4 • ROCK products • September 2015 www.rockproducts.com
Shortly after I completed my August issue editorial, the Senate passed
its version of the highway bill. As we wait for the House to finalize its
version of the bill, then contemplate the mysteries of the universe
while they try to reconcile the two bills, here are a few interesting con-
struction-economy items.
• An estimated 607 million metric tons of total construction aggre-
gates was produced and shipped for consumption in the United
States in the second quarter of 2015, an increase of 3 percent com-
pared with that of the second quarter of 2014, according to the U.S.
Geological Survey.
• Construction employment in July climbed to the highest level since
February 2009, while the number of unemployed workers with con-
struction experience shrank to a 14-year low, according to an anal-
ysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association
officials cautioned that the diminishing pool of available qualified
labor may be having an impact on the industry's ability to meet grow-
ing demand.
• Led by a strong jump in single-family production, nationwide hous-
ing starts inched up 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate
of 1.206 million units in July, according to data from the U.S. Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Depart-
ment. This is the highest level since October 2007.
Both Vulcan Materials and Martin Marietta Materials released encour-
aging second-quarter reports, but what is most telling is the conditions
they anticipate in the second half of the year.
Regarding the company's outlook for 2015, Vulcan President and Chief
Executive Officer Tom Hill, stated, "We expect a higher rate of pricing
growth in the second half. With respect to second half shipments, a key
factor will be the ability of our customers to recover weather-delayed
volume from the first half."
Ward Nye, chairman, president and CEO of Martin Marietta, said, "As
we look at the remainder of 2015 and into 2016, contractor backlogs
and other macro-economic indicators underscore the pent-up demand
for our products. Job growth on a national level continues to be a strong
catalyst for construction activity."
These are all positive and encouraging
signals.
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Positive Signals for the Future