“I think all of us believe 2026 and 2027 are going to be strong years for this industry. One of the challenges that both producers and dealers are going to contend with is the labor force. Knowledgeable people are becoming harder to find to expand our groups. More customers are looking to us to fill that void. But from a demand standpoint, we see the balance of 2025 into 2026 being strong for the aggregate space.”
– Gregory Donecker, Kemper
“What consumers choose to spend on, or hold back from, is heavily influenced by sentiment. Right now, evolving federal policies on trade, monetary issues, immigration and domestic matters are creating a cloud of uncertainty.”
– Pierre Villere, Allen-Villere Partners
“Every business is dealing with the challenge of retaining employees. I feel like our biggest strength has been our culture change. Our industry is about hard work. It may be dirty and dusty, but this is a special industry. If you can find people who fit in well – and you can convince them to stick it out with you – then they’ll see what you see eventually.”
– Brock Mealer, Weber Sand & Gravel
“Construction starts rebounded across most sectors in May, bouncing back from a sluggish April. However, year-to-date figures remain below last year’s pace. Ongoing uncertainty around trade policy and the economic outlook is likely to keep construction activity in check in the months ahead.”
– Sarah Martin, Dodge Construction Network
“President Trump has said he’s determined to make the U.S. the global leader in AI, and America’s cement manufacturers want to provide the materials to build the infrastructure necessary to make that possible. Such facilities are engineered primarily for function and resilience. Concrete – made with cement – is the optimal construction material, as it is fire resistant, offers thermal stability, provides unparalleled physical security and has long-term structural integrity. There really is no other viable material for such an important nationwide effort.”
– Mike Ireland, American Cement Association
“While Washington is working to prevent a massive tax increase, negotiate new trade deals and hopefully boost funding for workforce development, at this point nothing is set in stone. The sooner D.C. provides certainty on a host of issues, the more likely construction demand will rebound.”
– Jeffrey Shoaf, Associated General Contractors of America
“2025 started strong. I think it’s been positive but ‘with a healthy dose of caution’ is probably the best way to describe it. We’re seeing a lot of activity in the industry, but I think a lot of producers are exercising a bit more caution than they might normally – especially with larger capital purchases.”
– Matt Lepp, VDG
“We’re seeing some pocketed weakness in a couple of our U.S. segments, although the underlying demand environment appears to be strengthening. We are prepared for more short-term volatility, particularly in residential starts through the end of the year, tempered by increased opportunities in commercial and infrastructure work. Where you are matters, and we believe we are in the right markets with strong underlying demand forecasts.”
– Tom Zais, Burnco Rock Products
“There are economic concerns that everyone is concerned about. Some are politically related – domestic and international –but the aggregates industry has always stayed consistent. If we can continue to be patient and weather the storms –big or small –betting on the industry to succeed is always a safe bet.”
– Elliot Archibald, LJ Inc.
Related: Perspectives: Industry leaders share their market views
