Every year, Arne Ruud has between $6 million and $10 million to spend on new construction machinery. The corporate equipment manager for Broomfield, Colo.-based Guy F. Atkinson Construction LLC says, next year, he probably will spend most of his budget, which is an unusual move in this time of thrift.
When the recession hit in 2008, contractors scaled back dramatically on fleet spending. “In some of our areas the markets have just disintegrated,” Ruud explains. “That doesn’t give you a lot of confidence to go out and buy new iron.”