Mark S. Kuhar
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Having had the benefit of a month to recover from ConExpo-ConAgg, it is interesting to dwell upon some of the things I noticed
at the show. The first thing worth noting is obviously the size of the event. It keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
This time around, there was even overflow at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. Is it only a matter of time before we take over the
tarmac at McCarran Airport and have the show out there too?
It begs the question: Does there come a time when the show is actually too big to be manageable for the average attendee?
They say "bigger is better," but they also say "quality is better than quantity." I suppose as long as the exhibitors have
something to offer, and people show up with money to buy it, the sky's the limit.
The biggest trend at this year's show was the emergence of "green" products and an emphasis on sustainable business practices.
This was in evidence at the Volvo booth in the way of a hybrid loader; at Caterpillar's corporate press conference where almost
half of the presentation revolved around sustainable development and global warming; and at the Metso booth where the company
introduced an environmentally friendly crusher-backing product.
It wasn't just the major companies jumping on the green bandwagon. I learned about a product to get more life out of air cleaners,
additives designed to extend fuel economy in vehicles and a process for recycling used rubber tires that would otherwise be
buried or tossed into a landfill, just to name a few. Oddly enough, the portable-processing industry has always been on the front lines of the sustainable supply chain. Whether
it's transforming wood waste to mulch, concrete to aggregates or food byproducts to compost, the industries covered in this
magazine were green before green became the business buzzword of the moment. Mark S. Kuhar
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Winner:
1998 Robert F. Boger Award for Editorials
Construction Writers Association
Member:
Construction Writers Association
American Society of Business Press Editors
Society of Professional Journalists
