Right to Work A Crossroads for the Labor Market A Team Mentality ISLAND INTERNATIONAL ENTERPRISES Riding the Wave PROFESSIONAL EXCAVATORS apeiron-construction.com | MARCH 2024MACHINERY • STEEL CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS NEED LOGISTICS? North America, Little & Large, Local & Long, Port, Factory or Supplier to site or anything in between. Ground delivery available! COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT LOGISTICS NORTHERN OFF ROAD, EXTREME CONDITIONS? NO PROBLEM! Complete Project Logistics: Transload, Full Load, LTL, Handling, Storage, Ocean Freight… whatever you need to succeed, we’ve got you covered. P: 604.818.2703 | E: DAVE HEISTRATEGICLOGISTICS.COMW elcome to the March issue of Apeiron Construc- tion. With temperatures still low, jobsites around the country may be struggling to break ground in both the literal and metaphorical sense. However, there is a distinct feeling of newness and growth around the industry and belief is running high. With brighter days, it seems like positive news is on its way. Both private and public projects are lifting off and the industry is responding well to the con- stant change that it finds itself up against. Safety, funding, infrastructure; the list goes on. This month we have some interesting stories from right across the industry. From the development of airports using locally sourced timber, to robots that can find, identify and repair road damage without the need for a driver, there is much to explore in the issue. Alongside all this, we continue to shine a light on some of the most innovative and skilled companies working across a number of sectors. From con- crete and flooring to excavation and landscaping. As always, we strive to cover it all and bring our readers the best our industry has to offer. Thanks for reading! | 3 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION A note from our Chief Editor APEIRON-CONSTRUCTION.COM APEIRONMEDIAINC.COM CHIEF EDITOR SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DIRECTOR OF SALES CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER DAVID O’NEILL COLIN O’NEILL | PETER SWALE | MARK PETERS DARAGH KIERNAN | MARCO GUANNUE PRINCE ANTHONY | AARON HORGAN ERIC O’CALLAGHAN | AOIFE CHANEY EMMA KILCAWLEY HEMANI | RAQUEL FARRINGTON KAYLA BROWN LINDSAY BAILEY ALEX MULVEYUnion membership is at an all time low. Despite wide-scale public support for recent labor disputes such as the Hollywood writers’ strike and the United Auto Workers, members on the ground are running thin. It is a peculiar state of affairs. Recent statistics show approval ratings for unions is running at a near high. Figures collated by Gallup show that 61% of respondents believe that unions have a positive effect on the U.S. economy. While 43% would like to see unions have more influence in the country. These are clearly not superficial leanings. Rather, they demonstrate a growing acceptance of the positive impacts that collective bargaining can offer a workforce. Interestingly, these figures also mark the continuation of a five-year rising trend. 8 Right to Work – A Crossroads for the Labor Market6 3 Positive News Stories 7 Industry Events 12 Riding the Wave PROFESSIONAL EXCAVATORS 20 Autonomous Infrastructure Repair 24 A Team Mentality ISLAND INTERNATIONAL ENTERPRISES 30 A Legacy That Lives On MASTER CRAFT FLOORS 34 Bringing the Forest Home 38 Unlocking Industry Success HEIM CONSTRUCTION CO. 44 The Ability to Deliver REALTY LANDSCAPING 48 Building on a Legacy of Excellence MANHEIM DELLOVADE 52 From Simple Solution to Booming Industry TUFFWRAP 56 Turning Buildings Into Batteries 5 | APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWith all that is happening around us, it can be easy to miss some of the advancements that are being made in the construction industry. Let’s shine a light on some positive news stories that are making our world a little better. Canvus Sustainability is one of the most important considerations in modern construction. Everything from energy usage to materials made from renewable or ethically minded sources contribute to sustainable practices. One emerging market that sits squarely within the scope of this discussion is reusable materials. Repurposed structures are currently attracting huge interest across various sectors but what if previously used materials could be repurposed to add value to communities and businesses alike? Canvus is a furniture manufacturer based in Avon, OH. The company designs benches, planters, picnic sets and other community seating out of retired wind turbines. According to the company, 5,000-8,000 wind turbine blades are retired each year. The wind industry has struggled with recycling them due to their massive size, durability, and fiberglass material. By upcycling them at scale into furniture designed for communities, parks, and schools, Canvus has created a solution using innovative techniques, forward thinking and sustainably minded tools. “We are a solution for every blade coming out of service and can process 100% of the blade by upcycling into furniture, aggregate for concrete products and building materials, then shredding the remainder material into fuel source for the cement-making process – making us the perfect partner for all projects throughout the United States.” gocanvus.com Urban Jungles Before industrialization, the relationship that humans had with the natural world was built on reciprocation. We were a member of a carefully balanced eco-system and our place was within the hierarchy of the animal world. However, since our population had grown and technologies have developed to accommodate our greater influence on the planet, things have gotten skewed somewhat. Forests are razed, streams travel underground, animals and planets are pushed into parks, suburbs and remote locations. Unsurprisingly, this shift has resulted in freak weather events such as flooding, heatwaves and wildfires. Rather than feel a sense of hopelessness, the future is actually looking brighter. According to author Ben Wilson, cities are now becoming fertile grounds for the resurgence of the natural world. In his book, ‘Urban Jungle: The History and Future of Nature in the City,’ Wilson explains how cities and urban areas are ecosystems themselves which need to be conserved. “For a long time we have been used to the idea that hard engineering can solve our problems. The lesson of climate change is that our urban way of life is tied up with nature.” www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690604/urban-jungle-by-ben-wilson/ | 6 MARCH 2024ACI Concrete Convention MARCH 24-28, 2024 NEW ORLEANS, LA www.concrete.org/events/conventions.aspx SPECS Show 2024 MARCH 10-12, 2024 GRAPEVINE, TX www.specsshow.com/2024 P: 613-369-5121 E: info@cityplastering.com Specializing in Historic Plaster RestorationsSpecializing in Historic Plaster Restorations GREY IRON & DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS NO MINIMUM AMOUNTS 613-931-1110 SFL@COGECO.NET Co-Op Electrics Rural energy co-ops, the concept of local communities har- vesting and generating its own energy supply, has traditionally been slow to move away from fossil fuels. Due to the costs involved in pivoting to renewable power, these cooperatives are largely reliant on coal to supply power and heat. The idea goes that these co-ops are small operations, however, the facts are that rural communities are providing electricity to 56% of the United States. The pull of rural co-ops could be a sea change if enabled to switch to sustainable sources. Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, a rural co-op in New Mexico, is revolutionizing the field by turning away from fossil fuels entirely. Driven by the persistence of its members, i.e. house- holds and businesses of the local community, Renewable Taos was set up as a provider of 100% sustainable power to the New Mexico cooperative. Battling historical views and traditional mindsets, the process was aided by the falling cost of solar energy. Incredibly, the Kit Carson cooperative an important goal in 2022. Renewable energy now provides 100 percent of the year-round daytime electrical needs of its more than 30,000 members. kitcarson.com | 7 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL U nion membership is at an all time low. Despite wide- scale public support for recent labor disputes such as the Hollywood writers’ strike and the United Auto Workers, members on the ground are running thin. It is a peculiar state of affairs. Recent statistics show approval ratings for unions is running at a near high. Figures collated by Gallup show that 61% of respondents believe that unions have a positive effect on the U.S. economy. While 43% would like to see unions have more influence in the country. These are clearly not superficial leanings. Rather, they demonstrate a growing acceptance of the positive impacts that collective bargaining can offer a workforce. Interestingly, these figures also mark the continuation of a five-year rising trend. On the other hand, union membership figures are at a record low. Hovering around 10%, they have been in steady decline for over two decades. So, what can we infer from these falling membership figures, in particular in the context of growing support for the union movement? Does this demonstrate an apathy within the American public to get involved? Maybe cost-of-living challenges are prohibiting some from union fees? The answer is not quite clear. However, these statistics must be read under the umbrella of an ongoing battle around Right-to-Work laws. | 8 MARCH 2024| 9 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >