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Caterpillar selling part of Bucyrus distribution business
Caterpillar Global Mining LLC and Hewitt Equipment Ltd. have signed an agreement for Hewitt and its subsidiary, Atlantic Tractors & Equipment Ltd., to acquire Caterpillar’s Bucyrus equipment distribution and support business in Quebec, Western Labrador and the Maritimes. Hewitt Equipment is a Cat dealer. Caterpillar has announced similar transactions with other Cat dealers over the last few months. The company says it continues to hold discussions with other dealers who have mining activity in their territories, and that it will continue to operate the former Bucyrus distribution business until transitions have been made. Keep Reading
Vulcan Materials releases second-quarter earnings summary
Vulcan Materials Co. shared its second-quarter earnings summary last week, announcing that its aggregates segment gross profit improved 9 percent due to increased productivity and cost-reduction initiatives. Vulcan’s aggregates shipments increased slightly on a same-store basis from the prior year period, notwithstanding the pull-forward effect of seasonally favorable weather conditions during the first quarter and the effects of Tropical Storm Debby in Florida in June. Overall, Vulcan shipments decreased 1 percent due to the sale of operations in Indiana last year. Also, aggregates pricing increased slightly, offsetting some of the earnings effect of a less favorable geographic mix. “Despite weaker volumes in several of our most profitable markets, aggregates segment gross profit margin improved by 220 basis points,” says Don James, Vulcan’s chairman and CEO. “Cash earnings per ton of aggregates increased to $4.57 per ton." James adds that trends in both private- and public-sector construction markets are positive. “In particular, we are encouraged by the passage of the new multi-year highway bill by Congress in late June, which should provide state… Keep Reading
Martin Marietta shares second-quarter results
Martin Marietta Materials Inc. released its second-quarter results today, noting that its heritage aggregates business-operating margin expanded 150 basis points and that the company’s specialty products group posted record second-quarter net sales. “Our second-quarter results once again reflect the powerful combination of increases in shipment volume and average selling prices in our heritage aggregates product line,” says Ward Nye, Martin Marietta’s president and CEO. Underlying the increases are continuing indications of recovery in certain areas of Martin Marietta’s markets, Nye adds, predominantly in the western United States. In particular, heritage volume growth in Texas was driven by increased shipments to both the energy sector and the residential end-use markets. “Looking ahead, the positive momentum generated in the first half of the year, together with the recent passage of a new federal highway bill and regionalized improvement in home building, have bolstered our optimism for construction activity,” Nye says. Keep Reading
McLanahan introduces filter press line
McLanahan Corp. has launched its first line of filter presses, eliminating the need for slurry ponds and a full-time operator. McLanahan says the presses produce dry cakes and use fewer chemicals. The filter press technology treats the underflow of a thickener, clarifier or other waste and dewatering processes. Both overhead-beam and side-beam designs are options, and both designs can feature either recessed chamber filter plates or membrane filter plates, with a wide range of available pressures ranging from 225 to 725 psi. Other options are core blow systems and automatic wash systems. Keep Reading
Our too-quick-to-react society
The Penn State scandal was once again a topic of discussion this week, with the Joe Paterno statue removed from outside the football stadium and the NCAA imposing a $60 million fine on the university, among other measures, for its role covering up Jerry Sandusky’s crimes. Whether or not you believe Paterno’s statue should have remained and whether or not you believe the NCAA’s punishment was appropriate are discussions to dive into on another forum. What the aggregates industry and others, including Congress, can take away from those decisions is how they were made. NSSGA reported earlier this week that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is developing new mine safety legislation in response to the report on what went wrong to cause the 2010 Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in West Virginia. Like the Penn State scandal, the end result of the Upper Big Branch explosion that killed 29 people is tragic – in a very different way, of course – yet nevertheless tragic. As with all tragedies of this magnitude,… Keep Reading
International Equipment Solutions acquires CWS Industries
International Equipment Solutions LLC made its fourth acquisition since its formation last September in CWS Industries Corp., an attachment product manufacturer focused on tire manipulators, cable reelers, grapples buckets and a variety of excavator attachment products. IES was formed as an investment platform to serve the construction, agriculture, landscaping, infrastructure, recycling, demolition, mining and energy industries. IES made its first two acquisitions upon its formation, when it acquired Paladin Brands Holding Inc. and Crenlo LLC from Dover Corp. IES acquired Siac do Brasil, a Brazilian cab enclosure manufacturer, earlier this summer. Photo: International Equipment Solutions LLC Keep Reading
Deister names exclusive equipment rep for three states
Deister Machine Co. Inc. has appointed Process Machinery Inc. as its exclusive equipment dealer and turnkey systems provider for Indiana, Kentucky and the Ohio region south of I-70. Among Process Machinery’s services are new and used equipment, parts and service support, fabrication, process design and field construction services. Keep Reading
Mine safety bill reportedly in the works
NSSGA reports Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is developing new mine safety legislation. An initial summary of the proposal, which has not yet been introduced, includes a number of items seen in previous mine safety bills. The items all target mine operators, and NSSGA is opposed to them all. The legislation is reportedly a response to the report on what went wrong to cause the 2010 Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in West Virginia. MSHA admitted that it could have inspected the facility more thoroughly, and the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health has been critical of aspects of MSHA’s enforcement culture. Among the provisions NSSGA believes to be included in Harkin’s bill are a significant increase in the number of operator employees who could be deemed liable for civil and criminal penalties for violations; a reduced threshold for a violation to be labeled as "willful," thus increasing the potential gravity of citations; and a broadly expanded subpoena authority, serving to limit privacy of business records. While NSSGA says this legislation is… Keep Reading
KPI-JCI hires product application specialist
Chad Renken has joined the KPI-JCI sales and marketing team as a product application specialist. In the position, Renken will provide support to both domestic and international sales personnel in reviewing aggregate processing opportunities and by proposing equipment solutions for customers. Renken previously worked as a project designer at Masaba Mining Equipment in Vermillion, S.D. Keep Reading
