Plenty to celebrate as 2021 nears an end

By |  November 26, 2021

6. Mining fatalities up over 2020. No more than 30 mining fatalities occurred across the U.S. between 2015 and 2020, but the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) reported a 31st fatality of 2021 happened at the very start of November. The upward trend is an alarming one for MSHA, which may look to finalize a rule in 2022 on mobile surface equipment. Ogletree Deakins’ Bill Doran and Margo Lopez offer additional details.

Followed by more good

The view in Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center from Sandvik's booth. Sandvik hosted a MINExpo press conference Tuesday, sharing its latest on equipment electrification and more. Photo: P&Q Staff

The view in Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center from Sandvik’s booth. Photo: P&Q Staff

7. Trade shows finally returned. Industry trade shows went by the wayside after ConExpo-Con/Agg in 2020, and they were noticeably absent for the first half of 2021. A pushed-back World of Concrete, however, presented an opportunity for those interested to get back to a show in June, and MINExpo International, after a 2020 postponement, made a return in September.

While attendance at both shows was noticeably down, many who went were energized by the experience. Expect that energy to carry over to March 2022, when AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo returns to Nashville, Tennessee, which has become a hot destination over the last several years.

8. Big mergers and acquisitions went down. Vulcan Materials and Martin Marietta were especially active in the M&A space in 2021, with Vulcan acquiring U.S. Concrete and Martin Marietta purchasing Tiller Corp. and Lehigh Hanson’s West Region business. These deals, which FMI Capital Advisors characterizes as of the “thunderclap” variety, reflects a market where producers have sizable cash reserves on hand and enough confidence to move forward with game-changing investments. FMI’s George Reddin and Rob Mineo offer in-depth perspective of the 2021 M&A market and what’s potentially ahead in 2022 in a separate article here.

And some great

9. A historic infrastructure bill is here – finally. Admittedly, I did not believe the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) would pass after two scheduled votes on the bill were canceled. The outcome of this year’s Election Day, however, captured the attention of House members who were dug in on tying the infrastructure bill to President Biden’s social spending bill. The five-year IIJA provides billions of dollars in new funding for transportation projects, and it should give producers confidence to move forward on investments in 2022 and beyond.

Kevin Yanik

About the Author:

Kevin Yanik is editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry. He can be reached at 216-706-3724 or kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.

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