Posted: Saturday, May 10, 2014 8:00 pm

Amtrak announces detour in North Dakota for summer

Amtrak has agreed to a request by BNSF Railway to temporarily detour the westbound Empire Builder (train 7/27) in North Dakota to speed the improvement of BNSF infrastructure between Fargo and Minot, N.D. Chartered buses will cover the missed Amtrak stations in Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby through Sept. 30.

The use of an alternate route for the westbound Empire Builder will enable BNSF to accomplish work in shorter time. The eastbound Empire Builder (Train 8/28) will operate normally and serve all scheduled stops. A Passenger Service Notice is attached.

Amtrak has been notifying affected passengers and public officials. In addition, Amtrak president and CEO Joe Boardman visited the affected region this week and the lengthy delays the Empire Builder was a major topic in meetings with leaders in each of these North Dakota communities.

Local community and business leaders prize the Empire Builder and see Amtrak service as an important public transportation link, DJ Stadtler, Amtrak vice president of operations, said. BNSF needs to speed repairs and upgrades in order to return the Empire Builder to its previous reliability as fast as possible. We fully expect this work to be done by the end of September at the latest.

BNSF has announced it is investing approximately $400 million in North Dakota to expand, replace and maintain its infrastructure, and for the implementation of Positive Train Control

This includes three siding projects between Grand Forks and Minot and four siding projects between Fargo and Grand Forks. Other work along the route involves installation of new turnouts, high speed surfacing/shoulder ballast cleaning, replacement of ties, rail relay and signal upgrades.

We are committed to investing in our infrastructure to support the regions growing economy and to better serve all of our freight customers and Amtraks passenger service, DJ Mitchell, AVP passenger operations, BNSF Railway, said. This plan will allow the work to occur more efficiently and will benefit everyone.

Posted in News on Saturday, May 10, 2014 8:00 pm.

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Amtrak announces detour in North Dakota for summer

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CARY, NC -- For 2014, the cellular PVC Ply Gem Trim and Mouldings line is now available nationwide to builders and contractors through an expanded distribution network. Ply Gem Trim and Mouldings is offered in multiple states to lumber yards and retailers serving the residential home building market, as well as to contractors through siding specialists.

"With extensive distribution networks and proven service reputation, we look forward to expanding the Trim and Mouldings line through key supply channel partners," said Jerry Blais, vice president, marketing, Ply Gem siding group.

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GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - Amtrak said Tuesday that it is suspending westbound rail service from Fargo on its Empire Builder line for four months and that passengers traveling on to Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby will have to complete their journeys on buses.

Amtrak said in a statement that the suspension of service is so that BNSF Railway Co. can make repairs to the line, which BNSF owns and Amtrak uses. The repairs are expected to last through Sept. 30.

Passengers traveling to Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby will get off the train in Fargo and take a bus to their destination stations. Passengers who want to head west from the three affected cities will be taken to Minot, where they will board the westbound train.

Eastbound traffic will maintain its usual route along the states northern tier.

BNSF is investing $400 million in infrastructure in the state. This includes three siding projects between Grand Forks and Minot and four siding projects between Fargo and Grand Forks. Other work along the route involves installation of new turnouts, high speed surfacing and shoulder ballast cleaning, replacement of ties, rail relay and signal upgrades.

BNSF said the detour will allow crews to speed up the repairs between Fargo and Minot.

Amtrak said it has notified passengers and public officials about the detour. The companys president and CEO, Joe Boardman, will visit the affected area this week to discuss the delays with North Dakota leaders.

Local community and business leaders prize the Empire Builder and see Amtrak service as an important public transportation link, DJ Stadtler, Amtraks vice president of operations, said in a statement. BNSF needs to speed repairs and upgrades in order to return the Empire Builder to its previous reliability as fast as possible.

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Amtrak service suspended to ND cities for repairs

UNITY Four years after the initial town approval and funding of the project, the Unity Elementary School building is on target to be open Sept. 2.

Were making strong progress on all fronts, said Ronald Bauer, executive vice president of Lebanon-based Trumbull-Nelson.

Trumbull-Nelson, Banwell Architect and Gordon Bristol, owners representative, were charged with getting the long-delayed project back on track earlier this year after the initial project manager and architect was let go by the school district.

Bauer met with school Principal Chip Baldwin, Unity School board members, the town code enforcement officer, a state Fire Marshals Office official and project architects at the project site Tuesday afternoon for the projects weekly meeting.

Several construction issues have been resolved, he said.

Possibly flammable foam installation used on the siding of the windows that the Fire Marshals Office would not allow has been cut out and replaced with fire retardant lumber, Bauer said.

That was a piece of the job that was very labor intensive, he said.

Additionally, the state Department of Education has tentatively approved the buildings floor plans, he said.

Some of the classrooms were too small, so some walls were knocked down and moved, Bauer said.

He has been pleasantly surprised by how little damage was caused by freezing temperatures in the building this winter, Bauer said.

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Unity School building progress being made

American artist Phillip K Smith III has fitted mirrors on every other horizontal siding slat of an old shack in the California Desert, creating the illusion that you can look right through the building. LED lights add a little extra sparkle and make the structure something spectacular to behold.

The building, now designated as art installation "Lucid Stead" had apparently been in Joshua Tree, California for some 70 years before Smith adopted and decorated it.

Smith told art magazine Dezeen "Lucid Stead is about tapping into the quiet and the pace of change of the desert. When you slow down and align yourself with the desert, the project begins to unfold before you. It reveals that it is about light and shadow, reflected light, projected light, and change."

That's a little more mysticism than I can wrap my simple mind around, but is pretty cool the way this building looks like a video game glitch from different angles. I also dig the idea of art you have to do a little off-roading to get to, and Joshua Tree is a great place to explore in 4WD.

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Watch How Mirrors Make This House Look Transparent

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Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) April 30, 2014

Floor laying services have a buyer power score of 3.3 out of 5, which implies that buyers have some leverage during the negotiation process. The moderate degree of purchasing power is the result of the fragmentation of the market. Only 0.4% of suppliers, including Spectra Contract Flooring, employ more than 100 people. To this end, buyers can pit suppliers against one another during the selection process to get the best prices. However, as the economy emerged from the recession, businesses began expanding their operations and renovating their premises. These changes led to a surge in demand for nonresidential construction services and, thus, a rise in flooring installation prices, says IBISWorld procurement analyst Kiera Outlaw.

As of 2013, a large majority of floor laying services suppliers employ fewer than 10 people, indicating a low level of concentration in the market. The large pool of suppliers indicates that buyers have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to flooring installation service providers. However, the market also displays a low level of profitability in 2013. These factors offset a buyer's degree of purchasing power. The large pool of suppliers allows buyers to pit suppliers against one another, adds Outlaw. On the other hand, the low level of profitability suggests that price differences among suppliers are not significant.

Further eroding buyer negotiation power is the steady, moderate growth in flooring installation prices. This growth is largely the result of a surge in nonresidential construction activity following the recession. Private nonresidential construction increased in the three years to 2013. During the period, businesses experienced a return to greater discretionary expenditure budgets, which spurred installation demand and price growth. For more information, visit IBISWorlds Floor Laying Services procurement category market research report page.

Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld Like IBISWorld on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189

IBISWorld Procurement Report Key Topics

This report is intended to assist buyers of floor laying services. Contractors install a variety of flooring, including resilient flooring, vinyl floor tile and sheet, wood flooring and carpet laying services. This report excludes other carpentry services such as door installation and roofing and siding services, as well as foundation laying.

Executive Summary Pricing Environment Price Fundamentals Benchmark Price Pricing Model Price Drivers Recent Price Trend Price Forecast Product Characteristics Product Life Cycle Total Cost of Ownership Product Specialization Substitute Goods Regulation Quality Control Supply Chain & Vendors Supply Chain Dynamics Supply Chain Risk Imports Competitive Environment Market Share Concentration Market Profitability Switching Costs Purchasing Process Buying Basics Buying Lead Time Selection Process Key RFP Elements Negotiation Questions Buyer Power Factors Key Statistics

About IBISWorld Inc. IBISWorld is one of the world's leading publishers of business intelligence, specializing in Industry research and Procurement research. Since 1971, IBISWorld has provided thoroughly researched, accurate and current business information. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, IBISWorlds procurement research reports equip clients with the insight necessary to make better purchasing decisions, faster. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld Procurement serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.

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Floor Laying Services Procurement Category Market Research Report Now Available from IBISWorld

DES MOINES, Iowa (PRWEB) April 29, 2014

Brad Van Weelden Co., a general contractor with a diverse offering of roofing, siding and alternative exterior home improvement services here and throughout Iowa, has been recognized as a 2014 Better Business Bureau Integrity Award Winner by the Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland Region.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Integrity Awards were created in 1993 to publicly recognize organizations and businesses for dealing fairly, honestly and ethically in the marketplace. Trust, reliability and ethics are among characteristics sought by the BBB in terms of establishing criteria for the awards with application materials judged by an independent panel of community volunteers.

To qualify for a 2014 BBB Integrity Award, eligible businesses that were nominated by a client, of at least three years in age and in good standing with the BBB were asked to submit a narrative along with supportive documentation related to their marketing and communications practices, reputation in the industry and community, and relations with customers, vendors, suppliers and employees.

We are both excited and honored to receive this award, said Brad Van Weelden Co. President Brad Van Weelden, who accepted the award on behalf of his company during a BBB awards ceremony, Thursday, April 24, at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel.

Our staff and crews were humbled to learn that we were nominated by a customer for a 2014 BBB Integrity Award. We feel like this award validates our ongoing commitment to our clients and our community. We've always been proud of our A+ rating with the BBB, and we've worked hard to maintain a professional reputation while dealing respectfully with our clients, vendors, and employees.

About Brad Van Weelden Co.

Brad Van Weelden Co. is a Des Moines, Iowa-based general contractor with 17 years of qualified experience in all aspects of the exterior home improvement industry. Recommendations and word-of-mouth reviews are at the heart of Brad Van Weelden Co., which utilizes best practices during the marketing and bidding processes while employing electronic client-surveying tools to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction at the completion of every job. Brad Van Weelden Co. maintains trusted relationships with leading manufacturers and stays up to date on the latest trends in the modern installation of roofing systems, siding systems, windows, doors, decks, gutters and more.

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Des Moines General Contractor Brad Van Weelden Co. Named a 2014 Better Business Bureau Integrity Award Winner