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28 • ROCK products • March 2018 www.rockproducts.com Benchmark 2018 P resident Trump has just proposed a $1.5 tril- lion infrastructure plan. Much of the money is sourced from state and local budgets and no increase in the gas tax was proposed, disappoint- ing many transportation advocates. But despite this, aggregates producers are looking ahead confidently to the 2018 production season, seeking to build on a somewhat slow 2017 characterized by produc- tion reductions in many markets due to inclement weather and in some cases, natural disasters. As 2017 closed out, the estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of public construction spend- ing was $290.0 billion, 0.3 percent (±1.5 percent) above the revised November estimate of $289.1 billion. Highway construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $88.3 billion, 0.3 percent (±3.5 percent) above the revised November esti- mate of $88.0 billion. Highway and bridge construction starts grew 7 percent in 2017, strengthening after a 9 percent decline in 2016. The top five states in 2017 ranked by the dollar amount of new highway and bridge construction starts, with their percent change from the previous year, were – Texas, down 20 percent; California, up 9 percent; Virginia, up 180 percent; Florida, up 23 percent; and Pennsylvania, up 32 percent. This month, we share the results of our fifth annual, exclusive Rock Products survey, Benchmark 2018. This survey not only offers the opportunity to gauge current producer opinion, we can also compare to previous years to see what is the same and what is different. So who took the survey this year? A typical survey respondent was, on average, a production manager, foreman or technical superintendent (37 percent) up from 32 percent last year. Company officers, executives, owners or partners also took part in Benchmark 2018: An Exclusive Survey Rock Products' Annual Survey on the Opinions, Concerns and Buying Intentions of Producers Reveals What Is on the Industry's Collective Mind. By Mark S. Kuhar Northeast, 20.73% Southeast, 30.49% Midwest, 34.15% Plains, 8.54% Northwest, 15.85% Southwest, 13.41% Nationally, 10.98% Canada, 18.29% Mexico, 10.98% Other, 3.66% 0 - 500,000 tpy, 40.24% 500,000 - 1.5 million tpy, 20.73% 1.5 - 2.5 million tpy, 10.98% More than 2.5 million tpy, 28.05% Yes, 80.49% No, 4.88% Unsure, 10.98% No Answer, 3.66% What is your company's annual production capacity? Do you have adequate reserves for future production? In which geographic region(s) do you operate?