Martin: Production steady, but new pressures emerging

By |  November 17, 2020
Photo: Rod Martin

Martin

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. This month, leaders were posed with the following questions: What does your 2020 crushed stone, sand and gravel production look like to date? Have you seen upward or downward movement on aggregate pricing this year? And do you have an early sense of how production and pricing might fare next year?

Martin Stone Quarries’ crushed stone production is up versus last year. We were fortunate that our customers in South Jersey worked through the start of the pandemic lockdowns that we saw in Pennsylvania. This allowed them to get much more highway construction done while traffic was low. We wish Pennsylvania would have done the same, but we were not that fortunate.

Pricing was strong at the start of the year, but we are seeing downward pressure now due to contractor concerns as to the 2021 outlook. For 2021, we are looking to maintain – if not increase – our pricing. Once we sell our material, we cannot get it back. So it does not make sense for us to discount our reserves.

Volumes are uncertain due to uncertainty [surrounding] the pandemic, as well as what will happen with the November election.


Rod Martin is owner of Martin Stone Quarries in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania

Featured image: Rod Martin


Comments are closed