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Ongoing recovery drives Vulcan’s third-quarter growth
Vulcan Materials Co.'s third-quarter net sales increased 13 percent versus the prior year's third quarter, the company announced upon releasing its results for the third quarter. In addition, the company's gross profit increased 25 percent from the prior year as each of Vulcan's major product lines grew in unit shipments from the prior year. The company's aggregates shipments increased 9 percent; volumes in ready-mixed concrete and cement increased 17 percent and 10 percent respectively; and asphalt mix volumes increased 4 percent. "Our third quarter results reflect the continued recovery of our markets and the benefits of the company's powerful earnings leverage," says Don James, Vulcan's chairman and CEO, in a press release. "A 9 percent increase in aggregates volume helped drive a 20 percent increase in aggregates gross profit." In the third quarter, cash gross profit per ton of aggregates increased to $4.83 per ton – Vulcan's highest quarterly unit profitability in more than four years, according to James. "As a result, cash gross profit per ton on a trailing… Keep Reading
MSHA designates Oct. 30 as Mine Rescue Day
MSHA is recognizing Oct. 30 as Mine Rescue Day. The date was selected because of its historical significance, as the first national mine rescue demonstration was held in the United States on Oct. 30, 1911. "I urge the mining community to recognize Oct. 30 as Mine Rescue Day – a day set aside to acknowledge and celebrate the courageous mine rescuers, past and present, who put their lives on the line to save other miners,” says Joe Main, assistant secretary of labor for MSHA. MSHA made the announcement during the first meeting of the newly established Holmes Mine Rescue Association (HMRA), held Oct. 29 and 30, at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beaver, W.Va. According to a press release, the HMRA was created within the Holmes Safety Association at its annual meeting in June to provide a national mine response structure to better support and guide mine emergency response. Keep Reading
2013 Equipment Online
Even in today’s increasingly digital world, Pit & Quarry readers tell us they prefer the print magazine as their top source for industry information. Still, the magazine isn’t the only media platform aggregate producers are leaning on these days. Websites, e-newsletters, blogs, online forums and social media are some of the other sources producers have turned to for information about equipment, supplies and services. Trade magazines are still their top source, they say, but nearly 20 percent of Pit & Quarry readers say an Internet search is their go-to source for information – and more than 15 percent say they first turn directly to websites. In fact, 82 percent of those who visit our website tell us they’ve sought out additional product information after discovering a product or service on stage.pitandquarry.com. More than 70 percent of visitors have clicked through to a vendor’s website from there, and nearly half have directly requested information or pricing related to a product or service after visiting Pit & Quarry online. Yes, print media… Keep Reading
Red rock meets its match
A California producer finds a cost-effective way to process hard, abrasive material. Edited By Kevin Yanik Three men. Working all day. On a single job. That’s typically the scenario that unfolds at Porterville Rock & Recycle, an aggregate producer based in Porterville, Calif., when a primary screen must be replaced. Replacing screens is a labor-intensive task, but it’s one that’s necessary for the operation to remain productive. The less often the operation has to change out screens, the better. Still, considering Porterville Rock recently began mining metabasalt, a notoriously hard granite and red rock which owner Mitch Brown describes as harder and more abrasive than anything his business has processed in his time, the operation was forced to replace screens more often than he preferred. The upside of the red rock is it’s a high in-demand material, Brown says – at least in California, where Porterville Rock competes locally against four other producers. “It’s such a good rock that it meets new [California Department of Transportation] regulations,” Brown says. “It goes… Keep Reading
Summit Materials names financial, legal officers
Summit Materials appointed Brian Harris as CFO and Anne Benedict as chief legal officer. John Murphy, who stepped down as interim CFO, will continue to serve the company as a director and chairman of the audit committee of the board of directors of the company's indirect parent company. Harris joins Summit after serving as executive vice president and CFO of Bausch & Lomb Holdings Inc. Benedict was a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Keep Reading
Near double-digit growth forecast for construction
McGraw-Hill Construction predicts total U.S. construction starts for 2014 to rise 9 percent to $555.3 billion. McGraw-Hill Construction made the prediction as part of its 2014 Dodge Construction Outlook. The organization forecasted a 5 percent increase to $508 billion for 2013. "We see 2014 as another year of measured expansion for the construction industry," says Robert Murray, McGraw-Hill Construction's vice president of economic affairs. "Against the backdrop of elevated uncertainty and federal spending cutbacks, the construction industry should still benefit from several positive factors going into 2014. "Job growth, while sluggish, is still taking place. Interest rates remain very low by historical standards, and in the near term the Federal Reserve is likely to take the necessary steps to keep them low. The bank-lending environment is showing improvement in terms of both lending standards and the volume of loans. And, the improving fiscal posture of states and localities will help to offset some of the negative impact from decreased federal funding." McGraw-Hill Construction forecasts single-family housing to grow 26 percent in dollars,… Keep Reading
Metso names executive vice president
Metso’s board of directors appointed CFO Harri Nikunen as executive vice president and deputy to the CEO, effective Nov. 1. Nikunen will resume his role as CFO, a position he has held since March 2011. He has been a Metso employee since 1986. Metso’s former executive vice president and deputy to the CEO, Pasi Laine, was appointed president and CEO of Valmet Corp., a new company to be created in Metso’s partial demerger. Keep Reading
NSSGA sees WRRDA’s passage as positive for infrastructural needs
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Reform & Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA) in a 417 to 3 vote – a move NSSGA applauded. According to NSSGA, WRRDA is aimed at strengthening the nation's water transportation network. "[The] vote, especially when considered in light of the strong bipartisan support that companion legislation received in the Senate, shows that Congress can come together on important matters of national interest and advance meaningful policy solutions," says Mike Johnson, NSSGA president and CEO, in a letter to the association's members. "This is a promising development given the need for Congress to address crucial infrastructure issues surrounding the expiration of the current highway bill and the solvency of the highway trust fund in the very near future." Keep Reading
Eight tips to produce a consistent product
Metso's Matt Gerten, manager of application support and complex proposals, offered tips at his company's 2013 Quarry Solutions & Industry Knowledge Expo on how to produce a consistent product. Here are the eight must-do's Gerten suggested on behalf of Metso: 1. Operate at a consistent choke-fed cavity level. If you can run a crusher at a constant level with the same product and the same speed setting, you're more likely to produce a consistent product, Gerten says. 2. Operate at a consistent closed side discharge setting. The more abrasive the material, the more the setting will wear. Check the setting consistently. Even small increases in crusher settings due to liner wear will result in product gradation changes. 3. Have a properly distributed feed. According to Gerten, all feed should be directed vertically into the center of the crusher. Poor distribution results in low crusher throughput, elongated and oversized product, adjustment ring movement and a tilted adjustment ring. 4. Have a homogenous feed stream. Make sure your fines and coarse feed… Keep Reading
