I have had a fascination with U.S. population numbers since I had to write a paper in high school about how population growth affects our economy. That was 55-plus years ago, and I have continued to watch the topic with great interest. Much has changed since the late 1960s, and sometimes demographers miss the boat as they have in the…
Read MoreDay: February 3, 2025
McCloskey Expands US Equipment Sales and Rentals Partnership
McCloskey International announced its long-time dealer, US Equipment Sales and Rentals, will now provide McCloskey equipment coverage in Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, and eastern North Dakota.
Read MoreFatality Assessment
Well, that didn’t take long. Just a few days into the new year, on Jan. 3, the industry suffered its first fatality, this one at Borger Pit in Hutchinson, Texas. MSHA classified the incident as “Falling, Rolling or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind.” In 2024, MSHA reported 28 fatalities, 18 of those at non-metallic materials sites, but only…
Read MoreFirst Look – February 2025
TOP NEWSKnife River AcquisitionKnife River has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Strata Corp., a construction materials and contracting services provider in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Based on Strata’s projected 2025 Adj. EBITDA, the purchase price of $454 million reflects a multiple in the high single digits. Chaney Materials WebsiteMid-Atlantic and Southeastern Region construction materials supplier Chaney Enterprises…
Read MoreRokbak Explains ‘Haul Track’
Rokbak Product Manager Charlie Urquhart explains Haul Track Telematics and how it works. Haul Track uses GPS technology to pinpoint the hauler’s location and track its movements, allowing you to plan interventions and maximize performance.
Read MoreRock Products Market Composite
Feb. 3, 2025 – The Rock Products Market Composite for 2025 – a cumulative number based on the combined annual production of crushed stone, sand and gravel, cement, industrial sand, gypsum and lime in 2024 – equals 2.642 billion metric tons (Gt) of material. That is down from the 2.726 Gt reported in 2024. The Rock Products Market Compositie is gleaned from information provided…
Read MoreUSGS Quantifies U.S. Mineral Production
The overall value of U.S. mineral production edged up by $1 billion in 2024 to $106 billion, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s annual Mineral Commodity Summaries. Record prices for gold and silver buoyed the total, more than compensating for a 40% to 60% fall in the value of U.S. production of critical minerals used to make lithium-ion batteries. …
Read More