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Constructon and engineering group Murray & Roberts says its global contract-mining operations are poised to benefit from the mineral-commodities boom, which the company expects will persist for “at least the next five to seven years”. Writing in the group’s annual report for 2006, CE Brian Bruce reports that Murray & Robert’s mine-construction and development operations in the Southern African Development Community region, Canada and Australia are well positioned to benefit from growth opportunities in the domestic and global mineral-commodities markets.“Global growth, particularly in and from the eastern hemisphere, continues to place heavy demand into the natural-resources sector.“Indications are that this will continue for at least the next five to seven years before reaching a new level of sustainable demand.“This bodes well for further development of a global resources focus in the group,” says Bruce.Meanwhile, demand for metals and minerals continues to exceed installed delivery capacity and resource prices have risen to record highs.“Capital expenditure by mining houses in our largest market – South Africa – has firmed appreciably, but still without the expected growth,” states Bruce.South Africa remains the group’s primary mining contracting market.It experienced increased activity in both the base-metals and precious-metals markets during the year under review.Platinum continued to offer the best opportunity, as the world’s two largest South Africa-based producers of the precious metal – Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum – invested in expansion and replacement projects to meet global demand.There was also increased activity in the gold-mining sector, largely as a result of the stronger gold price and “an element of acclimatisation to a stronger rand environment”.In Africa, Murray & Roberts Cementation targets established mining markets with multiple project opportunities, including Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia and Botswana, where demand for diamonds is generating renewed activity.Mine development, which contributes 45% of the group’s revenue in South Africa, continued on the Impala Platinum No 20 shaft, Lonmin’s Karee 4 twin shaft and the Anglo Platinum Turffontein decline shaft project, in the Rustenburg area.A new R600-million contract was also secured on the Paardekraal double shaft project for Anglo Platinum and a development contract was secured for the Barplats platinum mine, near Brits.The Kroondal platinum mine continues to be the mainstay of activity in contract mining, accounting for almost 40% of South African revenue.The remainder of business in South Africa is focused on small specialised projects, which include exploration drilling, raise drilling and cementation work.The development of a fourth shaft at Kroondal is currently under adjudication.According to the annual report, Murray & Roberts Cementation is also the preferred contractor to build and contract for the new Blueridge mine, near Groblersdal.Bruce also reports that RUC Mining Contrac-tors, in Australia, reaped the benefits of ongoing buoyancy in the highly-mechanised Australian underground-mining sector, reporting revenues of R146,5-million, compared to R115,2-million in 2005, and operating profits of R20,1-million, up from R11,7-million.Cementation Canada exceeded key financial targets in an active market, delivering revenues of R657,3-million, compared with R547,1-million in 2005, and operating profits of R43,9-million (2005: R24,7-million), at an operating profit margin of 6,7%.
Jodie and Paul Samala's long journey from a cramped, overpriced apartment to the joys of owning a roomy, affordable house began soon after Hurricane Ivan's arrival two years ago."We were in a rental at the time," said Jodie Samala. "My husband and I almost bought a house before Ivan. But after the storm, the owners backed out."In the immediate wake of the hurricane, Paul Samala lost his job at the Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand hotel, which is set to reopen in November after months of storm repairs.The couple and their small child were forced to move in with relatives.Because Ivan destroyed some 2,000 rental units in the greater Pensacola area, finding an affordable unit was a major challenge, Jodie Samala said.Eventually the Samalas found a rental apartment, but their monthly payments soared from $675 to $1,100, well beyond what they could afford."We knew we had to do something," she said.What they did was approach the City of Pensacola's Housing Department and apply for down-payment assistance through the state's Hurricane Housing Recovery Program.Because the Samalas' gross income was about 80 percent of the median average for the Pensacola area, the family of three qualified for a $50,000 grant, which would be held by the city and treated as a second mortgage.That grant money, coupled with the Samalas' conventional first mortgage, helped them purchase a new home in June and effectively lowered their monthly payments to a figure that, by general rule, must be less than 30 percent of gross family income.And to sweeten the deal, $10,000 of the Samalas' $50,000 second mortgage will be forgiven after the first year if they decide to sell the home, according to Jimmie McFall, manager of the city's SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) program.The remaining $40,000 will be forgiven once the mortgage is paid."We probably would have left Pensacola had we not be able to buy an affordable home," said Jodie Samala, a 1993 graduate of Catholic High School.McFall says Hurricane Housing Recovery Program money, which may run out within the year, is being maximized in the Escambia and Santa Rosa area.Using those funds, and taking advantage of several in-fill vacant lots, McFall says the city has more than 30 affordable housing units under construction, with more on the way.A home of her ownKaren Incera is another grateful recipient of Hurricane Housing Recovery Program money and was one of the fortunate ones to be given, at no cost to her, a vacant in-fill lot acquired by the city.The former Miami resident, who works for Deep South Crane Rentals Inc., said she expects to move into her new home on Coyle Street early next month."Someone mentioned the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program to me, and I called, and they gave me a pamphlet," said Incera, a single mother of three.
Hanoi- Seven construction workers were killed when a four-story building under renovation collapsed in southern Vietnam, official said Saturday. Police had detained the owner of the house for questioning about the accident in southern Long An province on Friday afternoon, according to Nguyen Manh Tuan, chairman of the local People' Committee. "He may be charged for violating the law on construction and causing severe consequences," Tuan said. The collapse appeared to have been caused by renovations to the private home to add two new floors to the home, which had previously had only two stories, Tuan said. Of the 23 workers on the project, 12 were outside the house at the time of the sudden collapse. Rescue workers found six bodies and pulled five people alive from the wreckage. One of the rescued workers died of injuries in hospital.
Mississippi Gulf Coast residents can now save a few thousand dollars on quick-built houses under a tax break swiftly approved by lawmakers and Gov. Haley Barbour on Thursday. In a special session that lasted less than two hours, both the House and Senate agreed on legislation that trims sales tax on modular houses from 7 percent to 3 percent, hoping to boost reconstruction in south Mississippi. Barbour signed Senate Bill 2001 into law shortly after 4 p.m. when legislative staff rushed paperwork to his office. "Hallelujah!" said Mack Harper, an Ocean Springs resident who is helping his mother buy a modular home. "I was wondering if they ever would see eye to eye." His mother, Peggy, lost her Gulfport home in Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters last year. He expects to save $6,000 on the three-bedroom, two-bath house.
Backhoes are cleared to start digging at three sites across the WSU statewide system, including a new golf-course clubhouse in Pullman. Designed to seat 100 people with spillover onto a patio and a tented area, the $4-million clubhouse will sit at the base of the 18-hole golf course now under construction near the Student Recreation Center. Ken Alhadeff, chairman of the WSU Board of Regents, said that as a golfer, he thought the seating capacity was too little for the average 140-person golf tournament. If you had 150 capacity, you would be safe for a long time, he said. Nevertheless, Alhadeff and the Board of Regents approved the projects design at their meeting Friday in Spokane. With a pro shop, dining area and bar, the 7,200-square-foot clubhouse could double as a location for weddings, Jerry Schlatter, associate vice president of Capital Planning and Development, told WSUs highest governing body.
The chief financial officer of the now-defunct Westra Construction Company Inc. faces theft-by-contractor charges following a contract dispute between Westra, Green Valley Enterprises Inc. and Badger Excavation L.L.C. that allegedly occurred between July 2002 and September 2004.The contract was signed in July 2002 in the amount of $1.05 million to pay construction costs of a new Green Valley adult day care and warehouse at its Madison Street location in Beaver Dam, but the amount was appended to $1.43 million after various contractual changes. However, according to the criminal complaint, former chief financial officer of Westra Construction, Patrick H. Flynn, 58, Harrisburg, Pa., refused to make payment to a subcontractor in the amount of $106,358, resulting in a claim for lien against Green Valley by the subcontractor, Badger Excavation.According to the complaint, Green Valley officials were issued a waiver of lien by Westra Construction after making the final contract payment in the amount of $62,539 in October 2004.
An argument late Monday at a Catoosa County mobile home park left one man dead and his neighbor was arrested on a murder charge, according to Sheriff Phil Summers.
He said it was the countys second murder this year.
In a prepared statement, Sheriff Summers said Catoosa County 911 Center got a call about 11:30 p.m. Monday reporting a shooting on 324 Trace Lane at Village Green mobile home park. When emergency services arrived, they found the body of James Meyer, 31, of 361 Trace Lane, lying in the yard.
He had gunshot wounds, police said, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheriff Summers said the preliminary investigation indicated the dead man and Leonard Steven Waller, 54, of 324 Trace Lane, had been drinking and began to argue after Mr.
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