February 8th, 2006
In this issue of the DispatchThis newsletter we discuss the pending US-Mexico cement import deal and the technology behind our new version of DispatchThis. We also offer, for your viewing pleasure, pictures from the 2006 World of Concrete.
Featured Story: US-MX Cement Import Deal
In the last several weeks, news has been popping up about the pending deal between the US and Mexico to reduce import tariffs and increase volume limits on Mexican cement. As concrete pumpers know, this could have a significant impact on the concrete pumping industry.
The proposed changes will result in significant changes in import policy: the duty on imported cement would decrease from $26 per metric ton to $3 per metric ton, and cap Mexican cement imports at 3 million metric tons—allowing about a million tons more than what was imported last year. Currently there is no cap on imports, but the duty created a virtual cap simply due to the cost of importing the materials. Assuming the aforementioned provisions are followed, this limit would be eliminated in 3 years.
It is generally agreed that while these changes will undoubtedly increase supply, it still won't add up to the amount of materials necessary to meet demand. It is, however, a step in the right direction.
As with the fuel tax exemption it is a good idea to contact your congressmen about issues like this which affect you. Whether you feel measures should be made to increase domestic production or provisions should be made to increase imports, you should make your voice heard concerning issues which affect your business.
DispatchThis News
As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, a new version of DispatchThis is now live. Our current customers are being upgraded free of charge, and all new customers are enjoying our new software without a price increase. Since DispatchThis is web-based, we are able to ensure that our users have the most up-to-date version of our software at all times.
This release of our software includes some important infrastructure changes, but more important to you, a lot of very interesting changes in the front end. We are now using AJAX, a technology popularized by Google and now being adopted by all the big names: Yahoo!, Microsoft, eBay. This allows our software to behave more like desktop software, while still affording you all of the benefits of web-based software. There's still no network to maintain, no backups to manage, and no installation necessary. We take care of all of this for you!
The new version of DispatchThis brings an even easier-to-use interface, and more features to make our software more powerful. We know software can seem like a scary proposition--it's our goal to make it as easy to use as possible without stripping down power or features.
If you're interested in reading more about this technology and the work we've done, please visit read our press release.
ACPA Spring Board Meeting
 The ACPA spring board meeting will be held April 21-22 at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, AZ. Participating in these meetings ensures that your voice is heard concerning safety standards, efforts to promote concrete pumping, and the direction of the ACPA. Contact the ACPA for more information.
WOC Slideshow!
 We took some pictures at this year's show, and received some from the folks at Hanley Wood to put together this slide show. It's a large file, so slower connections may have trouble viewing it; high speed connection is recommended. Click here to view the show.
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