December 2010 Past Issues/Subscribe | Printer-Friendly | Advertise
UPCOMING EVENTS
December 15, 2010 - Vintage Christmas Party - Washoe House, Petaluma, Calif.
 
Join us in Quarzsite, Ariz., for desert camping. We will carpool to the Quartzsite RV Show (a FREE RV show) and have our traditional potluck and evening campfires. Camping is considered to be "dry," therefore there is NO CHARGE! A water service and a pump out service are available for a fee. Campers will need to bring generators to provide power.
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CRA Board and Committee Meetings - Palm Desert, Calif.
 
We are proud to be an official supporting organization for CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011. CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011 is your source for what’s new in construction and will be the meeting place for construction industry professionals. Make Las Vegas your destination for ideas and products that positively influence everything you do—from safety, to sustainability, to your bottom line.
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February 27 - March 2, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas
 
VENDOR NEWS
Husqvarna, a world leader in outdoor power equipment for forestry, lawn and garden care, reported in November that it has developed two new professional chain saws. According to Husqvarna, the new 555 and 562 XP chain saws will change the way the industry classifies best-in-class.
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On December 9, Caterpillar Inc. announced several changes at the officer level, including the initial leadership for the integration of Bucyrus International. The company is also announcing the completion of organizational changes that will position Caterpillar to deliver on its Vision 2020 strategy. Among the changes: Jim Parker, vice president, Americas Distribution Division, will retire and his replacement will be Bill Finerty.
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According to a December 2 company press release, Kubota Tractor Corporation has added power and new deluxe features to its Standard L-Series with the introduction of the L3200 and L3800. Available in two-and-four wheel drive models, the L3200 and the L3800 deliver 31.9 and 37.4 gross horsepower, respectively. New deluxe styling, operator control features, and performance-matched loader and backhoe bring exceptional value to Kubota’s L-Series models.
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In a November 12 press release, Hilti announced that the corporate research team at Selling Power has identified their company as the best manufacturing company to sell for. Hilti finished first in the magazine’s annual "50 Best Companies to Sell For," a comparison and evaluation of the largest U.S. sales forces.
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The three-year anniversary of the Wacker Neuson merger provides proof of concept, with the Group’s strategy of becoming a one-stop provider of light and compact equipment emerging a clear success. Taking stock of the last three years, the Group reported positive progress in a November 2 press release, having reached key milestones defined during the merger and firmly placing itself on the road to further growth.
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On November 1, Alloyfold New Zealand and PS Furniture announced the formation of a new partnership. PS Furniture will serve as Alloyfold’s exclusive distributor of its model A6 aluminum folding chair in North America, Mexico and the Caribbean, beginning November 1, 2010. PS Furniture believes that partnering with innovative international companies brings an added source of value to its customers.
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BUSINESS NEWS
A recent report on sfgate.com reported that it appears outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has no more influence over the state budget. Schwarzenegger recently convened a meeting of the Big Five to urge legislative leaders to make cuts in the state budget in December, according to Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. However, Steinberg stated that "Our focus ... is working now, and working with the governor-elect on a comprehensive proposal."
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A December 7 online LA Times article reported that state legislators are making another attempt to get back salary and benefits that were cut by an independent commission last year. Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) has filed a claim against the state on behalf of all state legislators alleging that the 18 percent cut in pay and benefits was illegal. The claim, filed with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, could result in taxpayers reimbursing elected officials for millions of dollars in lost pay and benefits.
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California Watch (a new reporting initiative launched in 2009 by the independent, nonpartisan Center for Investigative Reporting) reported on December 10 that, according to new state estimates, California's population grew less than 1 percent this past fiscal year. The state added 350,174 residents between July 2009 and July 2010, bringing the total population to more than 38.8 million, the state Department of Finance said. Most of the growth, 81 percent, was due to births; net migration contributed 19 percent. The current growth rate of 0.91 percent is up slightly from last year's 0.84 percent.
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An online December 7th article on Inside Bay Area (Oakland Tribune) reported that as California prepares to start construction on its $43 billion high-speed railroad, another group of experts has cast doubt on whether the project can succeed. The California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group, which the Legislature and voters created to scrutinize the project, said in its first report that the state's largest project suffers from the "absence of a credible financial plan." The study calls for a "thorough reassessment" of several engineering, financial and managerial issues.
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David M. Smith and Steven E. Todd of Fox and Hounds Daily noted in an online December 9 article that while small business is continually referred to as the "economic engine in California," large companies also play a role in the state's economy. According to a California Department of General Services study in June 2009, small businesses are responsible for 99.2 percent of all employer firms in California. The other half of U.S. workers are employed by the 0.1 percent of businesses that are considered "big businesses." While public policies have recently been focused on strengthening smaller companies, the authors argue that we must not forget about big business.
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CARB
On December 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honored Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California with EPA’s Climate Change Champion Award in recognition of his accomplishments in green energy, clean technology, but above all for his extraordinary leadership in the struggle against global climate change.
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On December 6, TruckingInfo.com reported that December 1 marked a major milestone for the nation's transition to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel – all on-highway diesel fuel now complies with the landmark 15 parts-per-million sulfur standard. This represents a 97 percent reduction in sulfur content from 2006 levels. According to EPA's pump survey, the highway transition to ULSD was actually completed a few weeks ago, reports the Diesel Technology Forum.
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CARB Board Meetings are open to the public and are available via webcast. Board meeting agenda is available at least 10 days prior to a board meeting on the CARB website: http://www.arb.ca.gov/board/meetings.htm.
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The Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation applies to all self-propelled off-road diesel vehicles over 25 horsepower used in California, except personal use vehicles, vehicles used solely for agriculture, vehicles that are awaiting sale (rental vehicles are not exempt), vehicles covered by the cargo-handling rule, or vehicles that can only be moved on rail.
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CARB's Off-Road Mobile Sources website pertains to off-road large spark-ignition (LSI) equipment greater than 25 horsepower, including farm, construction and industrial equipment, powered by gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other alternate fuels. To see the LSI page, click "Learn More."
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The ARB's Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection Program and Periodic Smoke Inspection Program were adopted into law in 1988 (Senate Bill 1997) and 1990 (Senate Bill 2330) to control excessive smoke emissions and tampering from heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses. The regulations – CCR Title 13, Sections 2180-2189 for HDVIP; and CCR Title 13, Sections 2190-2194 for PSIP – governing these programs were last amended in 2007.
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Driving Toward a Cleaner California (DTCC) is a coalition of owners-operators, farmers, construction contractors and other business and community leaders committed to working with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to craft a sensible truck and bus replacement rule that both cleans the air and keeps California's economy moving forward.
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This CARB website page will keep you up-to-date on rulemaking to consider the proposed amendments to the regulations for In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets and Off-Road Large Spark Ignition Engine Fleet Requirements. You can also see public comments about proposed and adopted regulations here.
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HG Makelim Co
HG Makelim Co
Hitachi Power Tools
Naylor, LLC
calrental.org

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