Local exhibitors display their wares at CONEXPO

Local exhibitors are having a strong week at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014.

Taking up 2.5 million square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the construction industry trade show is bringing good fortune down upon the Southern Nevada companies showing off their stuff this week.

As an estimated 125,000 people walk the parking lots and inside halls at the convention center, 2,500 companies are showing their latest product offerings at the trade show that comes to Las Vegas every three years.

Produced by the Association of Equipment Manufacturing, the trade show has an estimated nongaming economic impact of $157.3 million on the city, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Among the larger booths in the Silver parking lot is Las Vegas’ own Xtreme Manufacturing, which was exhibiting its bright orange Snorkel lifts amid a lime green backdrop.

The booth was built with the brand’s namesake cubes, which are the same that inhabit Container Park downtown. The brand was featuring two new products, the Xtreme 6538, the largest telehandler made by the company, and the Xtreme 5919. The latter has a 5,900-pound capacity and a maximum lift height of 19 feet.

Traffic was brisk Thursday at the Xtreme Manufacturing booth.

Inside Central Hall, North Las Vegas’ Aggregate Equipment Sales was holding its own. The family owned and operated business was seeking quality buyers over quantity, and that’s exactly what they were finding.

Owner Dan Macdonald said he has been meeting with dealers he hasn’t seen in three years, and newer customers he has never met face to face. The company specializes in wear parts for aggregate washing equipment. This is their fifth time at ConExpo.

“A lot of what we do is repeat business; and when you build a personal relationship with someone, you build a level of trust that just makes it all work that much more smoothly,” Macdonald said.

His son and daughter, Marlene and Dan Jr., were helping staff the booth.

“If we speak with five quality leads throughout the day, that to us is a good day, whereas some of the other booths want to speak to hundreds or even more,” Macdonald Jr. said.

Compared to past ConExpos, the family said this one, as far as quality, is excellent.

“I don’t want to say it’s the best, but it’s right up there,” Macdonald Jr. said.

The company was founded in 2001, relocating from Washington state to North Las Vegas last year. Geographically it made sense, Macdonald said, because many of his customers are in locales such as Texas and the Southeast.

“Being in the northwest corner of the country only made our delivery and logistical costs higher. This is a much better location,” he said.

Take a walk from Aggregate Equipment Sales to the green outdoor carpet leading from Central to South Hall, and in the lobby you would find Bullseye Products, which was marketing its acid-free concrete dissolver.

With a sales office in Las Vegas, sales manager Bill Scott said Bullseye was hitting it big with the international market at this year’s ConExpo.

“It’s probably our best show we’ve done this year,” Scott said.

The 3-year-old company does about 10 trade shows each year.

“We’re able to reach a different market here. There are a lot of people from other countries like Mexico, Peru, Indonesia and China,” Scott said.

With the show’s reach, Scott and his crew have been able to secure accounts with international players.

Before the show, most of the brand’s distribution was limited to the United States.

Outside the South Hall in the side Silver parking lot was the Henderson-based National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Services. There, director of development Jarad Van Wagoner represented the year-old training services for heavy equipment operators.

“We try to get people to lean toward certification of their operators. It’s not required by law, but it helps with insurance and can make a contractor more competitive if their operators are certified,” Van Wagoner said.

As for the trade show, Van Wagoner said traffic has been strong this week, with a lot of people coming by and requesting information.

“It’s been a great opportunity to get our information out,” he said.

The construction trade show, for industry only, runs through Saturday.

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @lscvegas on Twitter.