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News: Week of May 26, 2008
May 27, 2008• Appeals court vacates injunction on aggregates production in Lake Belt: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has vacated injunctions that had virtually halted aggregates production near wetlands north of Miami, ruling that a lower court failed to follow proper procedures for reviewing decisions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the NSSGA reported. A number of mining companies acquired tracks of land in Florida’s Lake Belt area and sought permits to mine the limestone. Environmental groups then challenged the corps-issued permits. Aggregates producers involved in the suit included Rinker Materials; Vecellio & Grogan Inc.; Tarmac America LLC; Florida Rock Industries Inc.; Sawgrass Rock Quarry Inc. and APAC-Florida Inc. Read the text of the U.S. Court of Appeals decision.p>
• LIUNA launches campaign to rebuild America: The Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) has launched what it said will be the most intensive and sustained effort ever to redirect the nation’s resources to taking care of America’s basics. This includes roadways, bridges, dams, railways, schoolhouses and other fundamentals the country depends on every day, but which have fallen into decay, lowering quality of life and weakening the economy, LIUNA said. The campaign will include advertising, a member-to-member voter registration effort, a new web site (www.liunabuildsamerica.org), in-depth information for members, a petition targeting 1 million supporters and an effort to join with allies in government and community organizations to strengthen the movement.
• FMI assists in acquisition of The Roberts Co.: FMI assisted in the management-led buyout of The Roberts Company. Starboard Capital Partners LLC initiated the transaction and was an investor. Other investors included Main Street Resources and Ironwood Capital, with senior financing provided by TD Banknorth. FMI represented the seller in the acquisition. FMI investment banker Landon Funsten served as lead for the deal, with W. Hobson Hogan assisting. The Roberts Company, located in Winterville, N.C., custom fabricates and offers services in areas such as modular construction, process tanks and industrial coatings.
• Rogers celebrates milestone: Rogers Group Inc., one of the largest aggregates producers in the United States, turns 100 years old this year. The company has planned several events throughout the year and in each of its market areas, including Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. Rogers Group notes these facts about the company and its founder, Ralph Rogers: It is the largest privately owned aggregate and/or road construction company; throughout the Great Depression, Rogers employees never missed a paycheck; and Rogers Group currently employs about 1,500 people.
• ISEE accepting abstracts: The International Society of Explosives Engineers will be accepting abstracts for the 35th Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique to be held Feb. 8-11, 2009, in Denver. Members and non-members are invited to submit ideas for papers – addressing explosives and blasting-related topics – to be presented at the conference. Presented papers will be published in the proceedings of the conference. The deadline for submissions is June 16.