Company Honors A Half-Century Of Excellence By Celebrating ‘The Products That Built Us And The People Who Define Us.’ By Mark S. Kuhar Conn-Weld is celebrating it 50th anniversary at this year’s AGG1 show, the first of many celebrations planned throughout the year. The focus of its booth, “The Products That Built Us and the People Who Define Us,” highlights…
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Keep Federal Infrastructure Spending Federal
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) – the federal mechanism for funding the building and rebuilding of our roads and bridges – is now heading into its fourth year of funding. IIJA will provide $62 billion in funding for Fiscal Year 2025, an increase of $18.8 billion in formula programs compared to Fiscal Year 2021, the last fiscal year…
Read MoreEconomist Ed Sullivan to Depart PCA
Feb. 10, 2025 – One of the top economists in the industry is stepping down. Ed Sullivan, senior vice president of market intelligence and chief economist, announced his resignation from the Portland Cement Association (PCA), effective March 1. His economic forecasts have long been a mainstay of the construction-materials industry. “After 22 years, I have resigned from PCA as chief…
Read MoreAGG1 Meets in St. Louis
This Year’s Show Takes Place March 25-27, At The America’s Center Convention Complex. By Mark S. Kuhar It’s time once again for the aggregates industry’s premier event. Registration is now open for AGG1 Academy & Expo, co-located with the World of Asphalt Show & Conference, running March 25-27, 2025, at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis. “We are…
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 MoreThe AVP Pulse Index for January
Jan. 20, 2025 – The AVP Pulse Index this month dropped 0.1% month-over-month, while increasing 5.9% year-over-year; and 11.4% over the past 36 months. The proprietary AVP Pulse Index – a joint effort between mergers and acquisition advisors Allen-Villere Partners and Rock Products – illustrates the health of the industry in one single trend line, using relevant data that is updated monthly…
Read MoreWildfire Aid
Jan. 15, 2025 – As wildfires fed by Santa Ana winds devastate parts of California, aggregates producers are stepping in to help. CalCIMA producer member Holliday Rock Co. Inc. is accepting donations for wildfire relief. Contributions can be dropped off at the corporate office (1401 N. Benson Ave., Upland, CA 91786) and will be delivered weekly to the Los Angeles Regional Food…
Read MoreLooking Back, Looking Ahead
This is Rock Products’ Outlook/Forecast Issue, and as is par for the course, we take a look back and take a look ahead. Our “state-of-the-industry” feature does a solid job of that, touching on economics, politics and more. In addition, our latest pricing feature looks back to 2024 to glean some important market insights, while the latest installment of The…
Read MoreMissouri S&T Researchers Set to Work in Lunar Gravity for NASA Project
By Mark S. Kuhar A team of researchers from Missouri University of Science and Technology, who are examining how to enrich materials needed for construction on the Moon, will soon experience what gravity is like on Earth’s closest celestial companion while testing their technology. “We have made fantastic progress on our technology to separate the Moon’s regolith, or surface-level materials,…
Read MoreSEMCO Publishing Acquires Minería Pan-Americana
Well, here we grow again. SEMCO Publishing, parent company of Rock Products, has acquired Minería Pan-Americana from Route One Publishing. Minería Pan-Americana is the leading Spanish-language magazine, news service and digital resource platform serving the Latin American mining sector. This acquisition strengthens SEMCO Publishing’s portfolio of mining publications, which includes North American Mining magazine, The Asia Miner and Miner’s News…
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