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Cemex and Polaris Minerals Corp. on Sept. 26 entered into a long-term supply and distribution agreement for marine transported construction aggregates in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.

For this three-state area, the parties have agreed that Cemex will be the exclusive marketer for Polaris, and Polaris will be the exclusive supplier to Cemex of marine transported construction aggregates for the company’s internal use and for sales by it to third parties.

Polaris has already commenced sand and gravel shipments from the Orca Quarry to the two existing Cemex terminals in San Francisco Bay. In addition, the two companies have entered into an alliance for the development of future construction aggregates import terminals in the same territory.

Included in the strategic alliance is an expectation that Polaris will develop its 70-percent-owned Eagle Rock Quarry at a time to be determined by market demand. The parties have agreed to cooperate in the pursuit of markets and terminal capacity for Eagle Rock crushed granite products. The existing Polaris construction aggregate supply and distribution agreement covering the four northern California counties of Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Napa is unaffected by this alliance.

Allstone Quarry Products makes Guinness Book of World Records

Most Canadians spell it inukshuk. The government of Nunavut says it’s inuksuk. No matter how you spell it, Joe Melo owns the largest one in the world and the Guinness Book of World Records is ready to honor that achievement.

At 11.9 meters high, Melo’s inuksuk beats the nearest competition, the 2010 Olympic mascot, by almost 3 meters. Built from 11 pieces of solid granite, the giant statue weighs 82 tons. The arms alone — made of a single slab of granite — are a half-meter thick and span more than 8 meters across.

The statue was assembled by crane and is held together by gravity alone, with only the inuksuk’s feet imbedded in solid concrete.

Melo, owner of Allstone Quarry Products near Shomberg, extracted the granite from his quarry in Big Wood Township located about 40 minutes south of Sudbury.

The statue was officially submitted to the Guinness organization Sept. 13 as a certified structural engineer, a certified surveyor and other witnesses made a full report on the monument’s vital statistics.

Melo, who supplies some of the biggest chunks of rock in the province, says he never intended to beat the world’s record. He built the structure about five years ago and says he wasn’t aware that the inuksuk was the world’s tallest until several marketing companies brought the fact to his attention.

(Source: Daily Commercial News and Construction Record, Sept. 14, 2007. Article by Peter Kenter)

Cemex Confirms Plans to Sell Some Assets to CRH

Mexican cement company Cemex on Sept. 17 confirmed that it is in talks to sell some of its U.S. and European assets to CRH, an Ireland-based international building materials group.

“The total value of the transactions could range from $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion,” Cemex said in a statement, confirming an earlier statement issued by CRH.

The assets under negotiation include those operations in Florida and Arizona that the U.S. Department of Justice has required Cemex to sell as a result of its acquisition of Australia’s Rinker earlier this year, according to a Cemex statement.

Cemex is also discussing the possibility of selling a number of other assets in the U.S., including its concrete pipe business, its materials and concrete products operations in the Pacific Northwest, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, its the aggregates operations in Kentucky, its cement plants in Wampum, Pa., and Fairborn, Ohio, and its gypsum wallboard distribution business in Florida.

In Europe, the assets under negotiation include the San Feliu cement plant in Catalonia, Spain and Cemex’s ready-mix concrete and aggregates assets in Austria and Hungary, the Cemex statement said.

 Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley are acting as financial advisors, Cemex said.

 (Source: Dow Jones, Sept. 17, 2007 via SmartMoney.com. Article by-By Matthew Cowley, matthew.cowley@dowjones.com)

Open House at Ostrander Quarry in Ohio

A public open house was held at the Shelly Materials Ostrander Quarry on Aug. 25, with more than 550 neighbors, customers, and employees in attendance.

A blast that provided the operation with more than 15,000 tons of shot rock was set off during the open house to show what is entailed in the procedure.

Other activities included bus trips into the quarry, booths set up by Shelly Materials, Ohio Geological Survey, Dyno Nobel, and Sauls Seismic., as well as obstacle courses, equipment displays, and rock painting.

The Ostrander Quarry produces more than 1,500,000 tons per year of limestone with No. 304 and No. 57 as the operation’s primary products. These products are mostly used for concrete, asphalt, and as a base material for foundations of parking lots, buildings, schools, hospitals, roadways, and sidewalks.

The ShelleyCo.’s Ostrander Quarry set off a blast at its Aug. 25 open house so attendees would better understand what it entails. The blast provided the operation with about 15,000 tons of shot rock.	A clown paints a young girl’s face at the open house, which was held to help with community relations efforts between the aggregates operation and the community.
Photos courtesy of Shelly Co.

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Updated ‘Chemicals of Interest’ List Released

Liberty Environmental has updated the list of Chemical Security regulations. (See original article that ran in the August 2007 print issue of Aggregates Manager at www.aggman.com/articles/aug07aggbeat.htm.)

For a downloadable PDF of the updated list, please click here.

According to Liberty Environmental, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) still has not finalized the “Appendix A Chemicals of Interest” list and, thus, the Top Screen process has not been triggered.

Association of Equipment Manufacturers forms foreign partnerships

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has joined its association counterparts in Europe, Japan, China, and Korea in a formal partnership to advance the construction equipment industry worldwide.

The five associations in the new International Associations Committee (IAC) have signed a letter agreeing to general terms of cooperation. They are already holding regular meetings to provide guidance and direction from the executive level on issues including emerging markets, global statistics, exhibitions, and intellectual property rights.

In addition to AEM, the associations in the IAC (in alphabetical order) are the China Construction Manufacturers Association (CCMA), the Committee for European Construction Equipment, (CECE), the Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA), and the Korea Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (KOCEMA).

Construction Exports Up 22 Percent

The United States has exported $8.2 billion in construction equipment built here for the first half of 2007, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). This is a 22-percent increase compared to the January to June 2006 timeframe.

Currently, the Asia region is the front-runner for the biggest rise in exports so far this year, with a 67-percent increase in export volume for a total of $1.16 billion at the mid-year mark. Exports to China grew 181 percent for the first half of 2007, totaling $319.5 million, giving this country a sixth-place ranking for the top export destinations of U.S. construction machinery, according to AEM.

Holcim Recognized for Industry Efforts

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index on Sept. 11 recognized Holcim as a “Leader in the Industry.”

This is the third consecutive year that Holcim has been acknowledged as one of the companies with the best sustainability performance in the building materials industry. Holcim has been included in both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index for five years.

Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index was the first global index to track and assess the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index comprises the top 10 percent of the biggest 2,500 companies globally. The Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index includes 20 percent of the best-placed companies in the Dow Jones STOXX 600 Index. Analysis is based on an annual assessment of general and industry specific sustainability criteria.

Market Situation

by Bill Watkins

Due to the recent consolidation in the construction materials sector, all of the companies have been combined into one index, which more accurately reflects industry performance given the vertical integration of most large producers. In general, the industry index continues to outperform the broad universe. Acquisition premiums remain embedded in many stock prices, which continue to provide some pricing support. In addition, the more diversified and integrated businesses continue to report relatively strong earnings, which bode well for their respective share prices. Overall, long-term industry fundamentals remain positive for construction materials producers.

Bill Watkins is managing director of National City Capital Markets. He is a contributing editor and may be reached at 216-222-7134 or via e-mail at William.Watkins@NationalCity.com.

Sneak Preview from the upcoming Production section in the November 2007 issue of Aggregates Manager. For the full report, including a state-by-state breakdown of production, see the November 2007 print edition of Aggregates Manager.

Production

U.S. Aggregate Production Down in 2007

Crushed stone and sand and gravel production dipped down in the second-quarter of this year.

by Jason Christopher Willett, Wallace P. Bolen, and Marc A. Angulo

Editor’s note: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released its quarterly report on the amount of aggregate produced and shipped in late September. A detailed report from the government agency follows.

The estimated U.S. output of construction sand and gravel produced and shipped for consumption in the second quarter of 2007 was 292 metric tons, a decrease of 14.0 percent compared with that of the same period of 2006. The estimated output of construction sand and gravel produced for consumption in the first six months of 2007 was 471 metric tons, a 15.9-percent decrease compared with the same period of 2006.

An estimated 681 metric tons of total aggregates was produced and shipped for consumption in the United States during the second quarter of 2007, a decrease of 14.2 percent compared with that of the same period of 2006. The estimated output of aggregates produced for consumption during the first six months of 2007 was 1.11 billion metric tons, a 16.9-percent decrease compared with that of the same period of 2006.

Portland cement consumption

The estimated portland cement consumption decreased by 8.7 percent during the second quarter of 2007 and decreased by 11.5 percent during the first six months of 2007, compared with that of the same period of 2006. This information is a product of the USGS monthly survey of U.S. cement producers.

The production-for-consumption estimates for crushed stone, construction sand and gravel, and aggregates, are generated independently for each state and each geographic division, and the 48 conterminous states, which are treated as separate statistical sample areas. Therefore, some differences may exist between the total for a division and the sum of the state totals that are part of the same geographic division.

Similarly, differences may exist between the estimations of total aggregates and estimations done separately for crushed stone and construction sand and gravel for a specific statistical area. The information from the USGS quarterly survey on domestic production of crushed stone, construction sand and gravel, and aggregates has become a significant indicator of construction activity at the national, regional, and state level.

This survey is a sample survey that generates production-for-consumption estimates by quarters, based on information reported voluntarily by a limited number of producing companies.

Occasionally, the number of companies reporting in an area varies from quarter to quarter, or previously reported data by some companies are revised. As a result of such changes in the size or the composition of the statistical sample, the estimated quantities for prior quarters are recalculated. The latest release of the quarterly Mineral Industry Surveys contains the most recent estimated totals and percentage changes and supersedes previously published similar information.

Estimated aggregate sales

The estimated crushed stone sold or used in the United States during the second quarter of 2007 decreased in eight of the nine geographic divisions. The largest decreases were recorded in the West South Central (24.8 percent), South Atlantic (24.2 percent), and West North Central (20.4 percent) divisions. The only increase in the production of crushed stone was recorded in the Mountain (5.1 percent) division.

The leading geographic divisions in the production of crushed stone sold or used during the second quarter of 2007 were the South Atlantic with 91.3 metric tons, or 23.5 percent of the U.S. total, followed by the East North Central with 72.4 metric tons, or 18.6 percent, and the Middle Atlantic with 50.6 metric tons, or 13.0 percent.

The estimated construction sand and gravel sold or used in the United States in the second quarter of 2007 decreased in eight of nine geographic divisions. The largest decreases were recorded in West North Central (24.3 percent), the South Atlantic (21.3 percent), and the East North Central (19.5 percent) divisions. The only increase in the production of construction sand and gravel was recorded in the New England (7.8 percent) division.

The leading geographic divisions for the total amount of construction sand and gravel sold or used in the second quarter of 2007 were the Mountain with 74.1 metric tons, or 25.4 percent of the U.S. total, followed by the Pacific with 53.0 metric tons, or 18.2 percent, and the East North Central with 50.3 metric tons, or 17.2 percent.

The estimated U.S. output of aggregates sold or used in the second quarter of 2007 decreased in all of the nine geographic divisions. The largest decreases were recorded in the South Atlantic (24.0 percent), the West South Central (23.3 percent), and the West North Central (21.7 percent) divisions.

The leading geographic divisions for the total amount of aggregates sold or used in the second quarter of 2007 were the East North Central with 124 metric tons, or 18.2 percent of the U.S. total, followed by the South Atlantic with 111 metric tons or 16.3 percent, and the Mountain with 92.5 metric tons, or 13.6 percent.

The estimated totals by quarters for the geographic divisions do not include Alaska and Hawaii.

The estimated production-for-consumption of crushed stone in the second quarter of 2007 decreased in 38 of the 47 states that were estimated, with the largest percentage decreases occurring in South Dakota (55.1 percent), Wyoming (42.0 percent), Nebraska (40.5 percent), South Carolina (32.4 percent), and North Carolina (31.9 percent). The five leading states, in descending order of production, in the production-for-consumption of crushed stone during the second quarter of 2007 were Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Illinois. Their combined total production-for-consumption represented 30.5 percent of the U.S. total.

The production-for-consumption of construction sand and gravel decreased in 35 of the 46 states that were estimated, with the largest decreases occurring in Arkansas (68.7 percent), Nevada (47.6 percent), Minnesota (38.4 percent), Florida (33.9 percent), and South Dakota (33.2 percent). The five leading states, in descending order of production, in the production-for-consumption of construction sand and gravel during the second quarter of 2007 were California, Arizona, Texas, Michigan, and Washington. Their combined total production-for-consumption represented 34.6 percent of the U.S. total.

The production-for-consumption of total aggregates in the second quarter of 2007 decreased in 40 of the 46 states that were estimated, with the largest decreases occurring in South Dakota (49.6 percent), Nebraska (38.5 percent), Wyoming (35.6 percent), Nevada (33.0 percent), and North Carolina (30.8 percent). The five leading states, in descending order of production, in the production-for-consumption of aggregates during the second quarter of 2007 were California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio. Their combined total production-for-consumption represented 26.9 percent of the U.S. total.

Jason Willett is the crushed stone commodity specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). He may be reached via phone at 703-648-6473 or by e-mail at jwillett@usgs.gov. Wallace P. Bolen is the sand and gravel commodity specialist for USGS. He may be reached via phone at 703-648-7727 or by e-mail at wbolen@usgs.gov. Marc A. Angulo is a data analyst for USGS. Angulo may be reached via phone at 703-648-7945 or by e-mail at mangulo@usgs.gov.

New track-mounted crusher

Screen Machine’s new 5256T impact crusher is a track-mounted unit powered by a 475-horsepower diesel engine. It features a 52- by 56-inch horizontal impact crusher, a 46- by 38-inch feed inlet opening, and full remote control operation. Its split housing design is said to allow for blockage clearance during operation and ease of maintenance.

A wireless remote control triggers the lifting lid, allowing oversized material to pass through the crusher without stoppage.

On-board scale systems

Case Construction Equipment is now offering two optional on-board scales for its large and mid-size wheel loader models. The scales are the Loup Electronics Load Log 800 and Load Log 8000. The scales allow the loader operator to weigh “on the lift,” avoiding the inefficiencies associated with over- or underloading trucks. Case and Loup Electronics have a long and successful client-supplier relationship.

Three times more wear life

Superior Industries says its new Urathon Return Roller has three times more wear life than traditional rubber return rolls.

For more new products for the industry, check out the RollOuts section
in each month’s print edition of Aggregates Manager.
 

Deister Machine Co., a supplier of vibrating screens and feeders, has completed a 5,500-square-foot expansion to its headquarter offices, located in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The new facility houses a large conference room, and 17 offices for departments serving sales, purchasing, information systems, and inventory control. This expansion is an addition to a total operation that spans more than 315,000 square feet.

Firetide, Inc., a developer of wireless mesh networks, and Safety Vision, L.P., a provider of mobile digital video solutions, have entered into a strategic alliance to provide wireless surveillance and security applications for mass transit, law enforcement, and student transportation sectors.

The partnership combines Safety Vision’s 15-years of experience in onboard surveillance with Firetide’s high-speed wireless mesh networks and delivers the industry’s first mobile-to-mobile video solution to be used for public transportation safety. 

The integrated wireless surveillance system is being implemented by the MBTA, the fifth largest transit system in the U.S., transporting 1.3 million passengers daily. The $1.4 million project, partially funded by a Department of Homeland Security grant, calls for installation of onboard surveillance systems on 155 new buses. The combined Safety Vision and Firetide solution enables transmission of live video feeds to laptops in MBTA police officers’ networked vehicles, allowing first responders to view an onboard incident as it unfolds, in real time. Consequently, responders can plan and execute tactics faster and smarter — enhancing the safety and security of passengers, officers, and transit personnel alike.

Firetide provides the wireless video network portion of the project, operating in the 4.9 GHz spectrum, which is designated by the FCC for public safety and provides interference-free, secure connectivity for first responders. In addition to supplying onboard, mobile-rated cameras and video recorders, Safety Vision provides an intuitive video management application, which is easy to navigate, delivers smooth high-resolution live video, and works seamlessly with the Firetide mesh network. The system increases operator safety, enhances public security, mitigates transit authorities’ risk, and strengthens criminal prosecutors’ cases.

Fintec Crushing and Screening Ltd. has signed on C & D Equipment of Ocala, Fla., as its new dealer for the state of Florida.

Based in Northern Ireland, Fintec manufactures quarry-grade mobile screening and crushing plants for construction, demolition, recycling, and quarrying applications.

C & D Equipment will handle sales and service for the entire line of Fintec mobile screening and crushing equipment.

Deister Machine Co., a Fort Wayne, Ind.-based supplier of vibrating screens and feeders, has made the following promotions within its executive management team:

• With 28 years of service, Joe Schlabach has been named vice president of marketing and sales
• Marking 20 years with the company, Richard Deister will now serve as vice president of customer relations, parts and service.
• Greg Wood, with 36 years of service, has been promoted to vice president of manufacturing & production.
• Dale Loshe, an addition to the executive team, will serve as vice president of engineering. Loshe has been with the company for 28 years.

The Deister Machine Co. executive team is led by Irwin Deister, Jr. as chairman and E. Mark Deister as president.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has elected 22 companies to membership in the international trade group, which provides business-development resources for companies which manufacture and market agriculture and construction-related equipment, products, and services.

The new AEM companies are as follows:

ASI Instruments (Houston, Texas), manufacturer of bulk solids level detection instrumentation.

Badger Equipment Co. (Winona, Minn.), manufacturer of wheeled excavators, lattice boom truck mount cranes, rail bound and hy-rail cranes, crawler cranes, and sheet lifters.

Bemis Manufacturing Co. (Sheboygan Falls, Wis.), manufacturer of interior and exterior molded and extruded plastic parts: hoods, fenders, dash boards, and seat bases.

Boecker USA Inc. (Mansfield, Texas), sole U.S. distributor of Boecker cranes, lifting equipment and lifting technology.

Cequent Performance Products (Mosinee, Wis.), manufacturer of brakes, trailer lighting, couplers, hand winches, and jacks.

Daxcon Engineering Inc. (Bartonville, Ill.), provider of engineering services.

DiamondBack Truck Covers (Philipsburg, Pa.), manufacturer of utility covers for pickup trucks.

Excel Equipment Manufacturing Inc. (West Warwick, R.I.), manufacturer of hydraulic hammers and attachments.

Farmington Engineering Inc. (Madison, Ct.), manufacturer of expansion plugs, threaded plugs and flow restrictors.

Inan Makina A.S. (Istanbul, Turkey), manufacturer of hydraulic rock breakers.

Indexator AB dba Rototilt USA (Vindeln, Sweden), manufacturer of quick couplers and rotators.

Jisung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (Hwaseong, South Korea), manufacturer of hydraulic breakers.

Nano Steel Co. (The) (Providence, R.I.), manufacturer of thermal spray coatings and weld overlay.

Pacific Tri-Star Inc. (Farr West, Utah), manufacturer of wheel loaders.

Plastiform/Green Plastics (Santa Ysabel, Calif.), manufacturer of reusable plastic concrete flatwork forms.

PSM LLC (Woodinville, Wash.), manufacturer of excavator and wheel loader attachments (hydraulic thumbs, quick couplers, buckets, grapples, and compaction wheels).

Quick Cable Corporation (Franksville, Wis.), manufacturer of battery connectors, terminals, cables, accessories, and protective products.

Renquist Design Inc. (Racine, Wis.), provider of industrial design, marketing communications, and electronic media services.

REV Drill Sales and Rentals Inc. (Frederick, Md.), manufacturer of drill attachments (mounted on excavator).

Triaso S.A. de C.V. (Durango, Mexico), manufacturer of asphalt and crusher plants.

U-Dump Trailers LLC (Ocala, Fla.), manufacturer of dump trailers.

Western Retek (Arvada, Colo.), manufacturers of track mounted materials processors and screens.

SAF-Holland USA Sales has announced that Kevin Motz has joined the powered vehicle systems sales and marketing team as an OEM account manager.

Motz will be responsible for the Freightliner LLC group including Freightliner, Western Star and Sterling Trucks, Freightliner Customer Chassis, as well as Gillig Bus.

Motz has more than 17 years of experience in national and OEM account positions with Hyundai and Hendrickson, as well as product planning positions with Hendrickson and Chevrolet. Motz holds a bachelors degree in industrial technology from the Northeast Missouri State University and an MBA from Central Michigan University.

Compiled by Tina Grady Barbaccia, Aggregates Manager Senior Editor.
To contact Tina about the newsletter content, send e-mail to e-news@aggman.com or call (630) 364-2306.

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