Editors’ Blog
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
Transportation secretary calls for long-term bill in committee hearing
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx met with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Jan. 28, calling once again for a multi-year highway bill. According to The Hill, Foxx said short-term extensions are eroding states’ ability to commit to road… Keep Reading
Frac sand market: Conflicting reports
Will the drop in oil prices affect the frac sand market in 2015? Optimists say no, but the impact may already be happening. A number of sources are reporting it's business-as-usual for frac-sand operations despite the price of oil. An… Keep Reading
Renewable energy for the aggregates industry
Like some other types of mining, change comes very slowly to the aggregates industry. Pick up a 1950s-era photo of an aggregates plant from our extensive photo archive, and unless a vehicle is in the shot to give a clue… Keep Reading
