The Fortaleza Materiales Group has created a new parent company, Keystone Cement Holding Inc., over three namesake Cement, Aggregates (formerly Kapco) and Resource Recovery divisions. The move follows Fortaleza Materiales’ early-April sale of its main U.S. asset, South Carolina-based Giant Cement Holding Inc. (GCHI), to Heidelberg Materials North America. Bath, Pa.-based Keystone Cement will continue operating with an experienced team,…
Read MoreDay: May 9, 2025
National Minerals ushers EP into North American ash market
EP Power Minerals of Germany, a global player in cementitious materials, closed a platform-level deal for its North American business, acquiring Hastings, Minn.-based National Minerals Corp. The mid-April transaction brings EP Minerals America Inc. one Minnesota, one Wisconsin and five Iowa fly ash processing facilities, plus two Iowa and three Minnesota distribution terminals. “The combination will strengthen our company and…
Read MoreSullivan keeps cement, construction focus after PCA exit
Former Portland Cement Association Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Market Intelligence Ed Sullivan remains a principal information source for cement, concrete and construction stakeholders through “The Sullivan Report.” The Substack portal offering (sullivansreport.substack.com) launched last month with installments on U.S. cement consumption trends, Federal Reserve policy, and the impact of tariffs on cement imports: CEMENT SHIPMENTSConstruction market and…
Read MoreTransportation groups cheer as DOT walks back GHG reporting
Consistent with a White House order to scrutinize pre-2025 agency measures, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy moved in late April to repeal a 2023 Federal Highway Administration rule known as National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Performance of the National Highway System, Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Set for official repeal this month, the rule required state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning…
Read MoreThe Smart Fleet Advantage: Cutting Costs and Carbon with Better Fuel Choices
We all know that the concrete industry is undergoing significant transformation to reduce its carbon footprint. Focusing on blending portland cement with supplementary cementitious materials, moving to PLC Type IL, and now even to LC3 are big wins for carbon reduction. While these cement innovations are critical, in this article, I want to cover how logistics and transport (what we…
Read MoreAccounts Receivable to Cash with Fraud Protection
How using mobile apps for authentication helps suppliers prevent fraud while getting paid quicker. Customers, fraud, and regulation, oh my! Who knew getting paid what you’re owed could be so complicated? Below are a few reasons why. At an industry internal rate of return of around 8.5 percent, losing your investment power to nonpaying customers and fraudsters is a hidden…
Read More3D Printing is Advancing
My inclination was to write an additional commentary on the topic I covered last month: uncertainty. The fact is that all of us are probably punch drunk watching the business news broadcasts and reading about the disruption across Washington, D.C. in the business and popular consumer press. Enough already. There is nothing we can do about the current air of…
Read MoreC&D World; CDRA Convention Feature Record Attendance
The Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) announced that C&D World 2025, held March 11-14 in Dallas, reached a new milestone with more than 500 attendees and nearly 55 exhibitors. The event brought together top executives and attendees from across the globe to share knowledge and identify solutions for challenges faced by construction and demolition (C&D) recyclers. “We were thrilled…
Read MoreCarbon accounting catches up with mass timber stakeholders
Corgan, a Dallas-based architect with 16 U.S. and three overseas offices, is shedding light on the least scrutinized area of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions accounting in structural material extraction and processing. A team from the firm’s Echo sustainability practice and Hugo research group released a white paper, “Understanding Real CO2e Emissions in Mass Timber Production,” in conjunction with last…
Read MoreRebranding frees cement producers of Portland constraints
Sources: American Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff The 2025 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference provided a backdrop for the Portland Cement Association to unveil a new identity: American Cement Association. “The name ‘Portland Cement Association’ no longer accurately reflects the modern mindset of today’s manufacturers, or the materials they produce,” ACA CEO Mike Ireland told participants in the Birmingham, Ala. gathering. “The…
Read More