Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/165927
reporter | by Equipment World staff Charles Howerton, former contractor, creates a device to break down jobsite communication barriers I magine yourself in the middle of an important project. You need to tell your Spanish-speaking workers about a crucial step in the process. You attempt to speak with them, but all you get in return are several confused faces. You're clearly not getting through. This was the place Charles Howerton, owner of Minnesota-based CNC Construction, found himself seven years ago. Frustrated, Howerton created a tool – ELSA, or Enabling Language Services Anywhere – to easily communicate with non-English speakers. Born out of frustration After a hailstone storm hit Minnesota in 2005, Howerton's company faced a huge influx of work. Many experienced Hispanic workers came there looking for work, attracted by Minnesota's higher pay scale. Howerton saw this as an opportunity to expand his company. To communicate with these workers, he hired a bilingual interpreter. But Howerton found the interpreter wasn't accurate, and the crew wasn't able to communicate with his clients. He tried CDs to help him learn Spanish, but it wasn't enough. The issue came to a head when Howerton needed several Hispanic landscape workers to move out of the way at a multifamily housing project he needed to access. Since he couldn't speak to the workers himself, he asked for help from a friend, Elda Corral, who is of Mexican descent. Asking her to translate for him, Elda successfully relayed the message to the workers. "It was like synchronized swimming," says Howerton of how quickly the workers moved. Live interpretation on the go It was then that Howerton came up with the idea of using an electronic device that would connect users to a live interpreter. An engineer friend provided him with his first prototype, and it worked perfectly. Now produced by Howerton's firm RTT Mobile, ELSA is a simple, lightweight device with one button and a large speaker on the front. It uses high-tech continued Apply now for the 2014 Contractor of the Year contest C ontractors who have successfully managed their companies through the roller coaster of today's construction economy are invited to apply to the 2014 Contractor of the Year program, produced by Equipment World and sponsored by Caterpillar. Twelve finalists selected from among the applicants will receive an expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas, access to ConExpo/Con-Agg, and be Caterpillar's VIP guests at the March 9th NASCAR race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The program honors successful contractors who have rock-solid ethics, proven equipment management tactics and a demonstrated safety record. Apply before the October 4 deadline by going to equipmentworld.com/coy. EquipmentWorld.com | September 2013 13 EW0913_Reporter.indd 13 8/27/13 3:24 PM