TOP NEWS
NSSGA Members Storm Capital Hill
The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association held its 2019 Legislative & Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., which included a record 295 meetings with Congressional offices in a single day.
Cemex Hosts 5k in Support of Special Olympics
Cemex USA held its second-annual 5k Quarry Quest race at its FEC Quarry in Miami on Dec. 7, in support of Special Olympics Florida – Miami-Dade County, a local chapter of the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities.
Rock Products Acquires Aggregates Manager
Denver-based SEMCO Publishing, owner of Rock Products, Cement Americas, Concrete ProductsandThe Asia Miner magazines, has acquired Aggregates Manager and all its related products from Randall-Reilly, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
MSHA WATCH
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reported that a contract maintenance mechanic was performing elevator maintenance when the car descended, crushing the mechanic against an elevator platform. The person died at the scene on Dec. 3. This is the 22nd fatality reported in 2019, and the seventh fatality classified as “Machinery.”
USGS STATS
An estimated 744 million metric tons (Mt) of total construction aggregates was produced and shipped for consumption in the United States in the third quarter of 2019, an increase of 8% compared with that of the third quarter of 2018, according to Jason Willett, crushed stone commodity specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
The U.S. Census Bureau announced that construction spending during October 2019 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,291.1 billion, 0.8% (±1.0%) below the revised September estimate of $1,301.8 billion. The October figure is 1.1% (±1.5%) above the October 2018 estimate of $1,277.4 billion. During the first 10 months of this year, construction spending amounted to $1,086.5 billion, 1.7% (±1.2%) below the $1,105.2 billion for the same period in 2018.
“With the exception of northeastern United States, price growth for sand, gravel and stone for U.S. Midwest and U.S. West is converging to the national average of 5% compared to last November. The 5% growth for this commodity stands out against the lower growth rate that we observe for crushed and broken stone, for which prices are rising 3.3% year over year,” said Deni Koenhemsi, senior economist at IHS Markit.
ENERGY
- WTI Crude Oil Futures Price: 12/16/2019: $60.21/barrel; up $1.19 from week earlier; up $9.01 from year earlier.
- Natural Gas Futures Price: 12/16/2019: $2.341/MMBtu, up $0.109 from week earlier; down $1.486 from year earlier.
- Retail Gasoline Price: 12/16/2019: $2.536/gal., down $0.025 from week earlier; up $0.167 from year earlier.
- Retail Diesel Price: 12/16/2019: $3.046/gal., down $0.003 from week earlier; down $0.075 from year earlier.
- Electricity: 9/20/2019: Average price to industrial customers 7.09 cents/kilowatt hour; up from 7.05 cents/kilowatt hour from year earlier.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration