Editors’ Blog
Free rocks in California?
While watching a television news report about the California drought, I learned of the state's plans to cut water usage. The report discussed an initiative to replace 50 million sq. ft. of lawns throughout the state with drought-tolerant landscaping in… Keep Reading
Lafarge steps up to protect endangered species
Lafarge Canada Inc. is working to protect coastal populations of western painted turtles, which are listed as federally endangered and red-listed provincially in Canada. According to Lafarge, western painted turtles are the only remaining native freshwater turtle in British Columbia,… Keep Reading
Still challenges ahead
For the aggregates industry, there is much to be optimistic about in the Spring of 2015. Martin Marietta and Vulcan Materials, the nation's two largest producers, are reporting strong earnings and outlooks. The Producer Price Index shows that crushed stone,… Keep Reading
JCB expands North American presence with wheel loader, excavator
In light of the upcoming spring season, JCB held a press event March 5 at its headquarters in Savannah, Ga., to debut its new equipment. North America is the company’s third largest market, and JCB plans to take advantage of… Keep Reading
Vulcan execs offer positive view on coming years
Vulcan Materials Co. executives offered an optimistic outlook of their business' future in interviews with Barron's, which produced a feature article on one of the top U.S. aggregate producers. According to Vulcan CEO Tom Hill, the company has "multiple years… Keep Reading
Parks and recreation
When visiting an aggregates operation, I’m always fascinated to hear what plans the owners and managers have for reclamation. Often, it’s nothing more than backfilling, sloping the surface to an acceptable grade and returning the land to a natural state.… Keep Reading
New NSSGA membership plan for small operations
Good news for smaller aggregate operations. The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) now offers a lower-price membership option for single-location producers with fewer than 10 non-office employees. There are some limitations, as this new "eProducer" membership does not… Keep Reading
Martin Marietta shares expectations for 2015
Nonresidential construction is expected to increase. Residential construction should continue to grow. Energy-related economic activity is anticipated to remain strong. And highway funding should remain stable. Taking these factors into account, Martin Marietta expects its business to increase this year… Keep Reading
Vulcan optimistic about prospects for 2015
Vulcan Materials Co. experienced a very successful fourth quarter of 2014, reporting an 11 percent increase in total revenues, a 15 percent increase in shipments and a 45 percent increase in gross profit compared with the prior year's fourth quarter.… Keep Reading
