John Somers Named AEM Vice President, Construction & Utility Sector

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The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has named John Somers as its vice president, Construction & Utility Sector, effective immediately. Somers replaces Megan Tanel, who will succeed Dennis Slater as AEM president effective Jan. 1. Somers will be responsible for the strategic direction of construction and utility programs and services for AEM membership, and he will serve as the primary liaison to AEM’s CE Sector Board and with CE-specific industry organizations, customer groups and government agencies, both in North America and worldwide. Somers joined AEM in 2007 and has held various positions with increasing responsibility within the organization over the past … Read more

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Swinerton One of First Contractors with In-House Operators for Layout Automation Robot

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General contractor Swinerton is officially the first construction company with fully trained in-house operators for robot-powered tools for the modern construction workforce. Swinerton’s innovation and self-perform drywall departments partnered with Dusty Robotics during their prototyping phase of development, providing access to projects for testing and valuable functionality feedback. Through its R&D partnership with the robotics company, Swinerton has successfully used one of its layout tools on several building projects. According to Swinerton Vice President and Division Manager of Self-Perform Services Jim Watson, “the company has seen benefits such as schedule acceleration, and foremen saving time and improving quality by taking … Read more

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KAI Build Named MOWIT 2021 Breaking Barriers Contractor of the Year

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KAI Build has been named the 2021 Breaking Barriers Contractor of the Year by the Missouri Women in Trades organization. KAI accepted the award during MOWIT’s Blue Collar Black Tie Awards Gala honoring and celebrating women in the trades on Sept. 17 at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 Grand Hall in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 2008, MOWIT works to expand opportunities for women to enter and succeed in apprenticeship and careers in the construction and building trades in the greater St. Louis area. MOWIT works with employers, unions, educational organizations and other entities to increase women’s equal employment … Read more

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Building Talent Foundation, Simpson Strong-Tie Form Alliance to Promote Trades

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Building Talent Foundation and Simpson Strong-Tie have formed a strategic alliance to promote the growth of the residential construction industry workforce in the United States. BTF is a non-profit organization focused on connecting young and underserved people to skilled trades training and career opportunities. Simpson Strong-Tie is committed to giving back to its communities by contributing to the quality of construction trades education and the promotion and advancement of the trades. BTF’s mission is to advance the education, training and career progression of young people and people from underrepresented groups, as skilled technical workers and business owners in residential construction. … Read more

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AISC Offers $5,000 for Next Great Steel Floor Beam Connection

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Structural steel is already the gold standard for rapid erection. But what if we could make it even faster? The American Institute of Steel Construction is offering $5,000 for up to three great ideas to revolutionize steel floor beam connections. Your back-of-the-napkin, so-crazy-it-just-might-work concept could become the next revolutionary, non-proprietary connection system. The key words are FAST and EASY – to design, fabricate and erect safely. The ideal solution will be fast and easy to install, will reduce rotation of floor beam connections to improve performance, will use technology that is not typically found in construction (think: 3D printing, adhesives, … Read more

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