Welcome to the 2024 edition of the “Aggregates Almanac: The Ultimate Information Resource for Quarry Operators.” Published now for the eighth year in a row, feedback from our readers indicates that this publication is widely used and valued; and retained as a go-to information source.
Our updated and improved North American Buyers’ Guide gives producers all of the information they need to contact manufacturers and suppliers to make all-important equipment and technology purchases.
New and updated this year is the Top Crushed Stone Producers and Top Sand and Gravel Producers lists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It is current to October 2023, so it does not reflect merger and acquisition activity over the past year.
Economics is always top of mind. Pierre Villere’s The Strategist column is a “must-read” this month, focusing on the potential impact of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, and this issue also contains The Pulse economic report from Allen-Villere Partners and Rock Products.
The MSHA section updates you on the latest agency initiatives, including special alerts and the results of its monthly impact inspections.
This year’s special safety feature once again brings to light a topic that does not get enough attention: the mental health and well-being of mining and construction workers. Our regular safety contributor Joe McGuire tackles the topic, with help from Lucas Simpson, Vince Hafeli and Emily Haas.
The section focused on publicly traded companies is especially enlightening. This information comes in piecemeal over a period of months, and it is one thing to read about these companies one at a time, another thing entirely to read about their performance back-to-back. Some interesting insights are revealed.
The other data, statistics and features in the Aggregates Almanac are meant to create a snapshot of an industry always looking to benchmark itself and improve its operational performance.
There is something for everyone in the Aggregates Almanac. We hope you find this edition useful. Is there anything you would like to see in future editions of the Aggregates Almanac? Let me know about it at [email protected].
Mark S. Kuhar, editor
[email protected]
(330) 722‐4081
Twitter: @editormarkkuhar