I went to the show with modest expectations but was glad to see a strong turnout in our booth this year.  We entertained visitors from nearly every state and over a dozen different countries.  The outlook for the year ran from "we have no backlog of curb work" to "we're adding people" and just about everything in between.  Clearly, the passage of a stimulus package is on everyone's mind and will be a key factor in seeing how the year shakes out. 

For those of you who made the trip, thanks from all of us for visiting our booth.  Without a doubt, reconnecting with long-time customers and in some cases meeting new customers face to face for the first time is a highlight of our year.  Enjoy some downtime for the next few weeks.  Cold, wet weather won't be with us much longer and we'll soon be pouring concrete again.

Next week will be my 15th World of Concrete.  Around the office we refer to World of Concrete, or just "World" all the time and think nothing of it.  Away from Power Curbers its a different story.  When telling friends that I'm heading to "World of Concrete" for a week I get lots of strange looks.  "What is a world of concrete" and "That sounds like something Homer Simpson would go to" are a few of the nicer comments I've gotten over the years.  World of Concrete, though, is one of my favorite weeks of the year.  Catching up with long-time customers, answering questions about the curb business for a new prospect, and of course just watching people stop, trying to figure out what a 5700-C is, make it a great week for me.  Whether you're coming specifically to buy a piece of equipment, see what's new in concrete, or are just looking for an excuse to visit Vegas, there's no other week quite like it for contractors.  We'll be there in the Central Hall booth 5814.  Whether you want to see a 5700-C in person for the first time, run an idea by us, let us know about a machine problem you're having, or just rest for a few minutes, we'd love to see you. 

The last three months have been a rollercoaster ride (mostly downhill) for those of us involved in construction.  What's on the horizon for the first six months of 2009?  Will major infrastructure projects offset negative housing and employment reports?  Will highway and bridge spending trickle down to curb and gutter contractors?  Will it create significant amounts of barrier wall projects?  Have you considered transitioning your business from subdivision work to other applications?  Please take a few minutes and tell us where you think this economy and our industry are headed in the coming months.

The slowdown in residential construction created a challenge for many curb and gutter contractors this year.  The days of large subdivisions one after the other became a thing of the past. 

How did your company manage the shift in construction?  We'd like to hear how you used your 5700 series machine this season.  What percentage of your business was commercial construction in 2008?  Did you venture into public work?  Barrier wall?

How did you use your Power Curber differently than in past years?  Did you find yourself pouring tight radius?  Utilizing the adjustable offset in rehab work?

What's on the horizon for your company for 2009? 

Thank you for visiting our new web-site and for your interest in Power Curbers.  We hope you’ll find the lay-out and content informative, beneficial, and easy to navigate. 

 Some of the new things you’ll notice include:          

• A gallery of application photos as well as our videos.  
• A nicer way to submit dimensional data for required molds. 
• A glossary of industry terms. 
• This Blog (which you’ve obviously found) where we’ll update you with all sorts of information and give you opportunities to pass along your thoughts.
• There’s a related Forum where you can bounce around ideas with other Power Curber owners. 

A lot of the information you are used to from our old site is still here, but with a new look.  Machine information, several methods to contact us (our phone, fax, and address are at the bottom of every page), pre-owned machines info, and trade shows to name just a few.  Most of the pages are printer friendly (see the “Print” command in the top right corner), so you can take the information with you.  The new site is equipped with a search feature, so hopefully you can easily find what you’re looking for.   

Look around and see what you think.  We’d love to hear how you like it.  Anything you don’t like?  Do you have suggestions for additional information we might add? 

Call us with your feed-back.  Talk to whomever you’re most comfortable with – your Regional Manager, who you talk to for parts or service, the “mold guys”, or someone in management.  Or reply via E-Mail - there’s a “Contact Us” command in the upper right corner, or send it to me at sbullock@powercurbers.com.