A Return to Population Growth

One of the key drivers to growth in our economy is sheer population growth, which by its very nature spurs household formations. But so many other corners of our economy benefit from population growth other than just the housing market. These new entrants to our economy have to buy goods and services, put gas in their cars, pursue entertainment options,…

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All Arrows Are Pointing to a Stronger Economy in 2024

There has been a confluence of events and happenings in the past few weeks that, when taken together, portend a much healthier new year in 2024 than anyone could have imagined as recently as just this past fall. First, news about inflation has surprised everyone, as we witnessed a sharp decline in the rate of inflation in just the last…

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Afinitas’ Duncan succeeds County Materials-bound CEO Schmidgall

Afinitas CEO Brad Schmidgall will shift from concrete plant equipment and accessories to ready mixed and manufactured concrete production in January, taking the helm of County Materials Corp. As CEO of the Marathon, Wis.-based producer, he will oversee a portfolio spanning concrete pipe and precast operations that Afinitas has equipped under his tenure.  “Serving as the CEO of Afinitas and…

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Viola Ready Mix dedicates twin lane, 500 m3/hour workhorse

Source: CP staff Viola Ready Mix recently started production of the largest fixed concrete plant in Canada: A twin-lane operation whose two 5-cubic meter twin shaft mixers rapidly charge trucks in two cycles—central mixed or, in pass-through mode, transit mixed. The Markham, Ontario plant rounds out the producer’s Greater Toronto Market coverage, joining existing sites in North York and Brampton…

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AltusGroup: 35 million square feet of precast wall panels in 20 years

Sources: AltusGroup, Bethlehem, Pa.; CP staff Embracing “precast innovation powered by collaboration” has positioned carbon fiber reinforced element licensor AltusGroup and producer members to sustain momentum in developing advanced commercial building enclosure solutions. “In the two decades since our founding, we’ve seen a deepened focus on energy savings, carbon footprint mitigation and on-site labor reductions, all amid an enhanced desire…

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California producers’ carbon volley

Two years of major gestures surrounding greenhouse gas emissions in cement and concrete production or procurement solidify California’s reputation for incubating policy. In October 2021, the California State Senate passed SB 596, charting a regulatory course for Golden State cement producers to attain net-zero carbon operations by 2045. The California Nevada Cement Association concurrently published an SB 596 action plan,…

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Afinitas CEO Schmidgall to lead County Materials; Duncan named successor

Sources: Afinitas, St. Louis; CP staff Afinitas CEO Brad Schmidgall will shift from concrete plant equipment and accessories to ready mixed and manufactured concrete production early next year, taking the helm of County Materials Corp. As CEO of the Marathon, Wis.-based producer, he will oversee a portfolio spanning concrete pipe and precast operations that Afinitas has equipped under his tenure.  …

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Pole Power

Where engineering efficiency and cement optimization go, spun prestressed power transmission and distribution (T&D) poles have few rivals in concrete production: The centrifugal forces that low-slump mixes encounter in hollow cylindrical molds, bearing on horizontal racks and spinning at up to 300 rpm, drive inordinate cement particle hydration and packing. Robust bonding of reinforcing cage and prestressing strand steel to…

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Marcotte applies AI to optimize mix production, reduce material waste

Sources: Marcotte Systems, Montreal; CP staff Marcotte Systems bills MIntelligent Feed as the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered solution designed to optimize the concrete production process, reduce material waste, and improve overall mix quality. Users of the platform set three parameters—target deviation, maximum average jogs, maximum out-of-tolerance—based on their optimization objectives. An AI model developed with Sherbrook University and a Ph.D.…

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The New Home Market Is Driving Housing Demand

Last month, I focused on the general housing inventory issue, which has gone from serious to critical in many markets. I opined that we won’t see any relief from these inventory challenges until interest rates start to fall, but there is more that comes into play beyond interest rates that will steady the housing market; another factor is simply builder…

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