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One of our favorite customers, Sanchez Solar Cleaning was tasked with cleaning the solar panels at the Angeles National Forest Headquarters building in Arcadia, CA. The perfect machine for the job was a JLG 1350SJP Telescoping Boom Lift. The problem was that they also needed operator training.

Luckily, we were able to provide both.

Here’s what they had to say about their experience with Elite Construction:

We appreciate Elite for taking the time to help us learn all there is to know about operating an elevating work platform. The training you provided was incredibly helpful and eye-opening. We came in with an idea of how to get the job done, but the Elite Construction Equipment staff guided us through the correct method and provided us not only the rental, but with the training required to operate the equipment.

Being able to clean ninety-two (92) solar panels on top of the Angeles National Forest Headquarters building in Arcadia, CA with the DB-135 Straight Boom, we were able to tackle our biggest job yet with ease!  We truly appreciate Elite for coming out on the day of the project and assisting us as well as answering any questions or concerns we had that day.

For any future big projects that we have, we will definitely go with Elite Construction Equipment for our rentals!

Thank you,
Vincent & Daniel Sanchez

Home building professionals have seen a historic increase in material costs this year. Lumber has been the biggest culprit going from a pre-pandemic level of about $400 per thousand board feet to a record $1,700 per thousand board feet in May. 

Are these wild price increases a result of inflation bursting through the entire economy?

The infusion of trillions of dollars into the American economy through pandemic relief including stimulus checks, boosted unemployment benefits, and a very accommodating Federal Reserve policy has left the economy awash in cash. 

While the pandemic put the brakes on virtually all businesses, it actually created conditions ripe for high demand for home builders and therefore a great need for supplies, especially lumber. Super low interest rates and low available home inventory created a hot market. Since construction was considered an “essential” business, many builders had a very good year, even by normal standards. The industry is the biggest user of lumber products of course, but on top of industry demand, consumers found themselves with a lot of time at home and stimulus money to inspire them to do long put-off DIY projects. Demand from consumers took home improvement stores by surprise and shortages eventually followed.

Besides unexpected demand, lumber mills had idled or slowed production. But even before Covid hit the US, lumber inventories were low. 

“Inventories were down 33%,” Mace McCain, president of Frost Investment Advisors said. “And then the surge of the housing production, which increased demand by 14%. So we got two big imbalance happened very quickly.” *

Another challenge is that even though housing and consumer demand has slowed very recently, it is still super hot. New home construction was up 50% in May compared to a year ago and up 21% from May 2019.

Remarkably in only a few weeks since the May high in price, lumber prices have tanked. Now at about $900 per thousand board feet, it’s still quite high but dramatically cheaper. As lumber mills ramp up to meet demand and take advantage of high prices, more product will become available.

Looking at the bigger picture, commodities in general typically spike when inflation is accelerating, though concerns eased as commodity futures from copper to nickel cooled. Commodity prices are often taken as a barometer of wider forces in the economy.

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday pointed to lumber’s falling prices to back up the central bank’s claim that inflation will be temporary. *

In spite of the Fed’s diligence at monitoring inflation, the economy is really in uncharted territory. We’ve never experienced such an unexpected crash of all sectors of the economy, followed by record government stimulus, which seems to generally be working better than we could have imagined.

Low inventories and production delays due to Covid are still significantly affecting many sectors including electronics and automobiles. The chip shortage is likely to be a problem for at least the next year if not more. Automakers and manufactures of a wide range of products have been using ever more processing chips in their products, meanwhile manufacturing capacity has not increased. The fact that most of the chips are made in only a couple of places in the world has created a crunch that will take significant investment and time to remedy. Shipping, including for chips, has experienced serious backups as well as capacity shortage. The good news is that all of this has already prodded manufacturers to make plans to increase chip manufacturing capacity in the US. 

Though there is a possibility that inflation will become a real problem throughout the economy, it is more likely that we’ll see temporary ups and downs as we have seen in lumber. There is good reason to believe that most of the imbalances in the supply chain can be worked out in the foreseeable future and that we’ll be better off with a more robust manufacturing infrastructure after the dust has settled.

* https://markets.businessinsider.com/

The Product Spotlight this month is on the Genie 3232. This is a very unique machine able to go up to 32’ and is only 32” wide. This narrow unit is able to go through a standard door where the common 46” wide model has to go through a double door. Electrically-powered, it is available with Genie AC E-Drive or hydraulic drive configuration.

Overview:

• Genie® AC E-Drive configuration offers increased runtime, reduced maintenance costs and industry-leading performance
• Front-wheel drive and zero inside turning radius
• Easily pass through standard single or double doors
• Large platform workspace with 36 in (0.91 m)  roll-out platform extension
• Swing out components trays for easy access
• User-friendly Smart Link™ dual-zone controls for indoor and outdoor use

Due to its narrow size the machine is equipped with stabilizers that must be set to allow the machine to reach its full 32′ height. Without the stabilizers in place the machine has a limited work height. To our knowledge the 3232 is the only narrow 32’ electric scissor on the market at this time that can reach this height. Besides its narrow access, the stabilizer feature allows users to level the machine in areas where standard electric scissors wouldn’t be able to operate.

Specs:

Brochure and detailed specs

This months product spotlight is on the compact JLG G5-18 Telehandler

For the job site where space is at a premium and productivity is a necessity, the G5-18A telehandler delivers the maneuverability and versatility you need. This is a small versatile telehandler that is low profile and able to fit into a parking structure and great for landscaping too.

Important features include

– Superior Maneuverability Tight turning radius, narrow width and low machine height
– Versatility Wide variety of attachments to handle job site challenges
– Comfortable Cab Spacious cab with single joystick control and 360-degree visibility
– Maximized Serviceability Easy access to components for service and repair

Key Specs

• Maximum Lift Capacity: 5500 lb / 2494.76 kg
• Maximum Lift Height: 18 ft 4 in. / 5.59 m
• Maximum Reach: 10 ft 11 in. / 3.33 m

Key Features

• Comfortable cab to reduce operator fatigue
• Tight turning radius to maneuver through crowded jobsites
• Fuel-efficient Tier 4 final Deutz engine
• Variety of attachments for versatility in handling jobsite challenges
• Universal skid steer adapter compatible with existing skid steer attachments

G5-18A-Brochure

G5-18A-Spec-Sheet

The National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates that approximately 1 billion dollars of construction equipment is stolen each year in the United States.¹ Even with modern advantages like 24/7 webcams and motion sensor detectors to trigger lighting, theft and vandalism is an increasing problem.

Job sites are generally easy targets because:

• Multiple pieces of equipment use the same keys
• Large unsecured areas are common
• Tools and supplies are often left out in the open
• Lumber is left out and not secured
• Metals (especially copper) and other supplies are not secured.

Many times the crimes are not planned, simply crimes of opportunity. Someone walking or driving by a site happens to notice tools left out at the end of a day, or spools of copper wire left out in plain sight.

Other times when crime is planned, the results can devastate an individual contractor. 

In North Carolina not long ago, three men were arrested for stealing two work trucks, two trailers and two mini excavators from a construction company. In a separate incident four men were charged in Cleveland for stealing over a million dollars of construction equipment. 

Besides targeting tools and machines, materials like lumber and copper make attractive targets, especially today with rising material prices and shortages due to Covid, etc. 

Generally theft happens when job sites are not well monitored and when barriers have not been put in place. Too many entrances and exits can complicate security even when barriers and climb-deterring hardware is installed.

Another important area of concern is when a disgruntled worker walks off the site with tools or materials. Being present as a supervisor can make a huge difference in maintaining good working relationships as well as raise red flags when a worker or workers are dissatisfied. Having regular meetings with workers allows a boss to address problems quickly and lets workers know that they are also being monitored.

Loss of equipment leads to a loss of efficiency and therefore a loss of profit. 

Andrew Lambert, a group program manager at Milwaukee Tool,…says industry research shows that 30 percent of tool and equipment purchases are made to replace lost or stolen items. Even when equipment hasn’t been stolen, it can be misplaced by workers on a construction site. Lambert said 35 percent of the typical worker’s time is considered nonproductive, and a majority of that time is spent looking for items needed to execute work.₁

New technologies are giving contractors better tools to fight crime. 

Common sense low-tech solutions help and need to be part of an overall security plan. Contractors should take advantage of asset ID tagging and barcodes, worksite barriers etc. Increasingly however, high-tech solutions are becoming more available, more effective, and more affordable. 

Milwaukee Tool has its One-Key solution. It offers multiple approaches for different kinds of goals like bluetooth technology (something like Apple’s new Air Tags) for showing the last known location of an item and pinging your device as you get close. They have tags that are meant for harsh outdoor conditions as well as small tool tags.

One-Key also offers Geofencing. This alerts you when equipment walks away. You can create an invisible perimeter around any site and assign equipment to that place. When a tool assigned to one of your geofences is seen outside of it, you’ll be notified.

Pro-Vigil is a company that offers remote video monitoring along with artificial intelligence to identify sounds and distinguish between something like breaking glass verses canvass flapping in the wind. Its motion activated system turns on lights, alarms and plays recorded announcements to scare off intruders. 

These high-tech solutions to construction theft might have been too expensive in the past to be practical for many contractors. Over recent years, not only have costs come down, effectiveness of these systems has increased. When factoring in the rising costs of materials and machinery along with the downtime associated with idled workers, the cost benefit ratio has made considering high-tech security options a must.

¹ https://www.constructormagazine.com/solving-a-billion-dollar-problem/

The construction industry has a back problem. Active workers face a staggering incidence of back pain and injury. In America as a whole more than 50 million adults suffer chronic back pain. Each year 264 million days of work are lost to back pain totalling $100 billion in loses to American companies each year. 

Not surprisingly back pain among those in the construction industry is higher than for Americans as a whole, in fact about 20% higher. That figure holds the same across different age groups, so youth is not necessarily as much an advantage as we might think.¹

Back pain is a symptom. The problem is the nature of the work, and it’s not just heavy lifting. Twisting, flexing, bending and reaching all play a roll, as well as constant repetitive motion. According to the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR):

…many construction occupations require bending or twisting of the body and repetitive motions in work performance. Brickmasons are more likely to use bending, twisting, and repetitive motions during most of their work than other occupations, followed closely by painters and drywall installers. Many construction jobs also involve kneeling, crouching, stooping, and crawling, which increase the risk of WMSDs as well. Concrete workers, heating and air conditioning mechanics, roofers, and painters have to work in such postures for at least 60% of their working time. Overall, about three-quarters (75%) of workers in construction production occupations need to kneel, crouch, stoop, or crawl for at least half of their work time. ²

Solutions

Typically relief from back pain takes the form of addressing symptoms through anti-inflammatory medicine, opioids, physical therapy, and surgery. Safer practices like warming up before activity, proper form when lifting or bending help, but ultimately fail because of the unpredictable nature of the work. 

Robotics have just started to be used more often in construction. They are increasingly more helpful at placing materials where needed and saving the workers twisting and bending so much when working with something like cinder blocks. Innovation in this field has been accelerated because of Covid. Keeping safe work distances and working with fewer crew members have made robotics a good way to assist contractors in keeping workers safe while staying efficient.

Exosuits

An emerging field of technology to help avoid injury is the exosuit. Unlike simple braces or wraps to support a worker’s joints exosuits can be effective in fighting fatigue and back injury. Exosuits have become relatively inexpensive, practical and much more comfortable in recent years. They don’t have to be heavy or restrictive and can provide support for repetitive movements assisting in lifting and bending over through the course of the workday.

Valuable information can be found on the latest in exoskeleton technology around the web including Sites like ExoskeletonReport.com 

Back pain and injury are clearly a big problem in the construction industry leading to downtime for workers and sometimes chronic injury. For contractors this not only leads to a less productive and cost-effective work force, but may open the door for law suits or medical expenses that hopefully can be avoided. Embracing newer options like robotics and exosuits might seem a bit too sci-fi until you see how effective these modern solutions can be for this long persistent problem.

¹ https://www.forconstructionpros.com/business/construction-safety/safety-equipment-other/article/21404043/herowear-llc-heavy-lifting-isnt-the-only-reason-behind-constructions-expensive-back-pain-problem

² https://www.cpwr.com/research/data-center/the-construction-chart-book/chart-book-6th-edition-hazards-and-exposures-exposure-risks-for-work-related-musculoskeletal-disorders-and-other-illnesses-in-construction/

The JLG 1255 Telehandler

JLG redesigned their telehandlers in 2015 to help you navigate terrain more confidently and move materials more efficiently. The new cab design of the 1255 gives you better field of vision while an optional reversing camera and reverse sensing system alert you to objects behind your machine. It features the Stabil-Trak rear axle stabilization system and a new hood made with a heat-resistant polymer that is more durable than ABS or fiberglass.

You can depend on them to carry loads up to a 5,000 lb capacity at maximum lift height, and still have enough power to handle the biggest jobs. The new cab design gives you better field of vision while an optional reversing camera and reverse sensing system alert you to objects behind your machine.

With an array of attachments and accessories, this versatile machine is ready for a huge range of jobs!