International 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…

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WOTUS 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…

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2018 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…

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Astec 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…

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Transportation 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…

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In 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…

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Taking a Quantum Leap

Feb. 27, 2019 – If you are U.S. Concrete, that Polaris acquisition is paying huge dividends. For 2018, the company’s Aggregate products revenue increased a totally crazy 101.3 percent to $182.6 million. Aggregate products volume increased 79.3 percent to 11.1 million tons. For the fourth quarter of 2018, Aggregate products revenue increased 59.5 percent to $46.4 million. Aggregate products volume increased 41.0 percent to 2.7 million tons. “Polaris continues to provide…

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Whoa on WOTUS

Feb. 25, 2019 – Aggregates producers have until April 15 to submit comments that support a clearer Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. The comment period for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed WOTUS “replacement” rule is open until April 15. It was released in December 2018, but the federal government shutdown slowed the rule’s publication in the federal register, thereby…

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A Garbini Goodbye

Robert Garbini Feb. 22, 2019 – Another long-time construction-materials industry stalwart is retiring. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) board has appointed Michael Philipps as successor to Robert Garbini, who will retire as staff president at the conclusion of the association’s 2019 convention, March 5-7, in Tampa. Philipps will arrive with 30-plus years in concrete and construction, most recently serving as vice president…

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