LafargeHolcim exec optimistic about the road ahead

Moreau

Aggregate industry stakeholders continue to keep an eye on legislative developments tied to the nation’s infrastructure, including the U.S. House of Representatives introducing a five-year, $494 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill,

Jay Moreau, CEO of U.S. aggregate and construction materials at LafargeHolcim, is certainly among those hoping for a boost in infrastructure funding – and sooner rather than later.

“I think the state of infrastructure in the U.S. is such that both the state level involvement, as well as the federal, need to ramp up significantly to meet the demand,” says Moreau, in an exclusive interview with Pit & Quarry. “The poor state of infrastructure in just about every state is such that we need both to be successful in the long run.”

While Moreau is clear in his belief that infrastructure funding needs to come from both the federal and state levels, he has also seen states take infrastructure funding into their own hands in recent years.

“The key change over the last several years is that there’s been 43 states that have done some action to raise their own infrastructure funds,” Moreau says. “States aren’t waiting around for federal money to flow into their projects; they’re taking control themselves that’s meaningful in creating stability in infrastructure funding.”

Given the economic downturn, the injection of nearly $500 billion would certainly be a shot in the arm to the aggregate industry. But Moreau believes the most important result of any federal funding would be the creation of jobs throughout the aggregate and construction industries.

Still, whether the House’s infrastructure bill – or another one – is passed this year or not, Moreau is optimistic about the road ahead for LafargeHolcim and the industry as a whole.

“Historically, even when an infrastructure bill doesn’t get passed, continuing resolutions are always in place to make sure that we don’t lose jobs and support the jobs, as well as the funding of the infrastructure,” Moreau says. “If infrastructure funds are going to ebb and flow or will be under continued resolutions, the states can continue to support their objectives relative to infrastructure, and we’ll certainly be one to benefit from those programs.”