Thirty-four of the nation’s leading business, labor, transportation and travel groups called on both major party presidential candidates to include long-term, sustainable funding measures as part of their infrastructure plans and are offering to help get those plans enacted in letters sent to both campaigns this week. The various groups said that finding ways to pay for future improvements to…
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Housing Starts Drop in September; Permits Rise
A sharp decline in multifamily production brought overall nationwide housing starts down 9 percent in September, according to newly released data from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department. However, both single-family production and overall permit issuance posted solid gains.
Read MoreForecast: Construction Starts to Increase in 2017
Dodge Data & Analytics released its 2017 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2017 will advance 5 percent to $713 billion, following gains of 11 percent in 2015 and an estimated 1 percent in 2016.
Read MoreConstruction Starts Ease Back 2 Percent in September
The value of new construction starts in September decreased a slight 2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $703.7 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. This follows the 22 percent jump for total construction starts in August, which witnessed the highest monthly pace for construction starts so far in 2016.
Read MorePolaris Reports Healthy Third-Quarter Aggregates Sales
Polaris Materials announced that sales volumes in the third quarter of 2016 were 810,000 tons, an increase of 11 percent over third quarter 2015. Year-to-date sales volumes were 2.27 million tons, an increase of 7 percent over the same period in 2015, according to the company.
Read MoreCat’s Oberhelman to Retire; Umpleby Will Take Over
After more than 41 years with Caterpillar Inc., Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman has elected to retire, effective March 31, 2017.
Read MoreManufacturers Challenge Next President: Close $1 Trillion Infrastructure Gap
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest manufacturing association in the United States, released “Building to Win,” an ambitious, new initiative to revitalize the nation’s failing infrastructure. In a vote by the 121-year-old association, the initiative was unanimously adopted by the NAM board of directors.
Read MoreCemex Completes Water Recycling System at Balcones Quarry
Cemex announced the completion of a new water recycling system at the Cemex Balcones quarry near New Braunfels, Texas. The state-of-the-art system will decrease the building materials company’s environmental impact and reliance on water pulled from nearby sources by using 90 percent less water annually than previously used by the quarry’s wash plant.
Read MoreSeptember Commodity Shipments Strong on St. Lawrence Seaway
North American grain and iron ore exports in September have accelerated a rebound in shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway, and at least one port is reporting a double-digit increase in limestone shipments.
Read MoreNew Jersey Set to Increase Gas Tax
Lawmakers in New Jersey approved a 23 cents-a-gallon increase on gasoline in order to pay for much-needed transportation projects and end a statewide construction freeze. It is the first increase in taxes on gasoline in the state since 1988, according to the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA).
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