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Lafarge makes donation to Canadian zoo
Lafarge Canada Inc. has partnered with the Calgary Zoo and the zoo's Centre for Conservation Research, donating cash and a gift in kind of aggregates, concrete and cement, as well as employee volunteer hours. Lafarge aims to help sustain the ecosystems where we work and live. “Lafarge has a long history of environmental leadership and has connected specifically with the conservation research center to further our efforts," says Rene Thibault, president and CEO of Lafarge Western Canada. "We have supported the zoo for over 20 years and find their research work critical to biodiversity." The support from Lafarge will help back field research projects such as black-tailed prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets, whooping crane incubation studies at the zoo’s Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre and international community-based conservation work in collaboration with the zoo’s conservation outreach team. Keep Reading
Virginia roads bill signed into law
The commonwealth of Virginia's road construction fund was on a pace to run out in four years. But a landmark transportation-funding bill Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-Va.) ceremoniously signed Monday will generate $1.4 billion per year for Virginia's roads and highways. According to the Washington Post, the law changes the way Virginia raises funds for transportation, creating the first new revenue stream in nearly a generation to one of the nation’s largest and most congested road systems. The law cuts the fuels tax but allows it to rise with inflation. It raises the sales tax from 5 percent to 5.3 percent and allocates a portion of existing revenue to roads. In addition, the bill raises funds for regional authorities in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads for transportation projects in those congestion-prone areas. “This bill is crucial to the future growth of Virginia’s economy, and this is a great day for job creation in the commonwealth,” McDonnell said. Keep Reading
Vulcan makes first-quarter results public
Vulcan Materials Co. released its 2013 first-quarter results today, noting that its aggregates gross profit was down over the prior year's first quarter yet emphasizing that the company's business segments performed as they were expected to. "Aggregates segment gross profit, while down versus the prior year, was in line with our expectations and up sharply versus the first quarter of 2011," says Don James, Vulcan's chairman and CEO. "We expected first-quarter aggregates shipments to be lower than last year when shipments increased 10 percent due to favorable weather and the timing of shipments to several large projects." James adds that demand for Vulcan's products in several markets continues to benefit from recovery in private construction activity, particularly residential. "Most notably, we realized double-digit percentage increases in first-quarter aggregates shipments in Arizona, California and Florida – driven by demand from housing," James says. "In other key markets, particularly Texas, shipments also increased, reflecting broad-based recovery across all end-markets. Housing starts, as measured on a seasonally adjusted annual rate, are now more than… Keep Reading
Luck’s alternative management approach
Luck Cos., a MegaProducer with 15 quarries in Virginia, sunk to its lowest point in the company's 90-year history in 2008, according to President and CEO Charlie Luck IV. That year, the Great Recession forced Luck Cos. to reduce its team by 18 percent. Many companies went the low-man-on-the-totem-pole route in determining who to terminate that year and in the years that followed. But Luck Cos. went a different route – one that exhibits a unique company culture Luck Cos. had previously discovered. "In the past we would have let the newest people go and kept long-tenured people," says Luck, who delivered a special presentation back in March during the AGG1 Academy in San Antonio. "But we looked through our team and made cuts through a new lens. We kept the people who were really focused on working on themselves." A focus on developing people first – not profit – is an approach few producers and contractors probably took over the Great Recession's trying years. But Luck Cos. went that route because… Keep Reading
Dates announced for Blasting and Explosives Safety Training
The annual fall Blasting and Explosives Safety Training (BEST) Seminar will be held Sept. 4-6, 2013, at the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, S.D. The two-and-a-half day educational training session will be capped by a night blast at the Crazy Horse Memorial on Sept. 6. RAM Inc.’s BEST Seminar is designed specifically for those who work with explosives – explosives engineers, drillers, field crews, safety personnel and drilling and blasting engineers. The seminar is also designed to help attendees comply with state and federal regulations. Upon completion, each BEST attendee will receive a course certificate and a manual with information that can be used in the field. All attendees will receive 20 continuing education (CE) hours. An advanced course registration discount is available through July 31. Visit www.ramets.com for more details. Keep Reading
IRock expands dealer network
IRock Crushers has named Ace Equipment Sales Inc. its dealer in New England and New York. Ace Equipment Sales, a family-owned business founded in 1973, is based in Willington, Conn. “IRock's screeners and crushers are a good niche for us," says John Patton, general manager at Ace Equipment Sales. "We had a gap in our product line, and IRock filled it." Keep Reading
Case introduces app for smartphones, tablets
Case Construction Equipment has launched the Case Experience Augmented Reality (AR) app that allows its customers to engage with its products through interactive and 3D features, videos, animations and voice-supported text on mobile devices. The app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (generations 3, 4 and 5) and iPad. "The Case Experience app simply provides a way to debunk myths and quickly communicate the productivity advantages that Case machines, selective catalytic reduction technology and dealers deliver," says Athena Campos, director of marketing, Case Construction Equipment, North America. “Their growth objectives require the right equipment and support to do more work, more efficiently. We’ve chosen AR as one method of connection with our customers through a simple multimedia experience.” According to Case, AR technology is the process of superimposing digitally rendered images onto real-world surroundings, giving a sense of an illusion or virtual reality. The app can be downloaded from casece.com/ar, Google Play for Android devices, and Apple… Keep Reading
Cemex sand mine proposal delayed
The vote on Cemex's proposed Four Points Sand Mine in Clermont, Fla., has been pushed back to May 21, reports the Orlando Business Journal. Cemex aims to convert 1,200 acres of farmland into a surface mine, but the project has drawn criticism because of its location. The business journal reports that the mine would take between $8 million and $12 million to construct and that a $4.7 million economic impact would be generated. Keep Reading
Lafarge initiative geared toward community enrichment
Lafarge Canada Inc. is reaffirming its commitment to communities and customers through a new initiative called Building Better Cities. According to Lafarge Canada, Building Better Cities will be applied to all internal and external marketing and communications materials across Canada. “Our vision is to become the leading provider of solutions to the construction industry, and our mission is to provide solutions that build better cities and communities," says Bob Cartmel, president and CEO of Lafarge's eastern Canada division. "The cities where we live and work along with the infrastructure that supports our communities such as roads, bridges, transportation links, water and waste management can and will benefit from the solutions we provide through Lafarge.” Lafarge intends to enhance cities by focusing on a few key areas, including taking account of environmental concerns; combining innovation, performance and architectural expertise; and developing more affordable housing. Keep Reading
