The Arizona Builders� Alliance hosted its annual Auction and President�s Party on Feb. 4 at the Phoenix Airport Marriott. The auction included dozens of items donated by local industry companies and several resort vacation packages that were raffled off, helping the group raise $17,000 to benefit the American Cancer Society and ABA education programs. The outgoing president, Joe Hitzel of Phoenix-based Southwest Architectural Builders, inaugurated the incoming president, Preston Achilles of Tucson-based Achilles A/C Systems, in front of the event�s 280 attendees.

Photo Courtesy Of Gary Townsley

CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the largest trade show in the Western Hemisphere, takes over Las Vegas on March 22-26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Held every three years, the show is being staged within a very different economic climate than in 2008, when it brought in 144,000 attendees. This year, show organizers expect closer to 120,000 to visit the more than 2 million sq ft of exhibits. Trends to watch at this year�s event include cleaner diesel equipment, an increasing presence of Chinese vendors, new equipment options and increased crane safety regulations.

Photo By AEM