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P&Q Hall of Fame Profile: Richard J. Feltes
Rick Feltes has always felt the need to give back to the aggregates industry. Mike Johnson, the president and CEO of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, can attest to that notion. According to Johnson, Feltes was one of the first people to reach out to him when he joined the aggregates industry in 2013. “Feltes always looked to help others and never worried about getting credit,” Johnson says. “I remember my first meeting with Feltes. He asked me, ‘How can I help you? Let me be a resource to you.’” Feltes exhibited that same giving spirit through his work related to the development of AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo, which launched in 2009. The event launched to consolidate the association’s educational events into one. While Feltes wasn’t the person who developed the AGG1 concept, industry leaders credit him with propelling the show forward. “That was Rick’s baby,” Johnson says. “He was there in its infancy, and the numbers don’t lie. He has seen it grow each year.” Feltes’… Keep Reading
Dodge Momentum Index falls after three months of gains
The Dodge Momentum Index fell 7 percent in March to 117.4 from its revised February reading of 126.4, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The March decline marks the first setback for the index after three months of gains. Dodge Data reports the index has been particularly volatile the past year, increasing in seven months and dropping in five, mirroring the saw tooth pattern of growth in the overall economy. Dodge Data adds that a steep 15 percent drop in institutional planning likely caused the decline for the index. Despite the stark retreat, institutional planning activity is 7 percent above its level of March 2015, while commercial planning is down 4 percent from last year. The overall index is about even with its level one year ago. In March, Dodge Data says seven projects entered planning with a value that exceeded $100 million. For the commercial building sector, the leading projects were a $500 million shopping center in Los Angeles and a $113 million mixed-use building in Maspeth, N.Y. For the… Keep Reading
Flexco expands its training facility
Flexco unveiled a larger training facility in Downers Grove, Ill., to enhance the education of its customers and employees. Flexco’s expanded training center offers classroom training on the company’s mechanical fasteners. According to Flexco, the interactive learning area includes about 50 percent more usable space than the previous center, providing hands-on classroom instruction. “We feel that educating customers on our product solutions goes beyond installation videos and manuals,” says Aaron Rosso, Flexco’s senior product manager. “We want to bring them in to teach them not only how to use the products, but also when and why to use them.” The updated training center is an extension of Flexco University, the company’s three-part curriculum that offers in-class and online training. The company adds that it’s next Flexco Heavy-Duty Training School takes place Oct. 24-26. To learn more about the event, visit the company’s website or reach out to a Flexco representative. Keep Reading
Recognizing the rewards of reclamation
Quarry reclamation projects sometimes take years or even decades to complete, but the rewards of following through with these types of projects are often well worth the efforts. Aggregate producers can reap several benefits from completing reclamation projects that improve their surrounding communities. Hanson Material Service's Thornton Quarry, located in a Chicago suburb, recently reaped some benefits from following through with a reclamation project on a portion of its quarry. Hanson Material Service partnered with the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in 1998 to agree to finish mining operations at the north lobe of the quarry by 2013 to allow that section of the quarry to be transformed into a reservoir. The Thornton Reservoir project was completed in November 2015. According to the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP), the reservoir now benefits about 556,000 people in the area, protecting the homes and facilities from pollution and flooding. The reservoir, which holds up to 7.9 billion gallons of water, redirects stormwater through a tunnel to be treated at a local… Keep Reading
Allu appoints new territory manager
Allu North America added Matt Orr to the company as a territory manager. Orr is responsible for the Midwest region of the United States. Prior to working for Allu, Orr worked in equipment sales with a Komatsu dealership for nine years. Allu says Orr will help to develop the company’s distribution network in his territory and to increase the company’s customer base. Allu Group offers customers a line of screening, crushing, windrow turning, soil stabilizing and compacting equipment and attachments for the asphalt, compost, environmental, recycling, green waste, demolition, mining and pipeline industries. Keep Reading
Best practices: Getting the quarry involved on social media
For almost a year, a Lehigh Hanson quarry near New Windsor, Md., has been working to build a 4.5-mile overland belt conveyor to connect a new quarry and its cement plant to transport limestone between the two facilities. Although the project has created some changes to traffic patterns in the community, the company built a website and posts to social media regularly on project updates. Kent Martin, a Lehigh Hanson plant manager, says the company has been proactive in posting to social media and reaching out to local media to keep the community informed on the project, which is expected to be complete in November 2017. Lehigh Hanson partnered with an outside company to develop the website and assist with posting to social media. He adds that its website and posts to social media have helped to deter negative feedback from the community. "The website and social media have been tremendous tools for us," Martin says. "I've learned in the 12 years of being a plant manager that if the community understands what's… Keep Reading
Principles to transition a quarry business to its next generation
Family-run businesses seldom make it beyond the third generation of owners. According to Bill Carpenter, Rogers Group's director of human resources, only about 30 percent of family-run businesses make it to second-generation ownership. That number diminishes to 12 percent in the third generation and 3 percent in the fourth generation. “I consider it astonishing when a company makes it to this point,” Carpenter says. Rogers Group has kept the business in the family for 108 years, reaching a fourth generation of ownership. Carpenter says the company attributes its longevity to several leadership principles it instills in management at its quarries. He shared some of these principles during an educational session at AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo in Nashville, Tenn. Below are several principles he says helped his company that might be useful at other operations: Lead as you like to be led. Ralph Rogers, founder of Rogers Group, often said, “The man in the pit is as important as the man in the office.” Carpenter says Rogers Group aims to treat… Keep Reading
Sandvik to combine mining, construction segments
Sandvik plans to merge its Sandvik Mining and Sandvik Construction business segments into a new business called Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology on July 1. The company says the operations will be organized in a decentralized business model with separate product areas. Each product area will have full responsibility and accountability for its respective business. “The manufacturing units are already largely shared to some extent,” says Björn Rosengren, Sandvik’s president and CEO. “By joining the operations into one business area, we achieve a leaner and more efficient structure. The decentralized business model enables an even clearer focus and faster response to our customers.” Sandvik appointed Lars Engström, president of Sandvik Mining, to serve as president of Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology. The company adds that Dinggui Gao, president of Sandvik Construction, will leave the company July 1 after the merger. The company plans to share more details on the new business structure on May 24 during Sandvik Capital Markets Day. Keep Reading
