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Summit Materials names new board member
Summit Materials Inc. appointed Joseph Cantie to its board of directors. With the appointment of Cantie, Summit now has eight members on its board of directors. Cantie will also serve on the board of directors’ audit committee. According to the company, Cantie has more than 30 years of financial and operating experience in the industrials sector. He most recently worked as the former executive vice president and chief financial officer of ZF TRW, a division of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, from May 2015 until January 2016. He has held other positions at TRW, which he joined in 1999. “His combined financial and operating experience, along with his tenure at a big four accounting firm, provide a diversified knowledge base and additional perspective to our company,” says Tom Hill, CEO of Summit. Summit Materials is a vertically integrated construction materials company that supplies aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt in the United States and British Columbia. The company has completed more than 35 acquisitions since it was founded. Keep Reading
Vermeer hosts Big Yellow Iron 2016
Vermeer Corp.'s Patrick Robinson discusses the goals of the company's 2016 Big Yellow Iron event. Keep Reading
Managing community blasting complaints
Blasting tends to be one of the biggest concerns homeowners have with quarry operations. That's always been a given. But Jeff Taylor, president of Sauls Seismic, has noticed an increasing number of damage claims lately against aggregate producers and blasting companies. “Blasting seems to be the one thing people fear most about quarries,” Taylor says. So, how can aggregate producers put up a stronger defense when blasting-related complaints and lawsuits arise? Taylor offers some recommendations. Perform pre-blast surveys with help from a third-party company. Aggregate producers should partner with an outside company to perform pre-blast surveys to protect themselves against blasting-related lawsuits, Taylor says. According to Taylor, performing a pre-blast survey is one of the best defenses against a blasting lawsuit. In a pre-blast survey, a third-party company takes photographs of nearby homes prior to blasts to check for any pre-existing damages on structures. If homeowners are convinced a blast cracked their house, a pre-blast survey can test the claim’s validity. “This needs to be a standard practice,” Taylor says. “If… Keep Reading
Terex Corp. ends merger with Konecranes
Terex Corp. and Konecranes mutually agreed to terminate their merger without the payment of a fee by either party. The two companies initially entered into a merger on Aug. 10, 2015. Terex says it signed a definitive agreement to sell its material handling and port solutions business to Konecranes for about $1.3 billion. The consideration being paid includes $820 million in cash and 19.6 million newly issued shares of Konecranes. Upon completion of this transaction, Terex will own about 25 percent of Konecranes' outstanding shares and have the right to nominate two of its directors. According to Terex, the transaction is expected to close in January 2017, subject to customary regulatory approvals and the approval of Konecranes’ shareholders. “The sale of [the material handling and port solutions] business to Konecranes is good for our customers, team members and shareholders,” says John Garrison, president and CEO of Terex. “It will significantly reduce Terex’s debt levels, improve our balance sheet and give us long-term financial flexibility to invest in our business and buy back shares.” Garrison… Keep Reading
Vermeer Big Yellow Iron 2016
Vermeer Corp. invited aggregate producers and its equipment dealers from around the world to central Texas for a product showcase called Big Yellow Iron 2016. At the event, Vermeer showcased a variety of new machines and products. Watch these videos to find out what they are. Keep Reading
Superior doubles the size of its Nebraska plant
Superior Industries expanded its manufacturing plant in Columbus, Neb. The expansion will create more space for the company to build its newly launched Guardian horizontal screens and portable processing plants for crushing, screening, washing and feeding. The company already manufactures wet processing equipment at the Nebraska plant. “Although we incorporated the existing facility into our expansion, it’s like working in a brand-new plant,” says Michael Monaghan, general manager of Superior’s operations in Nebraska. “We integrated the best principals of lean manufacturing and were able to achieve a straight-line process.” Additionally, Superior says it doubled its engineering staff dedicated to developing the screens, washers and portable plants manufactured and shipped from Nebraska. Keep Reading
Vermeer showcases products to aggregates market
Vermeer Corp. invited aggregate producers and its equipment dealers from around the world to central Texas for a product showcase called Big Yellow Iron 2016. Those who attended learned about Vermeer's plans to expand its offerings into the aggregates market. Vermeer traditionally serves the agricultural, pipeline, utility and recycling markets, but some of the company’s latest products can serve as effective tools in the aggregates market, according to company representatives. While Vermeer's origins are in agricultural, trenching and tree care equipment, the company has evolved through the years to expand its industrial-related equipment in a variety of niche and established markets. “The diversity of our business is one of our greatest assets,” says Jason Andringa, Vermeer’s president and CEO. “Our opportunity to build onto what we can bring to the mining and aggregates market is a next step for our industrial offerings.” At Big Yellow Iron 2016, Vermeer explained how its Terrain Leveler surface excavation machine, HG6000TX horizontal grinder, T655 Commander 3 Rock Wheel and T620 trommel screen can help… Keep Reading
House committee bill blocks WOTUS rule
The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee included a rider in an annual spending bill that would block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, according to the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA). A House appropriations subpanel gave its blessings to the $37.4 billion spending bill for energy and water programs. NSSGA reports the House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal 2017 energy and water spending measure April 11, which also boosted the funding of the Army Corps of Engineers by $100 million and contained an additional rider that would block any changes to the definition of fill material. The WOTUS rule would extend jurisdiction of the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers over many areas previously not considered waters of the United States, and it has been the subject of more than a dozen congressional hearings. The WOTUS rider will likely draw opposition from many Democratic members of the House, and NSSGA says this rider is expected to be stripped from the… Keep Reading
