The year isn’t over yet, but as Pit & Quarry gears up for its annual State of the Industry Report next month, I’ve found myself more than once reflecting on the year that was for aggregates.
This topic came up on Episode 52 of P&Q’s Drilling Deeper podcast. On the show, I characterized 2025 as “good, not great.”
Producers, manufacturers and dealers experienced record year after record year for several years of late, but 2025 hasn’t quite been record-setting. Revenues may still be reaching new highs, but other areas of the business are lagging behind.
Still, that’s OK. As one equipment manufacturer reminded me in recent weeks, the demand environment right now is of a more “normal” variety. And most of us will take “normal” more times than not.
While aggregate demand continues to inch downward, producers are ramping up their investments in technology that can shore up and tighten key operational areas. From AI and automation to autonomous tech, producers see opportunities to reshape their operations and become better cost managers at a time of normalized demand.
The trend right now among producers is toward “aggressive efficiency,” to use the words of Gavin Cole, executive vice president of sales at Kirby-Smith Machinery. Producers are embracing technology as a way to grow their businesses.
“Customers have been asking for efficiency for a long time, and they want to be productive,” Cole says. “Now, multiple technologies are starting to converge. When you look at new equipment today, you’re seeing GPS, LiDAR and other systems coming together. On top of that, software is helping track machine performance. It’s all the pieces of the puzzle finally working seamlessly.”
New Handbook coming soon
Coming in November, Pit & Quarry will debut a brand-new edition of the Pit & Quarry University Handbook, a 252-page guide to crushed stone, sand and gravel mining.
P&Q typically updates the Handbook every decade. While many components of quarrying today look and feel the same as they did 10 years ago, key processes like crushing, screening and washing are undergoing significant change.
These areas are being reimagined with the new tech Cole describes. The Handbook dives into these emerging areas while presenting the operators of tomorrow with the need-to-know information they’ll rely on to do their jobs productively, efficiently and safely. We encourage you to watch for the new Pit & Quarry University Handbook next month and plan to share it with the next generation of your organization once it’s available.
The updated content will also be available online at pitandquarry.com/pqu following the launch. The site will feature the same educational resources – along with quizzes and training tools – that producers can use for onboarding, toolbox talks and professional development.
