March 10, 2015 – At least they are spending money up North! Quebec, Canada, will undertake a series of road-improvement projects over the next three years to the tune of $4.9 billion. The investment will take place between 2015 and 2017. Half of the allotted amount will be earmarked for the Montreal, Laval and Monteregie area, Transport Minister Robert Poëti said. The area…
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JCB Steps Up
March 5, 2015 – At a special media event in Savannah, Ga., JCB introduced a number of new products for the quarry and construction industries, including the new JCB 457 front-end loader (pictured, being introduced by Peter Gallagher). Rock Products’ Associate Editor Josie Smith is on-hand at the event. Also being displayed at the event is the JS 220 Excavator and a variety…
Read MoreAGG1 Growing Fast!
February 24, 2015 – Aggregates industry professionals who want to see the latest product innovations – and discover the latest industry best practices – are headed to the 2015 AGG1 exhibition in Baltimore, March 17-19. Show organizers tell me that: Advance registrations are tracking well ahead of previous shows. Registrants hail from all 50 states, 9 of the 10 Canadian provinces…
Read MoreDiesel Fuel Payback
Feb. 10, 2015 – This little item appeared in Vulcan Materials’ recently released fourth-quarter and full-year 2014 report: “Compared to last year, fourth quarter cost of revenues for the company benefitted approximately $7 million from lower diesel fuel costs, with most of this benefit realized in the aggregates segment.”That’s a cool $7 million saved as a result of lower fuel prices. There…
Read MoreWorld of Concrete Takes Over Vegas
February 5, 2015 –Rock Products is blogging live from World of Concrete in Las Vegas this week. It’s official! World of Concrete 2015 is the largest show in more than six years with 674,000+ net sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor exhibit space and more than 1,400 exhibitors. Show organizers expect more than 50,000 people to come through the turnstiles. The increase in…
Read MoreGroundhog Day
Feb. 2, 2015 – It is Groundhog Day. My understanding this year is that Punxsutawney Phil came out of his hole in the ground, saw his shadow and went back inside, meaning six more weeks of winter. He is less known, but Crushed Stone Stan came out of his underground aggregates operation, saw his shadow and went back inside, meaning six more months…
Read MoreState of the Infrastructure
Jan. 21, 2015 – In his State of the Union address, President Obama once again called for investment in infrastructure. “21st century businesses need 21st century infrastructure – modern ports, stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest internet,” he said. “Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let’s set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let’s pass a…
Read MoreFirst Fatality Hits Aggregates Industry
Jan. 14, 2015 – On January 8, a 63-year-old sales manager with 11 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel mine. He was installing new screen panels in the B tower screen. The feeder box pivoted, pinning him between the box and the rear support beam of the screen deck. This is the first fatality reported in calendar year 2015…
Read MoreBoehner Says No
Jan. 9, 2015 – House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), speaking to reporters, dumped a few gallons of cold water on the idea of a gas tax hike: “I’ve never voted to raise the gas tax. Funding a highway bill is critically important, it’s a priority for this year, how we’ll fund it we’re going to have to work our way through…
Read More$1 Trillion for Infrastructure?
Jan. 6, 2015 – We have heard many proposals bandied about for increasing infrastructure spending over the years, but this is the first time anyone has suggested spending a staggering $1 Trillion. You heard that number right, $1 Trillion. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said this past Saturday that he plans to introduce legislation in the next Congress that will increase infrastructure spending…
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