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Secretary Foxx and 11 others advocate long-term transportation investment
As Congress debates legislation in an effort to avoid the shortfall of the Highway Trust Fund, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and 11 former DOT secretaries expressed their opinions in an open letter to Congress. In the letter, Foxx and the others urge Congress to work toward a larger, long-term investment and explain the downfalls of short-term funding in the past. “…Over the past five years, Congress has passed 27 short-term measures. Today, we are more than a decade past the last six-year funding measure,” the letter states. It continues to describe the current state of America’s transportation system as a “nationwide backlog of repairing and rebuilding” due to the infrastructure deficit caused by short-term funding measures. The secretaries concluded by urging Congress to understand that, as America grows, so does the need for long-term investments in transportation. Keep Reading
Mexico’s Cemex beats expectations with first quarterly profit since 2009
Mexico’s Cemex reported a second-quarter profit of $76 million, its first quarterly profit since the financial crisis in 2009. Cemex, one of the world’s largest cement companies, beat analysis expectations of a $79 million loss. A gain on derivatives tied to Cemex’s share price and a pickup in cement sales in many of its markets contributed to the company’s profit. Cemex also reported a core profit of $737 million, which is up $7 million from the year-earlier period, with net sales totaling $4.2 billion, a 4 percent increase from the April-June period last year. According to an article in CNBC, Cemex’s stock also rose 9.5 percent in the second quarter, giving the company $76.9 million gain from its derivative position. Keep Reading
Robotics team co-sponsored by Dust Control Technology
Dust Control Technology is co-sponsoring a team of aspiring high school students to continue their participation in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. The team, who dubbed themselves “Icarus 2081,” is made up of 20 students from Notre Dame High School and Quest Charter Academy. During the competition, this year called “Sport for the Mind,” the students must work together to assemble a robot to complete a number of given tasks against a field of competitors. The students get a chance to learn from professional engineers, qualify for scholarships and utilize sophisticated software. “The competitions are specifically set up to encourage teamwork and interaction between people and groups with different strengths,” says John Nogaj, member of Team Icarus. “Every team has the same objective: engineering and building a robot to perform specific tasks for each competition. Teams have just six weeks to complete their designs, from a common kit of parts supplied by FIRST.” Team Icarus has competed in the competition before, winning the… Keep Reading
U.S. Silica to acquire Cadre Services for $98 million
Silica sand provider U.S. Silica has signed a stock purchase agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of regional sand mining company Cadre Services Inc., based in Texas, for $98 million. U.S. Silica is now set to acquire the shares from Cadre’s single frac sand mine and plant, which produces about 800,000 tons of Hickory sand annually. Cadre’s location in the Permian Basin also allows it to serve its customers on both a contract and a spot basis. "This accretive acquisition aligns with our strategy to increase market share by expanding our footprint and product offerings in one of the fastest growing basins in the country,” says Bryan Shinn, president and chief executive officer of U.S. Silica. “The addition of the Cadre team and their outstanding operational and logistics capabilities allows us to provide our customers with a high quality, regionally-produced product which effectively meets the demands of many Permian oil and gas wells." The deal is expected to close at the end of the month. Keep Reading
Registration open for Superior’s Dealer Sales and Service Schools
Manufacturer and global supplier of material handling systems Superior Industries opened registration for its 2014 Dealer Sales and Service Schools. The sales track is scheduled to run from September 30 to October 1 and the service track is scheduled to take place from October 7-9. Sales track attendees will review Superior’s product line, with emphasis on examining the company’s new technology. They will also have the opportunity to learn about portable and stationary conveyors, in addition to Superior’s recently acquired line of washing and classifying equipment. Those attending the service track will focus on electrical and hydraulic components, updates to equipment, components identification, safety, troubleshooting, installation and preventative maintenance. Instructors for both tracks say they will be adding more courses later this summer. For more information or to register for the service course, click here. Keep Reading
EPA to host National Conference on Mining-Influenced Waters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is sponsoring the 2014 National Conference on Mining-Influenced Waters: Approaches for Characterization, Source Control and Treatment from August 12-14 in Albuquerque, N.M. The conference will be a forum for which attendees can discuss scientific matters regarding mining-influenced waters. Session topics include characterization, source control/mine closure approaches, water treatment, beneficial use, and the prediction and modeling of mine water. The EPA is also hosting a post-conference field trip on August 14 to the Nacimiento Copper Mine in the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico. Registration for the conference, along with the post-conference field trip, is free and online registration is open. Click here for more details on the event and click here to register for the event. Keep Reading
Carmeuse to construct two 440-ton vertical lime kilns
Carmeuse Lime & Stone is set to construct two 440-ton vertical lime kilns at its plant in Frederick County, W. Va. According to a press release, these vertical kilns will be more fuel efficient and environmentally beneficial than the horizontal kilns used at most plants around the nation. “We are an environmentally conscious company,” says James Bottom, Area Operations Manager for the Carmeuse limestone quarries at Strasburg, Middletown and Frederick County, Va. “Many of the products produced by Carmeuse benefit the environment… Lime and limestone reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide that is emitted into the atmosphere, which reduces acid rain.” With their new kilns, Carmeuse hopes to tap into potential markets, such as steel, water treatment and construction, while meeting the lime demands in the Eastern United States. Keep Reading
Mellott Co. names Blake CEO
Rich Blake, in addition to holding his role as company president, was named Mellott Co.’s CEO. Blake joined the company in September 2008 and has since established a number of connections with aggregate producers and related business for the company. In addition to this, he has founded a number of business lines for Mellott, including Component Exchange, Replacement and Alternative Parts, and CrushersPlus. Keep Reading
TRIP report indicates high fatality rates and deficiencies on rural roads
According to a report by TRIP, a national non-profit transportation research group based in Washington, D.C., crashes and fatalities on rural roads are nearly three times as high than on other roads. The report, titled, “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,” also emphasizes the poor conditions of rural roads throughout the country. In 2013, 12 percent of the nation’s rural bridges were deemed structurally deficient and 10 percent were functionally obsolete. “More than 46 million Americans live in rural and less densely populated areas of the country where their primary mode of transportation is a personal vehicle,” says Kathleen Bower, AAA Vice President of Public Affairs. “Congress must act quickly to provide a sustainable solution for the federal Highway Trust Fund to ensure that states can continue to make necessary infrastructure investments that will benefit all travelers.” In addition to this, increased agricultural production and oil and gas field developments result in increased traffic on rural roads that weren't built to sustain heavy loads, making them unsafe for… Keep Reading
