March 14, 2019 – The aggregates and construction industry workforces run parallel, so no surprise that the results from the first-quarter 2019 USG Corp. + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index indicate that labor shortages continue to pose major challenges. This is causing firms to ask skilled workers to do more work (81 percent), struggle to meet deadlines (70…
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Young Leaders ‘Bootcamp’ with a Former Navy SEAL
March 13, 2019 – Register for the 2019 NSSGA Young Leaders Annual Meeting by March 17 to get discounted early bird pricing on the aggregates industry’s main event for rising leaders. In addition to getting advice and leadership insights from top industry executives, deep dive into a leadership workshop with keynote speaker Mike Saraille from Echelon Front. Saraille captivated the…
Read MoreGas Tax Battle in Ohio
March 11, 2019 – Gas is a hot topic in Ohio. The Ohio House has passed a transportation budget bill that includes increases in the state’s gas and diesel taxes to help maintain roads and bridges. The House passed the bill 71-27. It now heads to the Ohio Senate for consideration. The bill would increase the gas tax by 10.7…
Read MoreInternational Women’s Day
March 8, 2019 – To mark International Women’s Day, Volvo Construction Equipment President Melker Jernberg highlighted the importance of having a diverse workforce as a major contributor to the company’s success. He has also challenged all employees to help the company exceed its commitment of having 25 percent female leaders by 2025. The aggregates industry, which is heavily male-centric, is not…
Read MoreWOTUS Woes
March 7, 2019 – We keep inching close to solving the industry’s WOTUS woes. Man-made, roadside ditches provide critical surface drainage that protects the traveling public and should be exempt from federal wetland regulations, American Road & Transportation Builder Association (ARTBA) Vice Chairman David Harwood told a Feb. 27 government hearing. That’s a key reason the association is supporting the Trump administration’s…
Read More2018 U.S. Aggregates Production
March 5, 2019 – You heard it here first. Preliminary 2018 total aggregates production numbers have been published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The numbers were revealed in its just-released 2019 Mineral Commodity Summaries publication. In 2018, 1.40 billion tons of crushed stone valued at more than $16.6 billion was produced by an estimated 1,465 companies operating 3,710 quarries and 176 sales…
Read MoreAstec Impact
March 5, 2019 – If you are seeking a barometer of the construction materials industry, Astec Industries is always a good place to look, as the company’s footprint is everywhere. Commenting on the company’s quarterly and full-year results, Richard J. Dorris, interim chief executive officer, stated, “We are pleased with the 17.4 percent growth in adjusted earnings for the full year. Our…
Read MoreTransportation Topics
March 4, 2019 – What we have here, is a failure to communicate. That is the view of several key transportation association executives, expressed during a recent roundtable session at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ 2019 Washington Briefing. “It’s easy to talk about it, but hard to start advancing bills,” said Dave Bauer, president and CEO of…
Read MoreIn Memoriam: Fred Gerstell
March 1, 2019 – The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) has informed us of the passing of A. Frederick Gerstell, who died Feb. 23, at the age of 81. Gerstell contributed greatly to the aggregates industry over his career with Alpha Portland Cement Co., California Portland Cement Co. and later as chairman and CEO of CalMat and Vulcan Materials. In 1999, he served…
Read MoreConstruction Equipment Auction Sets Records
Feb. 28, 2019 – A sea of equipment stretched across the 220-acre Ritchie Bros. auction site in Orlando last week as the company hosted its largest auction ever. Over six days the company sold more than 13,350 assets for a record $297 million – up 7 percent from last year’s $278 million total. The massive selection of equipment attracted more than…
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