By now, you have likely heard the news: ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014 was big. REAL big. The show’s total registration of 129,364 soared past the last edition of the show achieving the second-highest attendance in history. The show also set new records for exhibit space, number of exhibitors and education tickets sold.
Read MoreCategory: Editorial
Who’s Number One?
With the announcement that Martin Marietta Materials Inc. and Texas Industries Inc. unanimously approved a merger agreement came the assertion that “Martin Marietta will become the nation’s largest producer of construction aggregates, supplying the crushed stone, sand and gravel used to build the roads, sidewalks and foundations on which Americans live.”
Read MoreConExpo-Con/Agg: It’s Showtime
ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014 kicks off March 4 in Las Vegas. This particular issue of Rock Products will not only be distributed at the event, it will land on our reader’s desks several weeks in advance of the show. This will give aggregates industry professionals ample opportunity to peruse our extensive ConExpo-Con/Agg editorial section spotlighting many of the key companies and hot…
Read MorePass the UPDATE Act
In just a few short months, the Highway Trust Fund will go broke. No one likes to hear the words “raise taxes,” but in some cases, tax increases are not only warranted but essential to our industry and the national economy.
Read MoreTime to Buy
Welcome to Rock Products’ North American Buyers’ Guide and Directory issue. There are signs that 2014 will certainly be a year for buying.
Read MoreLooking into the Crystal Ball
As 2013 winds down, experts are starting to get a better idea of how 2014 is going to look. McGraw Hill Construction, part of McGraw Hill Financial, just released its 2014 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2014 will rise 9 percent to $555.3 billion,…
Read MoreGovernment Shutdown Frustrating, Bad
Well, the rest of the country is learning what the aggregates and construction industries already know only too well. When Congress drags its feet, or fails altogether to get something done, it is frustrating, maddening, and ultimately bad for the economy.
Read MoreLet’s Look to the Middle Road
On August 5, the Wall Street Journal ran an article that argued against the merits of public investment in infrastructure. Government “investment” in infrastructure is often wasteful and tends to support decaying or stagnant technologies, according to the article.
Read MoreWelcome, Mr. Johnson
I would like to extend a warm welcome to Michael W. Johnson, who this month begins his tenure as president and CEO of The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. He succeeds our old friend, the much-respected R. A. “Gus” Edwards, III, who is retiring after more than 16 successful years with NSSGA.
Read MoreFeather in Our Cap
This may come as a surprise to you, but . . . ConExpo-Con/Agg is right around the corner! It seems like just yesterday we were walking 25 miles a day all over the Las Vegas Convention Center, but in March 2014, we will be doing it all again. In this issue, we begin our first “ConExpo-Con/Agg Countdown” column, which will…
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