tornado rumors corrected

BY CARRIE COPPERNOLL, As posted to the Oklahoman.com   In the chaotic hours and days after the tornado Monday, rumors spread. Firsthand information became third-hand information, and facts were lost in translation. Misinformation was broadcast and printed. Here are six rumors you probably heard this week and the correct information. 1. Children at Plaza Towers […]

CFA Now Offers Members a Hot Line

Have you ever wondered how other contractors attack a problem, find a solution or answer a question that has been puzzling you?  Are you interested in testing your company structure, logistical systems, insurance policies or other business culture issues against respected peers? You’ve asked and we’ve listened.  Although there are two different online forums available […]

Basements scarce in tornado-prone Oklahoma City area; here’s why

By Tom Watkins, CNN (as posted to http://www.cnn.com/) Country star Toby Keith tours the damage in his hometown of Moore, Oklahoma on ‘AC360’ tonight, 8pm ET. (CNN) — It’s one of the most familiar pieces of advice from authorities to people in the path of a tornado: Get into your basement. Yet few homes in the Oklahoma City area have […]

OSHA extends compliance date for crane operator certification requirements

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced that it will propose to extend the compliance date for the crane operator certification requirement by three years to Nov. 10, 2017. The proposal would also extend to the same date the existing phase-in requirement that employers ensure that their operators are qualified to operate the […]

Free Webinar on OSHA’s New Hazard Communication Requirements

The July 25 event is designed to answer some of the most common questions OSHA has received in the first year of Hazard Communication 2012 implementation The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its Hazard Communication Standard to align with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals […]

Adding Water to Concrete: What’s a little water going to hurt?

By Bill Meek and Jim Turici     From: Concrete Construction April 2013   Have you ever been at a concrete placement when someone said, “How about adding some water to that load?” But is it acceptable to add water on site? Water addition to a load of concrete may or may not be acceptable depending on the parameters that […]

Irving Equipment Sells Largest Concrete Pump in North America During WOC 2013

This year’s World of Concrete in Las Vegas was a highly successful event for Irving Equipment. Irving once again proved to be one of the dominant forces in the industry, with the sale of the largest concrete pump in North America; a Concord 65-meter, which sold during the show. In addition, our display was complete with quality equipment […]

CertainTeed Enhances Commitment to Innovation, Appoints New Vice President of Research & Development

(Valley Forge, Pa.) – CertainTeed Corporation is bolstering its capacity for industry-leading innovation through the appointment of Minas Apelian as vice president of research and development (R&D). In this newly established position, Apelian will lead the design, development and execution of next generation products and technologies across all CertainTeed business units, which includes siding, ceilings, pipe, foundations, […]

Saint-Gobain sells its PVC “Pipe & Foundations” business to Westlake Chemical for US$175 million

PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Saint-Gobain signed an agreement for the sale of its U.S.-based PVC Pipe & Foundations business to North American Pipe Corporation, a subsidiary of Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE:WLK) of Houston, Texas, for a total price (enterprise value) of US$175 million (around €135 million), representing 7.2 times 2012 EBITDA(US$24 million). Manufactured by Saint-Gobain’s Exterior Products Division within […]