Well, the barn door has been kicked open, and the horses are out. After more than a year of COVID-19-driven inactivity, a lot is starting to happen. For openers, two major mergers rocked the aggregates industry, changing the landscape regionally and nationally. Vulcan Materials Co. and U.S. Concrete Inc. entered into a definitive merger agreement; and Martin Marietta Materials Inc.…
Read MoreCategory: Editorial
There Are Still Problem Solvers
You may find this hard to believe, but there are members of Congress who really do want to solve problems – and in bipartisan fashion. Kind of reminds you of the good ol’ days, right?
Read MoreThe Big Picture
Welcome to the 2021 version of the Rock Products Aggregates Industry Atlas, one of the best reference sources in the industry.
Read MoreCOVID’s Digital Revolution
One thing that COVID-19 has by necessity pushed the aggregates industry to do is develop ways to reach out to customers and members using digital means. Early on in the pandemic that effort was a little rough, with e-mail and Zoom taking center stage. Since that time, much more sophisticated platforms have emerged to generate outreach, resulting in more effective…
Read MoreThe Road Ahead Is Cause for Optimism
A lot of people are asking the question, how is the industry expected to perform up the road? With the combination of a new infrastructure bill; a reviving post-COVID economy; and a housing market that shows no signs of letting up, you have to believe that good things are on the horizon for aggregates producers.
Read MoreBiden Our Time
With the inauguration of Joe Biden as president, we move into an entirely new chapter in U.S. history. Rest assured there will be good points and bad points to the next four years.
Read MoreHello 2021, Happy Trails Kevin
Hello 2021, it’s good to see you. And 2020, I am very glad to see you go.
Read MoreThoughts on the Election
Well the election of 2020 is all over but for the shouting, and I for one am glad to see it go. But what do the results mean for the aggregates industry?
Read MoreQ&A Forum Ahead of Its Time
When we published our first Quarry and Aggregates (Q&A) Forum in 2016, we had no idea our concept of a “virtual question-and-answer session” with industry manufacturers would be so appropriate in the near future.
Read MoreWhere We Stand
As the industry heads into the eighth month of the COVID-19 crisis, we continue to see a mixed bag of industry and economic indicators. Aggregates producers seem to be holding their own, over and above the fact that the construction market has seen its fair share of fluctuations. Aggregates production did dip 3% compared with that of the second quarter…
Read More