April 24, 2014 – Martin Marietta Materials Inc. said it has received a “second request” as discussions with the Department of Justice continue regarding a resolution in relation to its Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act filing in the proposed combination with Texas Industries Inc.
Read MoreCategory: Mark's Blog
Ringing the Alarm Bells
August 23, 2014 – The Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) has been ringing alarm bells about the Highway Trust Fund for more than a year. New numbers released by the Congressional Budget Office project the fund will run out of money by the end of August, which could cause significant disruptions during the busy summer construction season. AED stresses that the precarious…
Read MoreGoing Global
April 18, 2014 – There is a lot of rock set to be produced on the “Third Rock from the Sun.” Through 2017, worldwide sales of construction aggregates are forecast to expand more than five percent per year to 53 billion metric tons, according to the new market research report “World Construction Aggregates” from GIIResearch.com. Following recent severe declines from…
Read MoreFacing Reality
April 8, 2014 – Let’s turn an aggregates industry professional into a reality TV star! I was contacted by a recruiter who is working with FOX television on a project named “UTOPIA.”
Read MoreRyan Budget Proposal Advocates Cuts
Rep. Paul Ryan’s just-released budget would limit expenditures from the Highway Trust Fund to the dwindling revenues generated by the federal gasoline tax, but give states increased flexibility to pay for their highway projects, perhaps through keeping and spending the gas taxes collected in their state instead of sending them to Washington. The plan amounts to a decentralization of transportation…
Read MoreMore Merger Mania
April 5, 2014 – The word on the street is that Holcim and Lafarge are in advanced merger discussions. In statements, the companies emphasized that no agreement had yet been reached, and that there was no guarantee of a deal. But they pointed to a “strong complementarity” and “cultural proximity” between their operations. A merger would allow the companies to cut…
Read MoreReport Cites Growth – What?
March 28, 2014 – The mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector of the economy showed tremendous growth from 2007 to 2012 as the number of establishments rose by 26.4 percent, according to the 2012 Economic Census Advance Report just released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Hmmmmm, I’m questioning that. From 2007-2012, the quarrying sector of the economy took a…
Read MoreTweet, Tweet
March 27, 2014 – During ConExpo-Con/Agg, our show updates and information-sharing via social media hit a positive note with many industry manufacturers and readers. We used Twitter, Facebook, special blogs and e-newsletters to bring you in real time the best of the show and the important breaking news. We are investing heavily in digital information and using social media as…
Read MorePermits Take a Jump
March 21, 2014 – Where there are permits, there is future business. The Issuance of new building permits rose 7.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.02 million units in February, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Census Bureau. Single-family permits edged down 1.8 percent to 588,000 units and…
Read MoreFatality!
March 14, 2014 – On Feb. 28, 2014, a 50-year-old supervisor with 27 years of experience was killed at a sand and gravel operation. The victim was at a backfill site and approached an 80-ft. high bank when it failed, engulfing him. MSHA recommends the following best practices to avoid tragedies such as this one. Establish and discuss safe work procedures…
Read More