TOP NEWS
Breedon Group
Breedon Group plc, a vertically integrated construction materials group in Great Britain and Ireland, announced the acquisition of BMC Enterprises Inc. The price was $300 million. BMC is a supplier of ready-mixed concrete, aggregates and building products headquartered in St Louis, with a strong track record of both organic and transactional growth.
Rogers Group
Rogers Group Inc. (RGI) has expanded its Arkansas footprint with the acquisition of sister companies Bradley Contracting Inc. and Diamond B. Transport Inc., which owned and operated a limestone quarry and a trucking company, respectively, near Cord, Ark.
Arcosa
Aggregate, barge and utility structures producer Arcosa Inc. has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Ameron Pole Products LLC from Houston-based NOV Inc. The $180 million cash deal involves four Alabama, California and Oklahoma operations offering prestressed concrete or steel poles for a broad range of infrastructure applications, including lighting, traffic, electric distribution and small-cell telecom.
USGS STATS
The estimated annual output of construction aggregates produced for consumption decreased from 2.50 billion metric tons (Gt) in 2022 to 2.47 Gt in 2023, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Commodity Specialist Jason Willett. For the fourth quarter of 2023, an estimated 601 Mt of total construction aggregates was produced and shipped for consumption, a slight increase compared with the prior-year period.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
The AVP Pulse Index for March – brought to you by Rock Products and Allen-Villere Partners – decreased 0.7% month-over-month. The Index is up 5.5% year-over-year and 13.7% over the past 36 months.
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, fell 1.4% in February to 180.5 (2000=100) from the revised January reading of 183.0. Over the month, commercial planning fell 2.3% and institutional planning ticked up 0.1%.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, construction spending during January 2024 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,102.4 billion, 0.2% (±0.8%) below the revised December estimate of $2,105.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The January figure is 11.7% (±1.5%) above the January 2023 estimate of $1,882.2 billion.
MSHA WATCH
MSHA has unveiled an online platform to help miners and their families navigate the process of finding healthcare providers, facilities and related resources. Accessible through the agency’s website, the “Health Resource Locator Tool” includes care options tailored specifically for miners, including National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-certified B Readers, black lung clinics, buprenorphine providers, audiologists and speech-language pathologists, drug and alcohol treatment facilities, federally qualified health centers, mental health facilities and Veterans Administration healthcare facilities.
ENERGY
WTI Crude Oil Futures
3/18/2024: $82.72/barrel; up $4.79 from week earlier; up $15.98 from year earlier.
Natural Gas
3/18/2024: $1.703/MMBtu, down $0.056 from week earlier; down $0.635 from year earlier.
Retail Diesel
3/18/2024: $4.028/gal., up $ 0.024 from week earlier; down $ 0.157 from year earlier.
Electricity
12/20/2023: Average price to industrial customers 7.66 cents/kilowatt hour; down from 8.50 cents/kilowatt hour from year earlier.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
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 LinkedIn.