Well, that didn’t take long. Just a few days into the new year, on Jan. 3, the industry suffered its first fatality, this one at Borger Pit in Hutchinson, Texas. MSHA classified the incident as “Falling, Rolling or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind.” In 2024, MSHA reported 28 fatalities, 18 of those at non-metallic materials sites, but only…
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The Quarry & Aggregates (Q&A) Forum
Rock Products Presents Part One of the Eighth Annual Quarry And Aggregates (Q&A) Forum: Industry Thought Leaders Open Up About The Aggregates Industry, Market Conditions, Trade Shows And Technology. By Mark S. Kuhar and Josephine Patterson Each year, Rock Products reaches out to industry thought leaders to get their take on the aggregates industry. In part one of this feature,…
Read MoreDisaster Preparedness
Essential Preparedness Tips For The Aggregates And Construction Industries. September marked National Preparedness Month, an annual observance in the United States aimed at promoting disaster planning and emergency preparedness. For the aggregates and construction industries, this is a crucial time to assess, enhance and reinforce safety measures and protocols to protect workers, equipment and projects from unforeseen emergencies. With construction…
Read MoreIncline Conveying
Better Belts Yield Big Benefits In Incline Conveying. By Michael Schroeder Due to their very nature, aggregates operations often require conveying on an incline, typically on intricate conveyor systems with multiple belted conveyors running at once and at different heights and speeds. While many may think a conveyor belt is simply just a piece of rubber and fabric, that rubber…
Read MoreMartin Marietta Completes Blue Water Industries Transaction
Martin Marietta Materials Inc. has completed its previously announced acquisition of 20 active aggregates operations in Alabama, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee and Virginia from affiliates of Blue Water Industries LLC (BWI Southeast) for $2.05 billion in cash. This portfolio-optimizing transaction improves the company’s product mix, margin profile and durability through economic cycles by adding another pure aggregates business to…
Read MoreThe Record-Breaking Aggregates Industry
The publicly traded companies are out with their full-year 2023 financial reports and by all accounts it was a record-breaking year. The list goes on. While vibrant market conditions continue to drive performance for aggregates operations, there is no discounting the impact of the healthy price increases that companies are also reporting. Rock Products’ pricing guru, Barry Hudson of Price…
Read MoreBenchmark 2023: An Exclusive Survey
Rock Products’ Annual Survey On The Opinions, Concerns And Buying Intentions Of Producers Reveals What Is On The Industry’s Collective Mind. So who took the survey this year? More than 200 industry professionals contributed to the survey data. A typical survey respondent was an officer, executive, owner or partner. A production manager, foreman or technical superintendent was next. A further…
Read MoreWest Virginia Aggregates Operations Honored for Safety
During the recent West Virginia Mining Symposium, which took place April 18-19 in Charleston, W.Va., the West Virginia Coal Association recognized and celebrated “Exemplary Mine Safety & Environmental Excellence” achievements of mining industry operations across the state, including several aggregates operations. “Safety always has been and continues to be our top priority in the [mining] industry,” said West Virginia Coal…
Read MoreLeading an Exhausted Workforce
The Last Few Years Have Tested Leaders In Ways They Never Imagined. By Steve Schumacher It is very common that people at all levels of organizations get tired, stressed, burnt out and frustrated. These things happen during start-ups, new product rollouts, peak business times and when systems and resources are stretched thin. Leaders understand that most of these times are…
Read MoreHow Do You Deal With Age Discrimination?
Organizations Often Focus On Sexism And Racism But Overlook Ageism. By Steve Schumacher Unlike many cultures around the world that value and respect their elders, our society in America tends to de-value older generations and discount their contributions. As an older adult, I see it in the body language of people I encounter. I have my own business so I…
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