Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/233439
by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com January 2014 Vol. 19, No. 1 aggman.com /AggregatesManager @AggMan_editor Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Amanda Bayhi editorial@aggman.com Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@aggman.com Construction Media Senior VP, Construction Media: Dan Tidwell VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com Corporate Chairman/CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Process Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Administration Officer: David Wright Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Alan Sims Vice President, Audience Development: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Director of Marketing: Julie Arsenault For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com. Aggregates Manager TM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Company copyright 2014. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Editorial_AGRM0114.indd 3 CAP EX AND CONEXPO A s you look across your equipment — both stationary and mobile — how does it look? Is it in good repair and sporting a fresh coat of paint or is it figuratively held together with duct tape and string? According to operators, there is probably a mix of each across the United States. Through our 2013-14 Aggregates Manager Forecast Survey, we asked questions about plans for capital expenditures, as well as business ratings and production volumes (see the full story on page 22). This year's results indicate that a growing percentage of operators are planning to invest in equipment. With 105 surveys returned, 25.7 percent of operators said they plan to increase capital expenditures this year, compared to 11.4 percent who said spending will decrease. The average forecast increase is 18.7 percent, while the average predicted decrease is 27.5 percent. From a regional perspective, operators in the South (40 percent) were most likely to say they will increase spending, followed by the North Central (35.7 percent), West (23.8 percent), and Northeast (21.1 percent). Operators in the West were the most likely to indicate they will decrease spending (23.3 percent), followed by the Northeast (21.1 percent), North Central (21.1 percent), and South (11.5 percent). There is no question that equipment with a high number of operating hours on it is at work in some aggregate operations throughout the United States. Quality used equipment is often snatched up. Engine emission requirements continue to tighten. Fortunately, as operators consider capital spending for the coming year, they have an excellent opportunity to refine their decision-making process. ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014, to be held March 4-8 in Las Vegas, offers a unique opportunity to review equipment needs, personally inspect equipment, and ask manufacturers' representatives — including sales and engineers — about how it can meet site-specific needs. As you make plans to attend the show, keep an eye on www.aggman.com where we will report on equipment rollouts, exhibit highlights, and manufacturer events to make your capital expenditure plans a little easier to handle. 3 things I learned from this issue: 1 Many dump-point accidents are attributed to haul trucks backing at angle to the slope, page 17. 2 Midsize operators (3,000,001 to 5 million tons per year) reported the best business ratings for 2013, page 22. 3 MSHA can use subjective criteria rather than objective data as it interprets what constitutes a POV, page 30. AGGREGATES MANAGER January 2014 3 12/13/13 8:58 AM