Economic Forecast Awaited at C&D World

Attendees at the C&D World event are likely anticipating what Edward Sullivan, chief economist of the Portland Cement Association, will have to say.

Sullivan will make a presentation on Monday, March 23, at the event, and according to Bill Turley, executive director of the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), his forecast three years ago proved highly accurate.

In his presentation at the 2006 C&D World event, Sullivan predicted economic growth in the short term, but raised a significant red flag. As reported by Construction & Demolition Recycling on its www.CDRecycler.com Web site on Jan. 27, 2006:

“Another longer-term economic issue concerns the tapped-out American consumer, particularly in the wake the home equity lending boom and the interest-only mortgage activity of the past couple of years. Sullivan notes that a lot of these ‘exotic mortgages’ come due in 2006 and 2007, and when they do, a great many U.S. households could find themselves in a difficult cash flow position.”

Now that the United States is feeling the effects of the exotic mortgage hangover, what Sullivan sees happening next is likely to gain the attention of attendees.

Additional programming at the C&D World event, taking place March 22-24 in Tampa, Fla., includes additional sessions on Monday. Dr. Kimberly Cochran of the U.S. EPA will moderate a panel on recycled C&D products and Dr. Jenna Jambeck of the University of New Hampshire will lead a session entitled “Issues and Answers with C&D Fines.” Other Monday sessions cover the topics of recycled concrete and “The Future of Rail Haul in the C&D Industry,” featuring Jane Witheridge of Transload America.

Tuesday programming includes a presentation from Dennis Blanchard on the upgrading of the concrete recycling operations of Maryland’s Percontee Inc. and the CMRA’s annual membership meeting. Tuesday afternoon will be devoted to a golf outing sponsored by Eagle Crusher Co. Inc. that will take place at The Tides Golf Club, located along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

On Sunday afternoon, attendees can start off the conference by attending an equipment panel featuring representatives from three horizontal grinder manufacturers (CBI, Morbark and Peterson) and a session on the future of gasification technology within the C&D industry.

The event’s Exhibit Hall, located will be open starting with a Welcoming Reception on Sunday evening, March 22, throughout the day Monday and Tuesday morning until the start of the 9:30 a.m. session.