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Better Roads

Aggregates Manager

Your Practical Guide to ConExpo-Con/Agg from the editors of Aggregates Manager and Better Roads

February edition - click here
March edition - click here

In this edition:

	Get real results from virtual planning
	How to get around Las Vegas
	Pocket guide to essential show facts
	Seminar highlights
	New products you’ll find at ConExpo-Con/Agg
	Exhibitor news
	Our highly biased, unofficial restaurant reviews
	We bet you didn't know...

Use Virtual Planning to Deal with a Record-Size Show
ConExpo-Con/Agg (CECA) 2008 has topped its own exhibit space sales record — and possibly that of any U.S. or Canadian exposition to be held in 2008 — reaching the more than 2 million mark for net square feet for the first time ever (equivalent 186,000 net square meters), according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

And this can make the triennial exposition, which will be held March 11-15, 2008, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, that much more daunting.

 But now North America’s trade show can be cut down to size by allowing attendees to go online and map out their visit ahead of time by using the show's interactive Virtual Trade Show, which includes an interactive floor plan of exhibits. Attendees can make a personalized list of companies and products they most want to see, thus maximizing their time onsite.

The show has added additional outdoor exhibit space, and ConExpo-Con/Agg officials are working with the convention center to configure exhibit areas for maximum convenience for attendees. The show will be divided into product concentration areas, grouping similar products and companies. An expanded system of interactive product locators will be on the show floor for added convenience, searchable by company or product, and with seminar and meeting information also available. Fully staffed information stands will be set up throughout the show.

Other show services will include an expanded (and free) shuttle bus system to transport visitors from hotels to and from the convention center, and an intra-show shuttle bus system will also be expanded. A comprehensive international trade center will be available to provide additional assistance to international visitors, with information in several world languages.

Getting Around Las Vegas during ConExpo-Con/Agg
Driving and parking during CECA are very difficult during the show week, but the city and show management have provided many attractive transportation alternatives. Some of the Las Vegas transportation options provide service to and from the convention center, some get you around town, and some do both.

Las Vegas Monorail
The monorail travels behind the resorts on the east side of The Strip from the Sahara Hotel to the MGM Grand with stops at the Hilton, the convention center, Harrah’s/Imperial Palace, the Flamingo/Caesar’s Palace, and Bally’s/Paris. It runs seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday and until 3 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Individual, multi-day, and group ticket prices are available.

CECA show management also has arranged a special 20-percent discount for CECA and IFPE attendees and exhibitors on all type of monorail tickets. The discount offer ends on Feb. 26, 2008.

To order these discount tickets, go to https://tickets.lvmonorail.com/CONEXPO-CON/AGG/IFPE/2008/.

Las Vegas Strip Trolley
 A part of the public transportation system, trolleys run about every 20 to 30 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to midnight. Stops include the Stratosphere, Circus-Circus, Slots of Fun, Fashion Show Mall, The Mirage, New York-New York, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, Tropicana, MGM Grand, Bally’s Imperial Palace, Harrah’s, Riviera, Sahara, and the Hilton. Fare is $2.50, and exact fare is required. Group charters are available.

The Deuce
The Deuce, Las Vegas’ newest mode of public transportation, is a double-decker bus that runs along The Strip. It also provides a departure-only service for convention center visitors every 20 minutes from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with regular stops from Circus Circus to the South Strip Transfer Terminal.

Shuttle Buses
Show management provides shuttle bus service to and from the convention center from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday during the show. At press time for this e-newsletter, the bus schedule was not yet available from show management. But we’ll make sure to have it for you in one of our upcoming editions.

Citizens Area Transit
Public bus routes run throughout the city and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A one-way fare on The Strip costs $2 and is slightly less in the rest of the city. A day pass is $5.

Taxis
Thirteen companies provide taxi service in Las Vegas making them an alternative to public transportation. Fares start with $3.30 on the meter and $2.20 is added for each additional mile.

A cab from McCarran International Airport to The Strip will run you about $15 to $20, plus tip. Keep in mind, too, that both the taxi lines — and the wait itself — will be extremely long during the show.

Seminar Highlights
Here’s a look at some of the seminars that road and aggregates industry professionals might find useful in their business. For a complete schedule, click here.

Seminar Schedule

T-21: The Use of Wireless Technologies at Aggregate Plants — Learn how the use of wireless technology is improving plant operations, including the

• Radio control technologies that are available;
• How to monitor plant performance and enhance communications.
• The cost implications and benefits to the bottom line.

• How baghouse fines affect VMA and air voids.

• How to operate your baghouse properly to regulate VMA and air voids in the final mix.

• Equipment options available for returning only a portion of baghouse fines effectively and consistently.

• The options available for effective rock crushing, such as vibratory feeders;

• Pros and cons of the various methods.

• How implementation can produce a favorable return on investment.

• The issues associated with managing digital design data for the jobsite lifecycle.

• Tools available for data preparation, data management and data tracking.

• How design changes are seamlessly incorporated across the jobsite.

• How the history of the plant figures into the automation process;

• How automation affects maintenance schedules.

• How to realize energy savings by producing remotely in off-peak hours.

• Construction theft prevention strategies.

• The various tracking and recovery systems available for construction equipment.

• How to work with law enforcement in the case of an incident.

Exhibit Sneak Peeks
As part of Better Roads' and Aggregates Manager’s continuing series highlighting aspects of the show that pertain to road and aggregates industry professionals, here’s a peek at some of the products or services that manufacturers who pertain to both industries will feature at the show.

Two new asphalt pavers
Roadtec will highlight two new 8-foot paver models introduced late in 2007. The RP-170 is a rubber-tired machine and the RP-175 moves on rubber tracks. Features include 174-horsepower, Tier 3 engines, dramatically increased fuel capacity, reduced noise, and swing-out seats with new operator control layouts.

Vision series pavers
ConExpo-Con/Agg will mark the first public showing of Vogele’s new Vision series pavers, which are said to be quieter, cooler, and more productive than the competing models. Featured will be the 10-foot Vision 5200 track and wheel-mounted models. Like the other Vision models, they are said to give operators unparalleled all around visibility without turning. Swing-out operator stations and sloping machine and hood lines allow the operator unfettered view of the sides, the hopper, the conveyor, and to the front and rear of the machine.

Advanced microsurfacing controls
Bergkamp will introduce its new electronic mix control and diagnostic system for its M310 slurry seal/microsurfacing paver at ConExpo-Con/Agg. EMCAD allows the contractor to evaluate production and make adjustments while the machine is working. It simplifies material calibration and shows current and average material ratios, total material used, and material rates to efficiently track costs and production. It also assists with on-board control troubleshooting, comes standard on Bergkamp's new M3 Series and is optional on its M1 full-size continuous paver.

Highway portable stacker
Thor Global features its new T150-20, a 48-inch by 150-foot highway-portable telescopic stacker. The unit can be folded up and ready for transportation or unfolded and ready for production within 15 minutes, the company says, and can stockpile up to 2,000 tons per hour. The company attributes its experience in cranes in helping it to design the correct balance of weight and structure to create a high-throughput, strong machine. As part of the ThorStack 2 line, the new stacker features a quick-release system that allows the operator to easily engage or disengage the radial drive system within three minutes. It also boasts zero-speed switches on inner and outer conveyors to protect the stacker from overloading if the belt is broken or slips.

Automated wheel wash system
Innovative Equipment Solutions will introduce its new Neptune Series of fully automated, drive-through wheel wash systems, which can be configured with one-, two-, or three-tire revolutions of cleaning to eliminate job site trackout. Featuring concrete or galvanized steel sidewall construction, the system can be used in either permanent or temporary installations. All models are engineered with a fully automated, closed-loop water recycling and solids separation process. The series is said to feature a high-volume, low-pressure water design to prevent overspray and the knocking of oil and grease from the truck chassis. Its extra-wide, 42-inch wash elements flex the tire tread open to allow the high water volume flow to flush the tires clean while a highly focused spray is easily achieved with adjustable nozzle assemblies.

Screen stringer system
Polydeck Screen Corp. will debut its PipeTop II Stringer System, a new design that maximizes versatility from a single frame. Available in three forms — bundled rails for a new screen deck, jigged conversions for changing out an existing frame, or a complete screen deck frame to retrofit an older shaker — PipeTop II is said to offer a variety of production benefits. Its 1/2-inch rails, when coupled with Polydeck’s Maxi screen panel designs, provide high open area that may match wire cloth in many cases. It also offers multiple fastening options from a single frame including PolySnap and traditional pin-style versions. The fastener heads are polyurethane and screw into steel ferrules on the frame rails. If a fastener head becomes worn, it can be removed and replaced individually rather than replacing an entire frame. For applications requiring a changeover to wire cloth, crown adapters fit both fastener head types and offer the ability to change between screen media with a minimal investment of time and money.

Pulleys eliminate high-stress areas
Continental Conveyor & Equipment Co. plans to roll out its Continental JLV pulleys, which are designed around the application of keyless locking elements between end-discs and shafts. Widely used in high-tension pulley applications, the company expanded the use of the technology below the level of high-tension pulleys. Key advantages include the following: end discs are made from solid plates rather than weld-in hubs; the bending moment at the hub is reduced without sacrificing strength and durability; lighter pulley construction provides similar durability to heavier pulleys; and the units feature a stress-balanced design that matches stresses and deflections of all pulley components and thereby eliminates high-stress areas in the pulley. The Continental JLV pulleys are available in mine-duty turbo-disc, engineered turbo-disc, heavy-duty T-bottom, and dead-shaft designs.

Track-mounted crushers
Terex Pegson’s ConExpo-Con/Agg lineup includes three new track-mounted crushers: the large XA750 jaw, the XV350 vertical shaft impactor, and the SH250 horizontal impactor. The XA750 is an entirely new jaw plant for larger quarry and recycling applications. Featuring a modular design for maximum capacity, it boasts a hopper/feeder section with live pre-screen that is removable for transport if required. A one-piece hydraulically raised/lowered product conveyor, extended dirt and fines conveyor, and Jaques 55- by 35-inch jaw round out the plant. The XH250 HSI targets smaller recycling and quarry operations while the XV350 VSI boasts an updated 1300 Maxtrak chassis.

Check out the February 2008 print publications of both Aggregates Manager and Better Roads magazines for an extensive look at what will be featured at the show.

Look for more product previews in the February and March edition of our CECA e-newsletter.  Click here to subscribe.

Exhibitor News

Barlow Marketing Group to Discuss Manufacturers’ Growth at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008
Barlow Marketing Group (BMG) will exhibit at Booth No. C-4742 in the Central Hall at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008 and will be available to discuss the company’s ability to help organizations grow through hands-on implementation of ideas and strategic plans. BMG is a hands-on strategic planning, sales development, channel management, research, marketing, and international expansion solutions company, which works solely in the construction, mining and aggregate, environmental, demolition, and recycling markets.

During ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008, BMG will not only continue to partner with its clients at the show, but it will exhibit its unique capabilities in its own booth. Visitors who stop by the BMG booth will learn about the company’s ability to help organizations grow through hands-on implementation of ideas and strategic plans.

BMG is currently active on the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ (AEM) Membership Committee and has participated in the AEM International and Marketing Councils.

The company is a member of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA, Associated Equipment Distributors (AED), Scaffold Industry Association (SIA), and Construction Writers Association. (CWA). In addition, BMG participates in many industry events and trade shows, including the AED’s Executive Forum and CONDEX, CONEXPO-CON/AGG, bauma, ICUEE, MinExpo, World of Concrete, World of Asphalt, Intermat, and American Public Works.

Management personnel are frequent industry event speakers, including AEM international and marketing events, Coal Prep, MineWest, VDMA (the engineering and manufacturing association for German manufacturers), market-specific events, and numerous manufacturers’ events.

Let’s get together at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008!
Better Roads and Aggregates Manager magazines, now part of Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. Construction Media Group, and our sister publications, Equipment World and Total Landscape Care, will be at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008. We welcome your comments and suggestions about how we can make our magazines even better for you, so please stop by our exhibit located in the Central Hall, Booth C-7155.

We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas!

After the Show: Our Biased, Unofficial Restaurant Reviews

After a long day of seminars, meetings, and booth visits, some downtime where you can enjoy some good food and some fun is in order. Here are some restaurant reviews from Aggregates Manager’s and Better Roads’ Publisher Mike Porcaro to help tease and please the palate.

In the last 10 years, more restaurants have opened in Las Vegas than in any other city in North America. While many of these have famous owners or well-known brand names, I personally enjoy dining at restaurants that are somewhat off the beaten path and much frequented by locals.

So here are my picks of places where you should consider dining while attending ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008 in Las Vegas.

• Piero’s

• Mimmo Ferraro’s

• THE Steak House at Circus Circus

• Andre’s

• Hash House A Go Go

• The Tillerman

• Yolie’s Brazilan Steakhouse

Piero’s
355 Convention Center Dr., Las Vegas, NV
Phone: 702-369-2305
www.pieroscuisine.com

Relive the days of the Rat Pack at this retro-styled Vegas mainstay, where leather booths and plenty of attitude-infused atmosphere set the scene. Select from soup and hot or cold hors d'oeuvres to start — marinated calamari salad and Roman-style stuffed artichokes are favorites. Entrées such as scaloppini parmagiana and chicken breast with artichoke hearts are prepared simply and expertly. Cap off your meal with Piero's signature spumoni, the Cassatina al Liquore, and don't be surprised to see a few famous faces at this Vegas favorite.

Mimmo Ferraro’s
5900 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV
Phone: 702-364-5300
www.ferroslasvegas.com

Cuisine: Italian

I’ve been traveling to Las Vegas for nearly 30 years and I have yet to find an Italian restaurant in this city, or in many places throughout the country for that matter, as good as Mimmo Ferraro’s. In a town with many new and trendy restaurants, Mimmo Ferraro’s sticks to the basics.great food and great service at a very fair price.

A short cab ride from the strip and downtown, Ferraro’s is a true epicurean treasure. Featuring a host of traditional Ferraro family recipes from homemade breads and pastas to authentic desserts, the signature dish is Osso Buco, the restaurant’s five-star Diamond Award entrée. In addition, the seafood dishes are a standout on a menu filled with joyful entrees.

Boasting a wine cellar with more than 900 bottles of the grape, including many Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast award winners, the connoisseur will have no trouble finding a vintage that fits the meal.

Making the diner feel like family starts with the elegance and atmosphere of Mimmo Ferraro’s, which is apparent from the time visitors are greeted at the door. Their superb service includes a knowledgeable wait staff who council the diner on everything from appetizers to desserts to wine flights.

Make this restaurant a must during your visit to ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008!

To quote the Ferraro Family, “Mangi! Bevi! Ti diverti! Eat! Drink! Enjoy yourself!”

THE Steak House at Circus Circus
Located at the Circus Circus Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
Phone: 702-794-3767
www.circuscircus.com/dining/the_steakhouse.aspx

Cuisine: Steak, chops, seafood

When I tell people about THE Steak House at Circus Circus, I am often greeted by a skeptical look. A steak house located in a hotel that’s known for flying trapeze artists and high-wire acts?

Yes!

I’ve been going to THE Steak House for nearly 20 years, and while I try other steak places in Las Vegas, I keep coming back. Featuring steaks aged for 21 days and mesquite grilling, the diner will enjoy an atmosphere that reminds one of when Vegas was Vegas.

An outstanding wine list accompanied by excellent service. You can enjoy outstanding appetizers, salads and soups, and for those who are not steak lovers, fear not, as the menu includes a variety of seafood, including lobster and crab legs.

I guarantee you’ll enjoy THE Steak House at Circus Circus, and who knows, maybe the trapeze artists will ask you to be part of the act!

Andre’s
401 South Sixth Street, Las Vegas, NV
Phone: 702-385-6016
www.andrelv.com

Cuisine: French

There are three Chef Andre’ Rochat restaurants in Las Vegas (one is located in the Monte Carlo Hotel, and another, Alize,’ is located at the Top of The Palms), but for an amazing dining experience, try the original located in a nearly 70-year old home with multiple dining rooms in a quiet neighborhood off of downtown Vegas.

Since it first opened in 1980, Andre’s is one of the most honored restaurants in Las Vegas offering the experience of a traditional “country French” atmosphere.

With a variety of outstanding French dishes, Chef Andre’s menu ranges from the finer, such as the Caspian Sea Golden Osetra caviar served on Buckwheat Blini for $180 for a starter, to the more traditional, such as Dover sole, pan seared Magret of duck, steak Poivre, and Atlantic salmon topped with King Crab Legs!

Treat yourself, and bon appétit!

Hash House A Go Go
6800 West Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV
Phone: 702- 804-4646
www.hashhouseagogo.com

Cuisine: Eclectic

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Hash House A Go Go is one funky joint with great food. I go there for the breakfast and that’s the experience I know best about this place, but the lunch, brunch, and dinner are worth the effort too...

Make sure you have plenty of time, as it will take awhile for you to decide which of the unusual breakfast dishes you wish to order. After starting with the fresh squeezed juices, you need to decide which one of their signature “house hashes” is best for your palate.

Choose among these hashes all tossed with crispy potatoes and topped with two eggs, served with fruit and a biscuit:

• Roasted Chicken, garlic, onions, asparagus, and rosemary;

• Ground Turkey, hardwood smoked bacon, onion, and smoked mozzarella;

• Corned beef, red onions, and Swiss cheese;

• House-smoked fresh salmon, cream cheese, and scallions;

• Mushroom, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomato, and fresh spinach;

• Roasted pork tenderloin, charred tomato, corn, baby green beans, and mozzarella;

• HH Famous Meatloaf, roasted red peppers, fresh spinach, and smoked mozzarella.

In addition to the hashes, you have your choice of a variety of “farm and house scrambles,” Hash House eggs benedict (several choices), flapjacks and waffles, and “Indiana favorites,” including fried chicken and meatloaf with sausage gravy to go along with your eggs.

If you like a very hearty breakfast and a pretty cool atmosphere too, try the Hash House.

The Tillerman
2245 E. Flamingo, Las Vegas, NV
Phone: 702-731-4036
www.tillerman.com

Cuisine: Specializing in seafood, steaks, and chops

Having been in business for 20 years, this long-time Las Vegas favorite specializes in seafood, and does a marvelous job with steaks and chops, too. All entries are accompanied by an extensive salad bar. Seafood is flown in daily from all over the world, and the wine list is superb and features both well-known and smaller “case” wineries.

An additional unique feature on the menu is the “sides,” especially the proscuitto-wrapped asparagus, sweet white onions, and shoestring potatoes.

Located just a few minutes from the strip, The Tillerman offers excellent service with a wonderful dining atmosphere for all to enjoy.

Yolie’s Brazilan Steakhouse
3900 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV
Phone: 702-794-0700

Cuisine: Brazilian “churrascaria”-style meat and poultry 

It’s called a “steakhouse” and, of course, they serve steak, but this is a complete dining experience, which goes well-beyond the many new “Brazilian” steak places popping up all over the last few years, Yolie’s is an original as one of the first of this type of restaurant in the United States. 

For just more than $30 per person, you are treated to the traditional “churrascaria,” or Brazilian BBQ, which includes several types of meats at the choice of the diner, including steak, spicy sausages, turkey, lamb, and chicken all mesquite-grilled. Including several side dishes (my favorite is the fried plantains), and pre- and post-main course dishes, the black bean soup is an excellent choice. 

While the food is superb, I like Yolie’s for it fun-filled atmosphere where customers share their experiences with great chatter and laughter.

We Bet You Didn’t Know….

…The ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008 and co-located IFPE 2008 expositions have been selected by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to participate in its International Buyer Program (IBP). The IBP will help bring international attendees to the shows and facilitate at-show connections with exhibitors wanting to sell to the global marketplace.

Only a few expositions are named to the IBP each year based on their status as quality events serving industries with excellent export potential. Approximately 20 percent of show attendance to the co-located events is expected to come from outside the United States.

…The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) announces the formation of a new exhibition — ConExpo Russia — in response to manufacturers seeking improved opportunities to showcase their products and technologies to the growing Russian marketplace. The inaugural show will be held Sept. 15-18, 2008 at the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Center in Moscow.

ConExpo Russia will focus on construction, forestry, and utility equipment. AEM is organizing ConExpo Russia in conjunction with the Exhibition and Marketing Center, a Moscow-based exhibition organizer of DORKOMEXPO.

www.conexporussia.com. For more information, contact Alan Stenum in United States at 414-298-4144 or astenum@aem.org; in Russia, Anastasia Belyaeva at 7-495-764-4013 or anastasia_irf@mail.ru; and in China, Helen Sun at 011-86-10-85191566 or hsun@cm1.com. The AEM general contact information is phone 800-867-6060 (toll free) or 414-298-4150, fax is 414-272-2672, and e-mail is info@aem.org.

Check out the February edition of Aggregates Manager’s and Better Roads’ ConExpo-Con/Agg e-newsletter for more restaurant reviews and some creative options for spending more time than money while taking a break from booths and educational seminars at CECA.  Click here to subscribe.

This newsletter was compiled by Tina Grady Barbaccia, Senior Editor of Aggregates Manager and Aggregates Manager e-News. To contact Tina about the Better Roads and Aggregates Manager ConExpo-Con/Agg e-newsletter, call (630) 364-2306 or send an e-mail to tgbarbaccia@rrpub.com.