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U.S. Concrete names senior vice president, COO
U.S. Concrete Inc. hired Ronnie Pruitt as senior vice president and COO. According to U.S. Concrete, Pruitt will have direct oversight of the company's ready-mixed concrete, aggregate and ancillary operations. Pruitt previously served Martin Marietta Materials Inc. as vice president of cement sales. U.S. Concrete says Pruitt has more than 20 years of industry experience. "I am excited to bring Ronnie's capabilities and experience to our executive management team," says William J. Sandbrook, U.S. Concrete president and CEO. "Ronnie is well respected in the industry, and his extensive background in all aspects of heavy construction materials will add immediate value and help us execute on our enhanced growth strategy." Before his tenure at Martin Marietta, Pruitt spent most of his career at Texas Industries Inc., where he served as vice president of cement production and vice president of sales and marketing of the company's cement and aggregates divisions. Keep Reading
Equipment focus: DAG Mobile Aggregate Recycling
Profits are harder to find on jobsites these days, says Ron Garofalo, co-owner of DAG Mobile Aggregate Recycling. “Years ago, if you did a job you would add up your overhead and you would have 20 percent profit on your job,” he says. “That was the way you did it.” Now, profits related to demolition are found in places contractors previously ignored. “You’re finding your profit on the jobsite where you threw it away before,” Garofalo says. “It’s not demolition today, it’s dismantling. You don’t make a big pile of mess. You take all the steel out first; separate and grind the wood; crush the concrete; scrap the steel.” That’s the approach Garofalo takes at DAG Mobile Aggregate Recycling, a contract crushing company based in Lyndhurst, N.J. Garofalo has carved a niche for himself in small- to medium-sized construction, he says. When buildings are demolished and parking lots are torn up, DAG provides crushing services and produces a 3/4-in. minus product for customers. In many cases, DAG’s customers use the… Keep Reading
House bill defines sand and gravel as strategic, critical
The House of Representatives passed a bill that includes sand, gravel and minerals necessary for transportation infrastructure construction in the definition of strategic and critical minerals, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) reports. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., introduced the bill, which is titled the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2015. The bill was introduced to expedite permitting to produce domestic sources of minerals that are deemed critically important to national security and economic and manufacturing competitiveness, according to NSSGA. An amendment Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif., introduced that would have removed sand and gravel from the bill failed. “We are pleased that the House has once again passed legislation that recognizes aggregates are essential to transportation infrastructure, particularly in times of natural disaster,” says Pam Whitted, NSSGA senior vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs. “Actions to further restrict development of these essential construction materials threaten stable supplies of them.” Keep Reading
Six-year highway bill drafted in House
The House of Representatives introduced a six-year, $325 billion highway bill. According to The Hill, the bill would spend $261 billion on highways, $55 billion on transit and about $9 billion on safety programs – but only if Congress can figure out how to pay for the final three years. The Hill reports that the first three years of spending would be guaranteed. The remaining three years would be authorized pending additional funding from congressional appropriators. The bill, called the Surface Transportation Reauthorization & Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act), was introduced as the current highway-funding measure is about to expire. Pam Whitted, senior vice president of legislative and regulatory affairs at the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, says the bill is a welcome step to secure a long-term investment in U.S. infrastructure. "There have been 34 short-term extensions of transportation funding since 2009, so we are very pleased to see a six-year bill that allows state and local governments to undertake much-needed large-scale and complex projects,” she says.… Keep Reading
Terex names CEO, president
Terex Corp. named John L. Garrison Jr. CEO and president effective Nov. 2. Garrison will succeed outgoing CEO Ronald M. DeFeo, who will continue to serve as the company's executive chairman through the end of the calendar year. DeFeo will serve Terex as a consultant in 2016. According to Terex, Garrison joins the company from Textron Inc., which he served as president and CEO of its Bell Helicopter segment. Garrison served as president of Textron’s Industrial segment and E-Z-GO before that. He was also president and CEO at Azurix Corp. and held senior leadership positions at Case Corp. “John is a proven leader with considerable experience across a variety of industries," says David Sachs, Terex lead director. "The board considered a highly qualified pool of outstanding candidates and we strongly believe that John is the right person to lead Terex and Konecranes Terex into the future. “We are grateful for Ron’s many contributions to Terex over the years and his leadership through both good and bad economic cycles in continuing… Keep Reading
Fenner Dunlop names executive director
Fenner Dunlop restructured the leadership of its global business operations, naming Edwin Have executive director of the company's business in the Northern Hemisphere. Have is responsible for the company's Engineered Conveyor Solutions' business in the Americas, as well as in Europe, India, the Middle East and North Africa. According to Fenner Dunlop, Have has a financial background and has worked for the company for 16 years. Have's appointment was made concurrently with the retirement announcement of Cassandra Pan, president of Fenner Dunlop Americas. In addition, the company announced David Landgren was named executive director of its Southern Hemisphere business. Keep Reading
Montana quarry operation purchased
Pipestone Quarry LLC acquired the Pipestone Quarry near Butte, Mont. According to The Montana Standard, the active Pipestone Quarry spans 64 acres and produces mostly railroad ballast. The 14 workers employed by the previous owner, URS Energy and Construction, will retain their jobs. Pipestone Quarry LLC owner Dennis Washington also owns Montana Resources, which operates an open pit mine in Butte, according to The Montana Standard. Tim McHugh, Montana Resources' vice president of finance and administration, confirmed the Pipestone Quarry purchase to The Montana Standard and added that Pipestone Quarry LLC and Montana Resources will operate as separate companies. Keep Reading
Feeder fix: Eliminating material bridging
Time dedicated to cleaning out a vibrating grizzly feeder and prying out rocks wedged between grizzly bars adds up. Especially when work crews must address pegging and plugging issues within a grizzly feeder multiple times per week. Will Pyatt, general manager of Anna Quarries and Kinkaid Stone Co. in southern Illinois, estimates his crew at Kinkaid Stone previously had to address the grizzly feeder within one quarry three to four times per week at the end of shifts. That’s time Kinkaid Stone preferred to dedicate to production. Yes, grizzly bars are an industry norm. But as Pyatt points out, traditional grizzly bars have some disadvantages. “If you’re trying to pop a rock between the grizzly bars with a hydraulic hammer, that can cause damage to your equipment,” says Pyatt, who mines limestone at Kinkaid Stone. Pyatt found a replacement to traditional grizzly bars in Grizzly Spring Fingers, an alternative from Dakota Equipment Manufacturing Inc. (DEMI). According to DEMI, Grizzly Spring Fingers are made from flexible spring tines that are designed… Keep Reading
House Speaker candidate vows to pass six-year highway bill
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the House Majority Leader, pledged to pass a long-term highway bill earlier this week if he is selected to replace Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) as Speaker of the House. McCarthy made his vow on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," according to The Hill. "Well, [fundamentally], I’m going to change as Speaker," McCarthy says. "We’re going to make sure we get the highway bill done." Specifically, McCarthy envisions passing a six-year bill. "If we pass a highway bill with tax reform at the same time, that's policy," he says. "That changes the inversion process; that means more money comes back to America. That puts a six-year highway bill on to the floor and starts moving and building roads that we need in American infrastructure." McCarthy expressed confidence in his ability to steer passage of a long-term bill, according to The Hill. "You’re going to see a difference that it’s going to be a six-year bill," he says. "You're going to see reforms when you want to talk about policy… Keep Reading
