Pit and Quarry

Competitive fires

Martin Marietta Materials' takeover bid for Vulcan Materials has strengthened the competitive fire between the nation's two largest aggregate producers. And understandably so. The companies have been going at each other pretty good lately, since Martin Marietta announced its intentions on Dec. 12 to acquire Vulcan via an all-stock transaction valued at a reported $4.7 billion. Martin Marietta says a merger would work, creating a global leader in construction aggregates. Vulcan says it's a bad idea. To get a feel for where things stand between them, you only need to look at special web pages created by both companies that provide information on Martin Marietta's takeover attempt. Martin Marietta's information can be found at www.aggregatesleader.com. How about Vulcan's? www.realaggregatesleader.com. Say no more. – Brian Richesson

Construction challenges

FMI, provider of management consulting and investment banking to the engineering and construction industry, released its 2012 U.S. Markets Construction Overview, offering insight into some of the engineering and construction industry’s most complex business challenges.

The publication focuses primarily on the U.S. domestic construction market, which is also a lagging reflection of the country’s economic health. The broad picture is not dramatically different from last year, FMI notes.

A few highlights include:

• The move to a greater use of P3 (public-private partnerships) project funding will be slow, but will begin to gain traction in the United States.
• Demographics continue to drive demand for healthcare, education and improving infrastructure.
• Spending for government construction is expected to decline as budget battles continue to rage in Washington and spill over to every state in the nation.
• Sustainable or green construction will drive demand for LEED-certified buildings.
• Innovation is driving efficiencies in multi-trade prefabrication and modularization construction.
• As the baby boomers age out of the work force, many firms will face succession and transition challenges.

Reading material

The U.S. Geological Survey now offers comprehensive data on 2010 crushed stone production in its Minerals Yearbook. The report, authored by Jason Christopher Willett, contains plenty of facts and figures, including total production (1.16 billion metric tons), total value of crushed stone ($11.2 billion) and average unit price comparisons (down slightly from 2009 but 21 percent higher than 2006). Production for consumption was the lowest since 1993, and total value the lowest since 2004, Willett writes. That's just the beginning. Have a look and see what information you can take away that just might help your operation or grow your industry knowledge. – Brian Richesson

Industry gathering place

The economy, MSHA, the highway bill and frac sand were among the topics at the forefront of the Pit & Quarry Roundtable, held Sept. 30 in the Chicago area. About 40 attendees, making up aggregate producers, manufacturers and service providers, participated in the annual event. As always, members of our industry offered valuable insight into the factors impacting aggregate operations across the nation. In upcoming issues, we will print a portion of that dialogue from your peers and equipment suppliers. Will you agree with them? You won't want to miss what they had to say. – Brian Richesson

Photos from the field

From flooded roads to widening cracks in their surfaces; from the fields to the factories to the work sites; to the faces of those Americans working every day to make our infrastructure better: It’s all documented in the colorful photos of AEM’s “Picture a Better America Photo Contest.” Through the contest, AEM sought to raise awareness of its "I Make America" campaign among congressional leaders and continue its push for more manufacturing jobs. Contest winners in four categories were honored earlier this month with a $250 prize during a reception on Capitol Hill. Julia Hoskins of Dexter, Ore.; Nicholas Klisch of Rapid City, S.D.; Macie Perry of Moreland, Ga.; and Christine Perkins of Manitowoc, Wis., snapped the best photos, according to contest judge Eric Draper, a former White House photographer. Take a look at their work and the impressive submissions of all entrants. – Brian Richesson