Remember to smile when having fun!

As the global economy improves, people are busier than ever trying to stay focused on what their businesses core competencies are, while trying to rebound to the economic glory of 2006-2008.  It’s amazing how one year, 2009, can impact so many people, businesses and industries.

Whether you work in a Quarry, Mine, Steel Mill, Landfill, Power Plant, Off-Highway equipment dealership, or you’re one of our competitors, remember to smile as you’re having fun (in our case at PHIL, it’s while we’re innovating haulage equipment and outfitting the incredibly hardworking clients we have around the globe).

So, in an effort to propagate smiling and happiness, check out this video.  It has nothing to do with PHIL or the industries we serve at all, but it brings a smile to our faces every time we see it, and you can tell that “Matt” is having the time of his life doing what he enjoys doing – dancing and traveling.

Who says Chivalry is Dead? When Hawbaker spoke, Volvo Listened!

In an era of homogenized everything, who would expect a multi-national corporation to listen to a closely held firm in the aggregate and construction business?  Well, that’s exactly what happened when Glenn O. Hawbaker suggested a few efficiency and comfort modifications to Volvo Construction Equipment for their wheel loaders.

After months of engineering and working with Hawbaker, Volvo came out with a modified L220E which included the increased bucket capacity.  Even with the increased load capacity, Hawbaker saw better fuel efficiency.  They were on average filling their fuel tanks one less time per week.

Volvo didn’t stop there for Hawbaker.  Hawbaker said their operators were not as happy with the cab size and comfort.  With the introduction of the new L220F series loader, the cab was larger with more comfort for operators.

In the quarry industry today, a company needs to become more efficient.   Glenn O. Hawbaker was able to become more efficient.  They did not stand by waiting for someone to come up with an answer.  They were proactive in looking for those solutions.

There is the old saying, “there is no harm in asking because all they can do is say No.”  Well, Hawbaker asked, and Volvo said YES!

Link to article published by Waste Handling Equipment News
Link to article published by North American Quarry News

Did you know Coal can do this?

George Allen interview by Human Events: Did you know a coal synfuel mixture was tested by the Air Force and can take a B-1 bomber past the speed of sound?

NASA to get into the Mining Industry

According to recent news reports, NASA is intending to get involved in inter-planetary mining as early as 2014.  In an effort to assist with deep-space travel, the governmental agency is looking for ways to mine needed raw materials to aid in colonization and space flight on the moon and possibly on other planetary bodies.

This being the case, how can the Earth’s mining community get involved to assist with successful and environmentally conscious mining?  While “Avatar” style mining is countless decades away, this may be the first step towards truly expanding our reach to other planets and learning about potential new elements.

AIST show in Pittsburgh, PA

It is the second day of the annual Association of Iron & Steel Technology conference and exposition and it’s off to a great start.

We are here showcasing our proprietary rear eject body and trailer technology for the steel mill industry used for hauling scrap steel from the scrap yard directly to the charge bucket. Currently, we have this technology operating in four steel mills including Timken, NUCOR and Severstal.

Additionally, our unique truck body designed for hauling hot slag has been a topic of discussion by people within the mills as well as with mill service providers. The unique technology we’ve developed for transporting hot slag in a way that deals with differential expansion and contraction allows for a cost effective solution that has an extraordinary long life.

To visit us at AIST, come see us at booth # 1136

Taxation is not just a problem in the U.S.

With the tragedies that have occurred in recent weeks in underground coal mines in both West Virginia and Kentucky, many people in the mining industry in the U.S. are concerned about additional taxation and regulatory issues.

While we haven’t heard about safety concerns in Australian mines, Australia is considering a “super tax” for companies doing business in the mining sector. It will be interesting to see how congress and MSHA react to the recent tragedies.

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