A.F. GELHAR DIVERSIFIES TO PRODUCE SILICA SAND FOR USE AS FRAC SAND. By Mark S. Kuhar Since 1919, A.F. Gelhar Co. Inc., in Markesan, Wis., has flourished by providing silica sand to foundries throughout Wisconsin. In 2009, the company realized it was in a prime position to take advantage of the growing demand for silica sand to use in hydraulic…
Read MoreAuthor: Mark Kuhar
Focus on Frac
LOW OIL PRICES HAVE TAKEN THEIR TOLL, BUT FRAC SAND PRODUCTION CONTINUES AND THERE ARE POSITIVE SIGNALS AHEAD. By Mark S. Kuhar There is no denying that low oil prices have put a crimp in the once-thriving frac sand industry. Now that the price of oil has dropped by 50 percent or more – down to around $45 a barrel…
Read MoreRock Products, AEM Team Up in Chile
I just returned from Santiago, Chile, where the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) kicked off its new ConExpo Latin America trade show.
Read MoreFunding Levels Discussed
Nov. 23, 2015 – According to the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released its estimates of the costs of the House surface transportation reauthorization facilitating a serious discussion by the conferees of the funding levels of the final bill. The House accepted the Senate DRIVE Act pay-fors totaling $47 billion and funding three…
Read MorePROGRESS: Transportation Bill Moves Forward
Nov. 18, 2015 – The Conference Committee on surface transportation reauthorization holds its first public meeting today. Committee members will offer opening statements and, undoubtedly pledge to work collaboratively. Pam Whitted, senior vice president, legislative and regulatory affairs for the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, commented, “We are pleased that negotiations on a final bill are underway. With our Highway…
Read MoreBig Legislative Week
Nov. 1, 2015 – This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider its version of a six-year highway bill, the Surface Transportation Reform and Reauthorization Act, H.R. 3763. The Rules Committee will wade through 250 amendments, deciding which will get called up and which won’t be allowed. Also, the U.S. Senate will begin consideration of S. 1140, a…
Read MoreExcavate Your Pumpkin
Oct. 28, 2015 – As you get ready to help your kids carve their Halloween pumpkin, why settle for carving a boring triangular eyes and nose like you always do.
Read MoreRocking It in Ohio
Oct. 26, 2015 – Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) recently toured a Hilltop Basic Resources facility near Cincinnati to meet with local aggregates producers, members of the Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association, National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) and the Highway Materials Group. Pat Jacomet, president of the state aggregates group, and John Steele, president of Hilltop Basic Resources and vice chairman of NSSGA’s ROCKPAC, were…
Read MoreLots of Activity at ConExpo Latin America
Oct. 22, 2015 – The second day at ConExpo Latin America got off to a slow start, but by late morning, visitors were pouring through the gates to look at a wide variety of construction equipment. “We have a first-class show here in Chile that has many exhibitors. Attendance is very promising and the support of the Chamber is also…
Read MoreConExpo Latin America Day One
Oct. 21, 2015 – It has been a momentous day for the folks who put on ConExpo-Con/Agg, as AEM officially launched ConExpo Latin America in Santiago, Chile. I am pleased to be here representing Rock Products and Mining Media International. The crowds poured through the gates and flooded the aisles of this first-time event, a response that pleased the show’s organizers very much, to…
Read More