Dec. 23, 2019 – Associated General Contractors (AGC) Chief Economist Ken Simonson is looking ahead to 2020. Despite staffing challenges, contractors are optimistic, on balance, regarding their hiring plans and the volume of work available in 2020 for nonresidential and multifamily construction, based on a survey that AGC just released. Respondents were asked whether the available dollar volume of projects they…
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Did Quarry Blast Cause an Earthquake?
Dec. 20, 2019 – Did it or didn’t it? A small tremor on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada, appears to be the result of a quarry blast, according to Blackburn News. On Dec. 13, a 2.1 magnitude tremor with an epicentre 14 km north of Wiarton, Ontario, registered on the national seismic network, the article stated. Research Scientist Stephen Crane with Natural Resources Canada said a…
Read MoreTexas Trying to Clear the Air
Dec. 17, 2019 – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has expanded its network of air-monitoring stations by introducing two new monitoring stations in Central Texas. One location is in Comal County and the other in Bexar County. Both monitors are now operational, according to Corridor News. The stations take measurements of particulate matter in the air, commonly notated as PM2.5…
Read MoreAggregates Production Growth: By Region
Dec. 11, 2019 – An estimated 744 Mt of total construction aggregates was produced and shipped for consumption in the United States in the third quarter of 2019, an increase of 8% compared with that of the third quarter of 2018, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s new quarterly report. Aggregates production increased in eight of nine regions, with New England showing…
Read MoreU.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement a Bipartisan Win
Dec. 10, 2019 – Nice to see some bipartisan cooperation for once. The House of Representatives signaled support for a revised trade deal — called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement — that represents an overhaul of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. It would create new intellectual property protections, require more North American parts to be used in automobiles to qualify for…
Read MoreWe Welcome Therese Dunphy
Dec. 4, 2019 – Rock Products‘ recent acquisition of Aggregates Manager continues to pay big dividends, creating value for our readers, advertisers and the aggregates industry. We are pleased that Aggregates Manager’s former Editor-in-Chief Therese Dunphy will join us as a contributing editor. Therese will produce the annual Aggregates Atlas, and write a monthly column, “Good Neighbors,” which will highlight positive outreach programs and trends within the industry.…
Read MoreRock Products + Aggregates Manager = BIG News
Nov. 26, 2019 – The big news that hit last week is making waves around the industry. Yes, it is true. Rock Products‘ parent company SEMCO Publishing closed a deal to acquire the assets of Aggregates Manager. At last week’s NSSGA’s Legislative & Policy Forum, I fielded numerous questions about what the acquisition means. The emails and phone calls have not stopped since. What it means, in…
Read MoreBusiest Week Ever
Nov. 22, 2019 – This was one of the busiest weeks in recent memory. The week started off with the announcement that Rock Products‘ parent company SEMCO Publishing had acquired the assets of Aggregates Manager magazine, effectively creating the aggregates industry’s most powerful media enterprise. This is big news, and as that merger evolves, you will learn more about what it means for aggregates producers and manufacturers. The…
Read MoreICSE Kicks Off in Atlanta
Nov. 19, 2019 – The 38th International Cement Seminar and Exhibition (ICSE) kicked off with a bang this morning in Atlanta, as Portland Cement Association Economist Ed Sullivan delivered a well-attended Keynote on the economy and his projections for cement production. Sullivan noted that while we may see slower economic growth, there are no clear signs to indicate a recession in the future. He also…
Read MoreThe $1.3 Trillion Wish List
Nov. 14, 2019 – Stop me if you heard this one before. If elected president, Joe Biden wants to spend $1.3 trillion on an infrastructure package that includes a transportation overhaul and rebuilding the country’s roads, bridges and tunnels while moving to net-zero carbon emissions, and he plans to finance it “by making sure the super-wealthy and corporations pay their fair…
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