How the aggregate industry is performing in 2024

When compared to prior-year periods, the U.S. Geological Survey says aggregate production dipped 3.9 percent in the first quarter and 6 percent in the second quarter this year. Photo: alacatr/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Although the word “record” isn’t necessarily being bandied about to describe 2024, producers and the equipment manufacturers serving them have positive views about how the year transpired.

Karen Thompson, president of Haver & Boecker Niagara’s North America and Australia operations, is one such manufacturer.

“Overall, 2024 has been a very good year, working on the backlog of going onto 2025,” she says. “Of course, you always have to keep that funnel full. We are not seeing anything that is alarming for our business.”

Montabert sales director Stephane Giroudon is also generally pleased with how the year turned out.

“We play on the global scale in mining and aggregates,” says Giroudon, commenting at MINExpo 2024. “2024 has been great. It’s still very strong, but there is also a mixed feeling going on and some issues we’re facing. The steel supply chain, for example, [and] geopolitical issues will not help us in the next couple of months.

“But it’s been a good year – very strong. We believe it’s going to continue like this. We can’t complain.”

Jim Chamberlain, regional sales manager at Philippi-Hagenbuch, has a similar view.

“I feel the industry is very strong,” Chamberlain says. “I feel there’s huge growth coming on the aggregates side but also on the mining side. We are very optimistic in our discussions with our customers all over the country and, really, all over the world.

“We’re seeing very good trends of people replacing fleets,” he adds. “People are saying: ‘Hey, with my distant fleet, we’ve got to get more out of it; how can you help us get more out of it?’”

Opportunities related to aggregates are aplenty in Canada, too, according to Regal Rexnord’s Garry Baldwin.

“[For] the aggregate industry in Western Canada, we’re still getting [a] record number of homes built,” says Baldwin, business development manager for Canada at Regal Rexnord. “The aggregate industry is still performing extremely well because of the market and the demand for new homes and infrastructure. There’s no doubt that it’s going to be a good year at the end of it.”