Pit & Quarry articles from February 2001

Pit & Quarry archives from February 2001

On December 21, 2000, after a record 21 continuing resolutions to keep the federal government operating.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * On December 21, 2000, after a record 21 continuing resolutions to keep the federal government operating, the President signed the final 2001 appropriations package. The construction industry will receive an increase in overall funding levels...

Fortune magazine released its "100 Best Places to Work for in America" list.(Granite Rock Co.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * Fortune magazine released its "100 Best Places to Work for in America" list and, for the fourth year in a row, Graniterock was included. Graniterock moved from 19th place on the list last year to 17th place this year.

Vulcan Materials Co.(Mark E. Tomkins)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * Vulcan Materials Co. announced that Mark E. Tomkins has become senior vice president and CFO, effective January 15. Tomkins succeeds Peter J. Clemens III, who is retiring from the company after 23 years of service

Continental Materials Corp.(Rocky Mountain Ready Mix Concrete Inc)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * Continental Materials Corp. has acquired, in a cash transaction, all of the stock of Rocky Mountain Ready Mix Concrete Inc., a ready-mix concrete producer serving the metropolitan Denver area. Other terms were not disclosed.

Hanson Building Materials America.(Rogers Group Inc. asset trade)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * Hanson Building Materials America completed an asset swap with Rogers Group Inc. for aggregates operations in Ohio and a concrete-pipe and products acquisition in the Pacific Northwest. The cash consideration for the two transactions was...

STOCK watch.(Illustration)
February 1, 2001... (at press time) This Month Last Month Centex Construction Prod. d 30 11/48 23 31/44 Florida Rock Industries d 40 31/416 37 31/416 Hanson Plc d 33 51/48 31 51/48 Lafarge...

wire.(B J. Davitt McAteer)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... B J. Davitt McAteer, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health since 1994, has accepted a position as a member of the U.S. Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board . . . Rep. Bud Shuster (R., Pa.) announced his retirement....

RED FLAGS.(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * The latest attempt by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to regulate wetlands removal activities through a new definition of dredged materials under the Tulloch Rule will only result in one...

ESSENTIAL economics.(Illustration)
February 1, 2001... MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT VALUE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ANNUAL RATES, IN MILLIONS Nov. 2000 Oct. 2000 % Change Nonresidential Building $159,548 $165,445 -4 Residential Building ...

According to the U.S. Census Bureau.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * According to the U.S. Census Bureau, construction put in place in October was $825 billion, a 9 percent increase over a year ago.

According to the Portland Cement Association.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * According to the Portland Cement Association, cement consumption in September was unchanged over last year's levels.

According to FMI's First Quarter 2001.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * According to FMI's First Quarter 2001 Construction Outlook Report, highway construction will grow 3 percent in 2001.

To those who came before me.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Every now and then, the editor of a venerable, long-lived trade magazine such as Pit & Quarry has the unenviable task of announcing to the industry that a former editor has passed away. This is one of those times and, in fact, I must do it...

McAteer quits as MSHA chief, Elam will serve as acting secretary.(Robert A. Elam; J. Davitt McAteer)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... J. Davitt McAteer, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health since 1994, has accepted a position as a member of the U.S. Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board. The board considers and decides appeals of decisions by...

Shuster retires, citing health.(Bud Shuster)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Rep. Bud Shuster (R., Pa.) surprised even Washington insiders by announcing his retirement. Shuster, 68, served as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and controlled billions of dollars in highway and mass-transit...

Home builders say new Tulloch Rule is illegal.(National Association of Home Builders)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... The latest attempt by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to regulate wetlands removal activities through a new definition of dredged materials under the Tulloch Rule will only result in...

Final federal funding bill boosts infrastructure investment.(Associated General Contractors of America)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... On December 21, 2000, after a record 21 continuing resolutions to keep the federal government operating, the President signed the final 2001 appropriations package. The construction industry will receive an increase in overall funding levels in...

Tarmac America completes sale of building products unit.(Southern Building Products LLC)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Titan Atlantic, owners of Tarmac America, completed the sale of the Tarmac America Building Products business to Southern Building Products LLC (a newly formed, privately owned building products company) on December 31, 2000. The Building...

Vulcan names Tomkins senior vice president, CFO.(Mark E. Tomkins)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Vulcan Materials Co. announced that Mark E. Tomkins will become senior vice president and CFO, effective January 15. Tomkins succeeds Peter J. Clemens III, who is retiring from the company after 23 years of service. In other news, Vulcan...

Oglebay Norton to re-incorporate in Ohio.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Oglebay Norton Co. intends to seek shareholder approval to change its state of incorporation from Delaware to Ohio at its next annual shareholder's meeting. If approved, the company will declassify its board of directors, eliminate its poison...

Continental Materials purchases Rocky Mountain Ready Mix.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Continental Materials Corp. has acquired, in a cash transaction, all of the stock of Rocky Mountain Ready Mix Concrete Inc., a ready-mix concrete producer serving the metropolitan Denver area. Other terms were not disclosed. The Denver...

Lafarge appoints new CEO, creates Great Lakes division.(Philippe Rollier as president and CEO)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... The board of directors of Lafarge Corp. appointed Philippe Rollier as president and CEO, effective May 8, 2001, the date of the annual shareholder meeting. John M. Piecuch, current president and CEO, is resigning his position and leaving the...

CRH announces further initiatives.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... CRH plc announced a range of development initiatives totaling euro 354 million undertaken during the second half of 2000. Initiatives involving North America included: * Materials - North America: euro 69.8 million - Further acquisitions...

November construction contracts fall 5 percent.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2001... Contracting for new construction decreased 5 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $451.0 billion, according to the F.W. Dodge Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. All three major industry sectors reported declines -...

Graniterock named to 2001 Fortune 100 'Best Place to Work'.(Granite Rock Co.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Fortune magazine released its "100 Best Places to Work for in America" list and, for the fourth year in a row, Graniterock was included. Graniterock moved from 19th place on the list last year to 17th place this year. Researchers and...

Hanson, Rogers Group swap aggregate operations.(asset swap)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Hanson Building Materials America completed an asset swap with Rogers Group Inc. for aggregates operations in Ohio and a concrete-pipe and products acquisition in the Pacific Northwest. The cash consideration for the two transactions was $35.8...

Dear Mr. President.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Dear President Bush, Industry in 1998 contributed $ 6,949.3 billion to the national income. Mining was only $56.6 billion or 0.8 percent of the national income. That is small by any measure. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries contributes...

Employee complaints are 'hot potato'.(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... OSHA inspections are more likely to occur at businesses that are experiencing labor unrest. So says a study completed last August by the United States General Accounting Office (GAO). The GAO does not go so far as to say labor unrest causes...

It's a 'new' association.(National Aggregates Association-National Stone Association)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... In February 2001, the National Aggregates Association-National Stone Association (NAA-NSA) will inaugurate the newly formed merged association. This association, with it's new name, will represent the crushed-stone and sand-and-gravel...

Southeast report.
February 1, 2001... A contraction in the U.S. economy has the potential to soften the aggregates market in the Southeast region of the United States, although there is little evidence to date of a major regional retreat. Nationally, some economists are talking...

Industry high on Bush appointments.
February 1, 2001... With George W. Bush in the White House and the election morass behind the country, the aggregates industry is looking to build a good relationship with the new administration. Bush generally is seen as pro-business, a president who is not apt...

Reclamation: Taking the Right Steps -- Planning and purpose are two goals of a successful reclamation strategy.
February 1, 2001... Part One Following is Part One of a two-part special report on reclamation in the aggregates industry. -- Ed. The primary goal of a reclamation program should be to develop land on which structures can be placed and on which...

T100 hauls big.(Terex Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... The Terex T100 haul truck, one of the company's newest models, is a 100-ton, 1,050-hp hauler for rugged quarry applications. The truck is capable of hauling 75.53 cu. yd. of heaped material. With a 200,000-lb. payload, the vehicle weighs about...

Rockwell unveils new motor.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... Rockwell Automation has introduced a new, severe-duty Reliance Electric high-torque motor designed specifically for demanding aggregate-industry applications. The introduction of the Torque Max aggregate motor marks a heightened focus by...

Luhr uses Liebherr.(Luhr Bros. Inc.; Liebherr Mining Equipment Co.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Luhr Bros. Inc. was incorporated in 1947 and is a 100-percent family-owned producer that prefers Liebherr excavators. The company started as a heavy-equipment company involved in highway, dam and levee construction and inland dredging in...

Torque breakthrough.(Borealis Motor Manufacturing Ltd)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Substantial improvements in torque have been announced by Borealis Motor Manufacturing Ltd. following beta tests of the company's new Chorus motor technology. In tests, the proprietary Borealis Chorus motor has shown continuous torque at least...

Tiger on the water.(Olen Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... You won't find many tigers in Ohio, except maybe at Olen Corp. in Columbus. The company's "Tiger" is a custom-made bucket-ladder dredge that stays afloat by a 156-ft.-long x 44-ft.-wide pontoon. The dredge (rated capacity of 1,200 short tph)...

Smooth Steering.(Caterpillar Inc. patent)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... On December 12, 2000, Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Ill., received U.S. Patent No. 6,158,544 for one of its latest developments, the "Steering System For An Articulated Machine." It's one of those subtle advancements that you can't really see,...

There's no business like e-business.(Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers International Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Many online equipment auction services have already set up shop online (and some of those have already disappeared). But now one of the largest, most well-established industrial auction firms is taking its road show to the Internet. ...

BuildCentral Inc.(web site)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * BuildCentral Inc. (buildcentral.com) has launched DemolitionX.com, a site targeting professionals in the demolition and wrecking trade. DemolitionX.com's features include the Demolition Learning Center, an extensive archive of articles,...

George Spilka and Associates.(new web site)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * George Spilka and Associates, a Pittsburgh-based merger and acquisition consulting firm with a national practice, has announced the establishment of its new Web site at georgespilka.com. The site describes the company's operations and client...

To provide existing and potential customers a wealth of power-transmission product, application and technical information, The Falk Corp. has formed Club Gear Head.(new web site)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * To provide existing and potential customers a wealth of power-transmission product, application and technical information, The Falk Corp. has formed Club Gear Head, an extranet Web site. Members can retrieve information such as product sizing...

Registration is free of charge.(Superior Industries web site)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * Registration is free of charge. The ever-expanding Superior Industries Internet site at superior-ind.com announced its newest addition -- IdlerSelector, a software application that gives customers a simple, step-by-step process to identify...

EquipmentTraderOnline.com.(new Inventory Management Tool)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... * EquipmentTraderOnline.com is now offering dealers the opportunity to showcase their heavy equipment inventory to buyers. The site's new Inventory Management Tool allows a dealer to place unlimited heavy-equipment listings into the site's...

Dust is Enemy No. 1 : There are a variety of new products your plant can use to keep dust under control.
February 1, 2001... One of the most critical challenges facing an aggregates plant is dust control. Healthy community relations and proper equipment operation often depend on keeping dust to a minimum. While there are still operations that think they are doing...

Emission Impossible : Tighter emissions regulations challenge oil manufacturers and producers to go the second mile.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Tighter emissions regulations and the upcoming PC-9 regulations place even greater challenges on mining and construction fleets seeking to extend oil-drain intervals, says Exxon SmartLube coordinator and engine oil expert, Don Carver. Changes...

Scalping, screening and stockpiling unit.(from Finlay Hydrascreens)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Finlay Hydrascreens offers the 96-hp., 12-ft. x 5-ft. twin-deck Finlay 683 Supertrak for complete scalping, screening and stockpiling. The unit has a nine-yd. hopper capacity and features a remote control tipping reject grid with 4-in. to 8-in....

Tensioned screen panels.(from Major Wire Industries)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Major Wire Industries' offers PolyTend tensioned screen panels that increase wear life without deck modification. With side- or end-tensioned panels molded to fit traditional crown-bar screen decks, producers can quickly switch between PolyTend...

Hydraulic breaker.(From Breaker Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... BTI (Breaker Technology Inc.) offers a series of hydraulic hammers in the 350 through 850-ft. lb. class. BTI's M Series Breakers are available with ME side plates for mounting to both mini-excavators and skid steer loaders without modification....

Screening media.(from Rhino Hyde Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... The RhinoGrid, from Rhino Hyde Products, is a screening media that is the result of combining the positive aspects of traditional wire screen cloth and the long wear characteristics of urethane. The 1/4-in. steel rod support grid replaces the...

Magnetically fastened rubber patch.(from Magna-Skin Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Magna-Skin Technologies Inc. offers a magnetically fastened rubber patch. The highly visible and reusable Magna-Patch combines a flexible abrasion resistant rubber with powerful magnetic elements. Magna-Skin Technologies designed Magna-Patch to...

Pedestal boom breaking systems.(from Rammer)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Rammer offers over 20 systems in its XM series of pedestal boom breakers, allowing the user to match the right boom and breaker combination to actual use from portable crushers up through grizzly applications. The XM series is designed...

Blasthole rig.(from Ingersoll-Rand)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Ingersoll-Rand Co.'s Drilling Solutions has upgraded its DM-L production blasthole drill rig. The DM-L, a crawler mounted, hydraulic tophead drive, multi-pass rotary blasthole rig, is specifically designed for production blasthole drilling to...

Industrial engine.(from MackPower)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... The MackPower business unit of Mack Trucks Inc. offers an industrial version of the popular Mack E7 E--Tech engine. The in-line, six-cylinder, 24-valve, intercooled design is available in power configurations ranging from 360- to 500-hp. The...

Wheel loader.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... The Caterpillar 988G wheel loader with its fabricated box boom, new engine and new power train is a larger, more powerful and more productive replacement for the 988F II, says the company. The 988G handles buckets ranging from 8.2 to 9.2 cu....

Kawasaki Construction Machinery stages demo event.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... Kawasaki dealers and customers from across the nation traveled to Wickenburg, Ariz., to demo the Dash 2 Kawasaki line of loaders. The series of three-day sessions held at the Rancho de los Caballeros Resort featured a choreographed presentation...

Command Data, Alkon Corp. sign agreement to merge.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... COMMAND DATA INC. has reached a definitive agreement to merge with Alkon Corp. The merger will result in combining the resources, customer base and product-development expertise of both companies. It will also expand product offerings and...

Terex acquires European loader backhoe maker.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... TEREX CORP. has acquired Fermec Holdings Ltd., a leading European manufacturer of loader backhoes based in the UK. Fermec was sold by CNH as a condition for the European Commission to approve the Case-New Holland merger. "This acquisition...

Portable Possibilities : A West Texas producer increases production and eliminates a second shift with a screening plant purchase.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Charlie Trussell, equipment manager for Lipham Construction in West Texas, faced a challenge. The paving company, which also supplies its own aggregate, wanted to eliminate the night shift on its screening plant and still supply enough rock to...