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NSSGA to host community outreach webinar
The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) will be hosting a one-hour, AGG1 online webinar focused on community relations on September 25 from 1-2 p.m. Eastern time. The webinar will discuss the importance of working with your community on a consistent basis and the benefits of initiating a Community Relations plan. Registration is $49 for members and $99 for nonmembers. To learn more about the webinar, click here. Keep Reading
Morgan Stanley forecasts increased demand for frac sand
According to an article in Business Insider, Morgan Stanley forecasts sand demand growth of 96 percent in 2016 from 2013. Morgan Stanley’s Ole Slorer, Benjamin Swomley, and Connor Lynagh write that exploration and production (E&P) companies have discovered that when they frack unconventional shale plays, sand helps increase the amount of reserves extracted from the ground by propping open the rock, which allows hydrocarbons to flow better. "As E&P operators seek to optimize well results, they are using significantly more frac sand per well and experimenting with different types of proppants," they write. "In particular, the trend toward higher frac sand volume completions has accelerated frac sand demand YTD, and we believe the industry now sits on the verge of a prolonged frac sand supply shortage." Currently, the country’s top 10 sand users pump approximately two times more sand than other operators on average, but the gap is likely to close once other drillers realize the benefits of using higher sand volumes, they say. The trio believes that we will… Keep Reading
Summit Materials acquires Mainland Sand and Gravel
Summit Materials acquired Mainland Sand & Gravel, a supplier of construction aggregates to the Vancouver and Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. Mainland operates two quarries and four river-served aggregates distribution depots, which will help expand Summit’s presence in the British Columbia market. “Mainland is a great company with a long history of supplying aggregates throughout Vancouver and Lower Mainland,” says Tom Hill, Summit CEO. “We are excited about this expansion into western Canada and look forward to working with the Mainland team and Carlson family in this new market for Summit.” Keep Reading
Dodge Momentum Index rises in August
The Dodge Momentum Index made a small gain in August, coming back from a 5.7 percent decline in July, according to McGraw Hill Construction. The index increased to 118.8 for the month, which is up .2 percent from the July reading. The rise in the Dodge Momentum Index can be attributed to a 5 percent increase in institutional building plans and the introduction of five commercial projects valued at $100 million or more during the month of August. However, a 3 percent drop in commercial plans restrained further growth. Despite the drop in commercial building plans in August and the decline in July, the index is now 13.9 percent higher than one year ago. Keep Reading
U.S. construction machinery exports decline midyear 2014
Compared with midyear 2013, U.S. construction machinery exports dropped 17.3 percent during the first half of 2014. According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), citing U.S. Department of Commerce data, $8.93 billion in exports were shipped to global markets compared to $10.8 billion in the first half of 2013. Africa was the only world area in the plus column, with a 4.3 percent increase, while Australia/ Oceania recorded the steepest declines, at 38.6 percent, followed by South America with a 33.1 percent drop. At midyear 2014, exports of construction machinery to Europe and Canada both declined compared to the first half 2013, 25.4 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively. Exports to Asia declined 13.9 percent, exports to Central America decreased 23.7 percent and exports to South America declined 33.1 percent. Australia/ Oceania’s construction equipment export purchases decreased 38.6 percent, while Africa’s increased 4.3 percent. The top countries buying the most U.S.-made construction machinery during the first half of 2014 were Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Belgium, Saudi… Keep Reading
Lafarge quarry run raises $35,000 for medical center
Lafarge North America’s Presque Isle Quarry celebrated its 60th anniversary by hosting its first annual Stoneport 5K Quarry Run/Walk, which raised $35,000 for the Cancer Center at Alpena Regional Medical Center. With the help of about 300 runners, as well as additional event sponsorships, donations and raffles, Lafarge was able to raise the money for the medical center, which provides comprehensive cancer care to the residents of Northeast Michigan. "We are thankful to this generous community, as well as our many sponsors and volunteers, for making our event a huge success," said Allan Idalski, plant manager at the Lafarge Presque Isle quarry. "The result surpassed our expectations in terms of runners participating, money raised and community members attending our post-race anniversary celebration.” The event concluded with a post-race open house celebration at the Lafarge site, where more than 1,000 community members and attended. Keep Reading
AEM/AEMP Draft Telematics API Standard available for free
The AEM/AEMP Draft Telematics API (Application Programming Interface) Standard is now available for construction equipment end-users to download for free. This draft expands the original AEMP Telematics Standard to include 19 data fields, which allows users to receive more OEM equipment data and more convenient access. The AEM/AEMP Draft API Standard also changed how the data is accessed, so users must now utilize an API with standardized server-to-service communication protocols. By doing this, end users with mixed equipment fleets can use their own business systems and software without working across multiple telematics provider applications. Industry professionals must sign up online via the AEM or AEMP websites in order to use the draft standard and receive additional information. Keep Reading
Crusher Works named distributor of Sandvik surface drills
Sandvik Construction has named Crusher Works as the official distributor of Sandvik’s surface drills. Crusher Works, based in Bessemer, Ala., will be selling customers drills, as well as offering full aftersales support and spare parts. “We are proud to be taking on the Sandvik drill line, allowing Crusher Works to provide a more complete offering of mobile equipment to the quarry industry in Alabama,” says Neil McCoy, president of Sandvik Construction. Crusher Works’ surface drills customers will also be able to benefit from financing options from Sandvik Finance. Keep Reading
Practice makes perfect
I’m not exactly an all-star golfer. Sometimes I’ll expect to hit a beautiful drive up the fairway but end up topping the ball about 10 ft. in front of me. I don’t expect that, but it happens far more often than I prefer. Like my drives, I’ve learned in my short time with Pit & Quarry that the aggregates industry is sometimes completely unpredictable. I took this notion away from last week's Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference in Cleveland, an event that gave industry leaders the opportunity to discuss issues and develop solutions. The roundtable, like a round of golf, is a practice in a sense: Participants leave with a better understanding of how to face industry issues when they return home. The industry constantly deals with unanticipated troubles, even if the issues don’t directly stem from their companies. For example, MSHA’s mine inspections have been an ongoing issue for years. Another example: the Highway Trust Fund. With another short-term bill passed, aggregate producers and their vendors expect to… Keep Reading
