Alexander: Looking to replicate the first half 
in the months to come

Looking in the rearview mirror, the aggregate industry did quite well during the first half of this year. There seems to be a consistent theme in most companies in response to COVID-19: to plan for the worst and hope for the best as they navigate through these uncharted waters.  

My view is that, so far, 2020 has been good. The fundamentals of the industry are in place: strong demand, favorable profitability drivers and an overall industry resiliency. The goal now is to sustain a comparable pace in the second half of the year. 

I have been preaching for some time now: We must prepare for when we emerge on the other side of the pandemic. I feel there is a tremendous amount of demand that continues to build. Once the pandemic subsides, we need to make sure we are poised to deliver.

Scott Alexander is executive vice president of Arcosa Aggregates, which is headquartered in Dallas.

Editor’s note: As part of our Road to Recovery coverage, P&Q is turning to some of the industry’s leaders for their takes on the road ahead. Leaders such as Alexander were posed with the following question: As you look to the remainder of 2020, what factors give you reason for optimism about the aggregate industry?