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Vulcan unveils online customer service platform
Vulcan Materials Co. launched a Web-based customer service center that allows customers to view tickets, track orders and pay bills online. The new platform can be accessed at www.myvulcan.com. "We work hard every day to provide quality products and services that consistently meet or exceed our customers' expectations," says Tom Hill, Vulcan chairman and CEO. "MyVulcan was developed by a team of sales, IT and marketing leaders from across the organization to enhance the Vulcan experience, helping customers save time and money." According to the company, MyVulcan includes an easy-to-use search function and online payment features that make work easier for customers in the field and office. "We're responding to the evolving needs of our customers by putting the power of Vulcan into the hands of our customers," says Dean Sunas, vice president and general manager. "MyVulcan is a platform that provides new, direct access to account information to our customers and underscores our commitment to innovation and growth." Customers can view, print and download tickets and orders in full… Keep Reading
Pit & Quarry Roundtable draws nearly 50
The Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference took place Jan. 12-14 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., uniting aggregate producers, manufacturers and allied trade representatives in an idea-exchanging forum. The event, which was sponsored by Am Cast, Philippi-Hagenbuch, Sandvik Mining & Construction, Superior Industries and Terex Minerals Processing Systems, drew more than 40 people to the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs, where solution-oriented discussions were had in two roundtable formats on the economy, employment, mine safety and other topics. Content from each roundtable will be available in upcoming issues of Pit & Quarry magazine. In addition to the roundtables, attendees heard briefly from Mike Johnson, president and CEO of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, who addressed the FAST Act's impact and the role of regulatory agencies. Mike Heenan, an attorney at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart who also serves as Pit & Quarry's legal editor, participated in a safety-focused question-and-answer session. And George Reddin, a managing director with FMI Capital Advisors Inc., offered an economics summary and a look… Keep Reading
Martin Marietta to host day for analysts, investors
Martin Marietta Materials Inc. plans to host an analyst and investor day May 9 in Dallas. Registration at the event begins at 9 a.m., and management presentations will begin at 10 a.m. The event includes a tour of the company’s Bridgeport/Chico Quarry and is scheduled to conclude at about 4 p.m. Analysts and investors who wish to attend the event can RSVP via email to rsvp@martinmarietta.com. Keep Reading
AEM launches competition to address infrastructure problem
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) launched a three-phased, crowdsourced competition that will award a total of $150,000 in prizes for innovative ideas to overhaul U.S. infrastructure. Open to anyone, the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge leverages the HeroX crowdsourcing model designed to bring about radical business, technological and social innovation that benefits local and global communities, inspires new industries and catalyzes new markets. “The United States is the strongest and largest economy in the world and yet the overall quality of our infrastructure is falling dramatically behind our global competitors,” says Dennis Slater, AEM president. “AEM’s members thought it was time to break the cycle of patchwork fixes and deferred maintenance and lead the conversation in a different direction. “We need to engage innovators who we haven’t heard from before and who have the ability to imagine how people, freight, energy and information will move in the country of tomorrow – even as far out as the year 2050,” Slater adds. “With the HeroX crowdsourcing model, we’re confident we can… Keep Reading
Former Stoneco quarry donated to conservation organization
Stoneco donated a 262-acre former sand-and-gravel quarry near Ann Arbor, Mich., to Ducks Unlimited to support wildlife conservation efforts. The donated land, appraised at $2.1 million, is located in Lodi Township, Mich., outside of Ann Arbor. “We are proud to donate this land to Ducks Unlimited,” says Rick Becker, Stoneco vice president and general manager. “Our company, employees and families do business, live and work in Washtenaw County, and this is a natural extension of who we are and what we do.” The former quarry site was active until 2014 and has since been undergoing a reclamation process. The area has tremendous potential for wildlife habitat development through wetland restoration, grassland plantings, reforestation and management of the reclaimed mine pit, according to Stoneco. Ducks Unlimited is exploring use of the property as a permanent headquarters for its regional office staff, which consists of biologists, engineers, geographic information systems technicians, administrative staff and fundraisers dedicated to wetlands conservation. According to Stoneco, the land donation will support Ducks Unlimited’s Rescue Our Wetlands… Keep Reading
U.S. Concrete hires CFO
U.S. Concrete Inc. named Jody Tusa Jr. senior vice president and CFO. Tusa will oversee the company's financial management, capital markets activity and investor relations. According to U.S. Concrete, Tusa is a corporate finance executive and certified public accountant with more than 35 years of experience, including CFO roles at publicly traded companies. Tusa has built and led finance teams and executed mergers and acquisitions during his career. "We are extremely pleased to welcome Jody to our company," says William J. Sandbrook, U.S. Concrete president and CEO. "His financial acumen, combined with his operating experience, capital markets knowledge and successful mergers and acquisitions track record, provide the company with the necessary support to maintain our growth in our targeted heavy construction materials segments." Tusa was most recently the CFO of Emerge Energy Services LP. He has also held CFO roles at USA Compression Partners LP, Comsys IT Partners Inc., and DSM Copolymer Inc., along with senior leadership positions at Metamor Worldwide Inc. and Total American Mining Inc. Keep Reading
MSHA: Mining deaths drop to all-time lows
Preliminary Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) data indicate that 28 miners died in 2015 in work-related accidents at U.S. mines. That figure is down from 45 in 2014. The 28 represent the fewest number of mining deaths ever recorded and the first year that mining deaths dropped below 30, according to MSHA. Seventeen of the deaths occurred in metal and nonmetal mines. Nevada had the most with four, followed by Missouri with two, and one each in California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The leading cause of death in these mines was machinery accidents, which led to five deaths. Falling materials killed four miners. The other 11 deaths occurred in coal mines – three in Pennsylvania; two each in Kentucky, Illinois and West Virginia; and one each in Alabama and Virginia. The leading causes were powered haulage and machinery accidents, which accounted for six deaths. “While record-low numbers have been achieved, we are mindful that things could change in a heartbeat if… Keep Reading
Construction spending dip the first in more than year
U.S. construction spending fell for the first time in nearly 1 1/2 years in November, according to Reuters. A drop in nonresidential investment offset an increase in housing activity. Construction spending dipped 0.4 percent. This was the first spending dip since June 2014, the Department of Commerce reports. The dip follows a 0.3 percent gain in October. Reuters also reports that the government revised construction data from January 2005 through October 2015 because of a "processing error in the tabulation of data." The revisions, which showed construction spending was not as strong as previously reported for much of 2015, could prompt economists to lower their fourth-quarter gross domestic product estimates, according to Reuters. Growth estimates are currently hovering below a 2.0 percent annual pace. The economy expanded at a 2.0 percent rate in the third quarter. Economists whom Reuters polled had forecast construction spending to rise 0.6 percent in November after a previously reported 1.0 percent increase in October. Keep Reading
Crushing do’s and don’ts
The simplest details make a huge difference when crushing, says Stephen Dobler, Sandvik Construction's business line manager for crushing and screening in Canada. "I think everyone has a good grasp on how they should be feeding a crusher," Dobler says. "But every operation has certain priorities, and sometimes these things fall on the backburner because they don't seem to have an immediate impact. Still, a lot of these basic things will have an impact on your operation." Dobler shared some takeaways with Pit & Quarry that aggregate producers can apply to their own crushing operations. Here are Dobler's do's and don'ts: Do: Realize that the quality of your rock may change the deeper you move into your reserves. "The quality of the rock will affect operating costs," Dobler says. "If an operation isn't double-checking work indexes and abrasion indexes, they can get caught by surprise when wear parts wear out faster." Producers typically take core samples before quarry operations begin, but testing should never stop because initial core drilling was… Keep Reading
