TOP NEWS
Vulcan Materials
Vulcan Materials Co. announced results for the quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2022. In the fourth quarter 2022, the company reported total revenues of $1.732 billion versus $1.606 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021. For full-year 2022, the company reported total revenues of $7.315 billion versus $5.552 billion for full-year 2021, more than a 30% increase.
Summit Materials
Summit Materials Inc. announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended Dec, 31, 2022. Net revenue decreased $41.8 million, or 7.5% in the fourth quarter to $511.7 million over the same period in 2021, as increases in average sales prices across all lines of business were more than offset by lower volumes, which includes the impact of divestitures.
Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta Materials Inc. reported results for the fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2022, noting full-year records for revenues, profitability and safety performance. While fourth-quarter 2022 total revenues were lower, $1.477 billion versus $1,496 billion in 2021, full-year 2022 revenues totaled $6.161 billion, up from $5.414 billion in 2021.
USGS STATS
The estimated production for consumption of construction aggregates in the third quarter of 2022 increased in six of the nine geographic divisions compared with that sold or used in the third quarter of 2021. The five leading states were, in descending order of production-for-consumption, Texas, California, Ohio, Florida and Missouri. Their combined total production for consumption was 206 Mt, a slight increase compared with that in the same period of 2021. The five leading states combined total production for consumption in the first nine months of 2022 was 568 Mt, an increase of 7% compared with that in the same period of 2021 and represented 30% of the U.S. total, according to Jason Christopher Willett, commodity specialist, National Minerals Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey.
WOMEN IN AGGREGATES
Women in Aggregates is a new group dedicated to supporting women working in the aggregates industry. The Mission Statement of the group is: “To create a supportive space for women that fosters leadership growth, networking opportunities and advocacy of the aggregate industry.” Membership in Women in Aggregates is open to any woman working in, or working in support of, the aggregates industry, including producers, manufacturers and distributors; and marketing, advertising or public relations professionals. Interested parties can go to www.womeninaggregates.com to join the mailing list and to stay apprised of future developments, meetings, events and other communications from the group. There is also a LinkedIn discussion page, at www.linkedin.com/groups/12717856/.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, construction spending during December 2022 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,809.8 billion, 0.4% (± 0.8%) below the revised November estimate of $1,817.3 billion. The December figure is 7.7% (±1.2%) above the December 2021 estimate of $1,681.0 billion.
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, fell 8.4% in January to 201.5 (2000=100) from the revised December reading of 220.0. In January, the commercial component of the DMI fell 10.0%, and the institutional component receded 4.7%.
Sales of newly built, single-family homes in December increased 2.3% to a 616,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised reading in November, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. It takes 400 tons of aggregates to construct the average modern home, according to the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association.
MSHA WATCH
MSHA reported that on Jan.17, a miner at Taiheiyo Cement Corp.’s Mojave Plant & Quarry, Kern County, Calif., was fatally injured when his personal car collided with a customer truck. Both vehicles were traveling toward each other in opposite directions on an icy mine access road. This is the second fatality reported in 2023, and the first classified as “Powered Haulage.” MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid this type of accident:
• Clear roadways of ice and snow or require traction devices to assure safe operation of mobile equipment.
• Alert drivers to reduce speed on wet or icy roads. • Maintain control of equipment while it is in operation.
ENERGY
WTI CRUDE OIL FUTURES
2/14/2023: $79.06/barrel, up $1.92 from prior week; down $16.40 from prior year.
RETAIL DIESEL
2/13/2023: $5.445/gal., down $0.037 from week ago, up $0.451 from year ago.
ELECTRICITY
11/20/2022: Average price to industrial customers 8.30 cents/kilowatt hour; up from 7.47 cents/kilowatt hour a year earlier.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration