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Martin Marietta releases third-quarter results
Ward Nye, president and CEO of Martin Marietta Materials Inc., noted several positive trends in construction activity upon the company's public release of third-quarter results Tuesday. One positive trend Nye noted is the continued recovery and growth in the residential sector end-use market, which is reporting a 14 percent increase in heritage aggregates product line shipments over the prior-year quarter. MAP-21 is another positive trend Nye pointed out, citing the fact that several key states the company serves are taking steps to use various funding alternatives to support infrastructure projects. "It seems a backlog of construction work is awaiting, what we believe to be, a general restoration of confidence in the current economic and political environment," Nye said. "We anticipate these positive trends will continue and provide the prospect for increasing volume momentum as we move forward into 2013.” In the third quarter, Martin Marietta saw a 27 percent increase over the prior-year quarter in earnings per diluted share. Shares finished at $1.36. Martin Marietta's consolidated net sales through the… Keep Reading
Nonresidential building slips for third straight month
The Dodge Momentum Index that measures nonresidential building projects dropped another 0.6 percent in October, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. The index retreated for the third consecutive month, this time to 93.3, after peaking at 96.0 in July. McGraw-Hill Construction attributes the recent loss of momentum in part to the high degree of uncertainty affecting the U.S. economy and the construction industry, reflecting the U.S. presidential election and the looming fiscal cliff. In addition, plans for institutional building projects were particularly strong in recent months, but that strength dissipated in October given the continued tight budget conditions states and localities face. The drop in the October index was due entirely to a 1.3 percent decline in its institutional segment. In particular, the volume of publicly financed construction projects eased as fewer large-scale healthcare projects entered the planning phase. Keep Reading
Continuous conversation key to accident prevention
Mark Kennedy fortunately hasn't seen this happen, but he's heard stories from years ago about how quarry workers would wedge steel bars into a clogged crusher, only to have the crusher spit the bar out and shoot it through the worker's skull. Kennedy, like many of you, has seen workers climb ladders while lugging a bucketful of tools. He's seen workers jump off track-mounted equipment from dangerous heights, and he's thought long and hard about the day a worker tries to jumpstart a mobile unit without fixing the root cause of a problem, only to have another worker lose a limb because a jumper was thoughtlessly put onto an emergency stop. "It would be truly tough to live with yourself," said Kennedy, a Metso senior technical training instructor, to an audience of the company's distributors Oct. 24. As troubling as some accident outcomes are, it's essential to remind yourself such outcomes can happen on your watch. So as unmoving as safety education can be, especially when it's continuously reinforced much… Keep Reading
Sany names Van Keppel excavator dealer in Arkansas
The G.W. Van Keppel Co. has been named a Sany hydraulic excavator dealer covering central and western Arkansas. Van Keppel serves equipment customers through 15 locations in five states, providing crushing and screening equipment, material-handling machines and quarry supplies. The company's headquarters is in Kanas City, Kan. Keep Reading
Siemens names new CEO for drives portfolio
Jürgen Amedick has taken over as CEO of the large drives business unit for the Siemens Drive Technologies Division, which develops, manufactures, and markets products, systems, solutions, and services for drive engineering. Amedick follows Jürgen Brandes, who took over leadership of the rail automation business unit in the infrastructure and cities sector. Amedick most recently headed the products segment of the large drives business unit. Keep Reading
Construction industry adds jobs as unemployment rate falls
Construction employers added 17,000 jobs in October while the construction industry's unemployment rate fell to 11.4 percent, according to an analysis of new federal data released by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Association officials noted that total construction employment levels have changed little during the past year while the declines in the industry’s unemployment rate are coming as more former workers leave the industry. “Despite five consecutive months of construction employment gains, the overall employment picture is essentially unchanged from a year ago,” says Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “Construction employment appears stuck in a state of mild monthly flux with little change to the overall number of jobs.” Construction firms employed 5.539 million people in October, up from 5.522 in September. The sector's overall employment in October is 20,000, or 0.4 percent, higher than one year earlier when firms employed 5.519 million workers. However, Simonson noted that overall construction employment remains down by nearly 2.2 million compared to six years ago, when the sector's employment peaked… Keep Reading
Vulcan names new COO, shifts other leaders around
Danny Shepherd, formerly executive vice president of construction aggregates at Vulcan Materials Co., has been appointed the company's executive vice president and COO. The company has also appointed Robert Wason, Michael Mills and John McPherson to new positions within the company. Wason, who has served as senior vice president, general counsel, will retire in October 2013 and assume the role of senior advisor to the executive management team until that time. Mills, who has served as senior vice president of Vulcan's East region, has been appointed senior vice president, general counsel. Mills will also serve as Vulcan's corporate compliance officer. McPherson, who has served as senior vice president of strategic planning and business development, will replace Mills as senior vice president of Vulcan's East region. Keep Reading
NSSGA appoints Edwards as president, CEO
Gus Edwards, NSSGA’s executive vice president since 2008, has been elected by the board of directors to succeed Joy Pinniger as the association’s president and CEO upon her retirement Nov. 2. Edwards began his service with the National Stone Association (NSA) in 1997 as vice president for public affairs. After the merger of NSA and the National Aggregates Association in 2000, he continued as vice president of communications and community relations until his appointment as executive vice president. Before joining NSA, Edwards served as vice president for environment, health and safety with The Jefferson Group, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm. He had previously served as U.S. deputy assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy assistant administrator for external affairs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Those appointments were preceded by 12 years working on Capitol Hill as chief of staff to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a U.S. senator. Edwards, his wife, Anne, and their two daughters reside in Alexandria, Va. Keep Reading
CalCIMA recognizes producers for safety at conference
The California Construction & Industrial Materials Association (CalCIMA) recognized Lehigh Hanson and Santa Fe Aggregates for their dedication to safety at the recent CalCIMA 2012 Education Conference. Lehigh Hanson's Carroll Canyon plant in San Diego was recognized in the Large Aggregate Mine category. According to CalCIMA, the plant is exceptional for motivating personnel, establishing a safety culture and serving as a testing ground for new safety programs. Santa Fe Aggregates, meanwhile, was recognized in the Small Aggregate Mine category. The company's plant in Waterford, Calif., was specifically honored. CalCIMA says the mine has created a caring, family atmosphere where employees can talk openly about safety. Lehigh Hanson and Santa Fe Aggregates were selected, along with two other safety winners, from among 27 applications. CalCIMA also named John Hecht, president of Sespe Consulting Inc., the winner of its Associate of the Year Award. The award recognizes someone for dedication to the association, commitment to membership and outstanding support for the industry. Keep Reading
