The conversation here, which took place April 1, was edited for brevity and clarity.

P&Q: How would you describe where NSSGA is today? With Michele Stanley as the new president and CEO of the organization, what’s top of mind for NSSGA?

Bender: We’re so glad to have Michele as our new president and CEO. As some critical legislation comes up like the new highway bill, she would say advocacy is at the forefront of everything we do in Washington – both before Congress and the administration.

Michele’s put together a solid, passionate staff. She just brought on Mira Lezell as senior vice president for government and regulatory affairs. Mira was a great hire, coming directly from the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) subcommittee on highways. We have a team that knows the ins and outs of policy and where to go in Washington to get things done.

P&Q: How do you describe Michele’s leadership style? What does she bring to the association?

Bender: Nobody works harder than her. She wants to hear from members, and she wants what we do to be member driven. We rely quite a bit on our members to steer our policy and staff to get their individual priorities done at the policy level.

P&Q: What does the future hold for IIJA and a potential new highway bill?

Bender: At ConExpo-Con/Agg, we had the opportunity to hear from House Transportation & Infrastructure chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri), who announced he is going to retire at the end of his term, as well as ranking member Rick Larsen (D-Washington). They both gave their insights on the bill.

The government shutdown in October and November didn’t help. It was the longest shutdown in government history. That initially pushed the timeframe for bill text from the fourth quarter of last year into this spring.

I would expect to see a highway bill [introduced] in late April or early May. The IIJA expires on Sept. 30, so it’s critical that Congress gets moving if we want to see a bill this year. That’s obviously what we’re pushing for.

P&Q: What did IIJA do right in terms of its construction, and what can we learn from it to do more for the core aggregates industry with the next highway bill?

Bender: We want to see an increase in the amount of highway funding, adjusting for inflation that’s eaten up a lot of the construction costs funded by IIJA over the last five years. IIJA funded highway programs at $350 billion.

IIJA was a five-year bill, which provided multiyear certainty for the industry. We’d like to see another multiyear bill this time. The other option – and they did this prior to IIJA as well – is a one-year extension to allow Congress to get its ducks in a row to pass a multiyear bill.

Lastly, IIJA put an emphasis on formula funds, but there were a bunch of discretionary grant programs layered on top. We’d like to see an even greater emphasis on formula funds in a new bill so money can be delivered directly to the states, and it gets out the door faster.

P&Q: Where does infrastructure currently rank as a priority for this Congress and administration? What role are international and domestic factors playing in where infrastructure ranks?

Bender: There’s a lot on the docket for this administration. I’d like to see the president and the administration be a little more vocal about an infrastructure bill. The last two highway bills – IIJA in 2021 and the FAST Act in 2015 – were signed under Joe Biden and Barack Obama, respectively. So President Trump hasn’t had his signature on a major infrastructure bill yet.

P&Q: What impact are upcoming elections having on the push, or lack thereof, for a new highway bill?

Bender: For IIJA in 2021, only 13 House Republicans voted for it. Right now, there are four of those Republicans left in Congress. There’s been a big advocacy push on our part to get members on both sides of the aisle who either weren’t in Congress in 2021 – or didn’t vote in favor of the last highway bill – on board this go-around.

In general, I would say about 80 percent of Congress is made up of people who want to get good policies across the finish line. Transportation and Infrastructure is a bipartisan issue – and a bipartisan committee – and I think members are working pretty well across the aisle. Chairman Graves and ranking member Larsen work well together at the committee level, so hopefully politics won’t get in the way ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.

With every legislative day that gets cross off, especially as the November election nears, it gets harder to pass big bipartisan bills.

P&Q: How does NSSGA approach new members entering Congress? Is it a challenge? An opportunity? Both?

Bender: We’re always looking for new members of Congress who want to get good policy done and want to support the infrastructure in the local economy in their district.

One thing we do constantly is interact with individuals who are running for Congress – ones we might see in Washington soon – so we can get not only get to know them and what they’re about, but so they can get to know us, our industry and why we have such a strong voice in Washington.

We’re really trying to build those relationships, which are key to getting things done once they get up here.

P&Q: What is your outlook for the upcoming elections?

Bender: Currently in the House, Democrats only need to pick up three seats to control the majority, and there are roughly 25 to 30 competitive seats. Historically, headwinds suggest that the party of a new president doesn’t do well in the midterm following the election. We’ll see if those trends prevail this year. If they do, that will mean a Democratic House.

In the Senate, I think it’s going to be a little tougher for the Democrats. When you look at some of the races this cycle, the math is more difficult for Democrats who are looking to regain the majority.

P&Q: While infrastructure is a key focus at NSSGA, what are some other issues the association is focused on this year?

Bender: Given the margins in Congress right now, heading into a November election, it will be a slog for Congress in terms of getting legislative wins across the finish line. We’re looking at the 2026 Water Resources Development Act. That’s a two-year bill that authorizes water infrastructure projects through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Permitting reform is another focus. We want to be able to get projects done faster and more cost-efficiently.

Workforce development is another. We’d like to see Congress reauthorize the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act.

Government funding is also a focus. It seems to be a fight every single cycle. We want the key agencies that regulate our industry to operate at full capacity.

Related: Pit & Quarry Roundtable addresses policy, safety and markets

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Revenue in the segment increased 5 percent to $276.3 million. Arcosa says 5 percent growth in aggregates and a 26 percent increase in shoring products fueled the segment. The company says asphalt revenue was lower due to colder temperatures in the Northeast.

In aggregates, freight-adjusted revenue increased 6 percent. Growth in volumes (up 4 percent) and freight-adjusted average sales price (up 2 percent) contributed.

Additionally, Arcosa says its aggregate adjusted cash gross profit margin expanded 220 basis points to 43.3 percent. Adjusted cash gross profit per ton increased 7 percent.

In the construction products segment, adjusted EBITDA decreased 2 percent to $55.7 million.

“Construction products performed in line with expectations despite a slow start to the year driven by cold weather challenges, with performance improving as the quarter progressed,” says Antonio Carrillo, president and CEO of Arcosa. “Despite seasonal headwinds, aggregates volumes improved 4 percent and unit profitability increased 7 percent, outpacing 2 percent pricing growth.”

In early April, Arcosa completed the sale of its inland barge business, Arcosa Marine Products, to Wynnchurch Capital for $450 million.

“We took a pivotal step to further simplify our portfolio by divesting our barge business and allocating a portion of the proceeds to pay down debt, underscoring our commitment to balance sheet strength and financial flexibility,” Carrillo says. “Now with two growth segments, we are fully focused on construction products and engineered structures – both well aligned to benefit from infrastructure investment and power market tailwinds in the U.S.”

Related: How Vulcan, Martin Marietta and others fared in the first quarter

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CDE introduced ModaLine as part of a new series of containerized sand-washing solutions designed for plug-and-play operation.

According to CDE, ModaLine can help materials processors get their operations up and running faster thanks to a design that reduces on-site build time.

“We’re taking plug-and-play to the next level,” says Kevin Vallelly, chief engineer at CDE. “This is a site-ready solution unlike anything that has come before it. We’ve packed 35 years of CDE engineering excellence into a fast-deploying unit that is simple for dealers to sell and for customers to operate.”

Featuring CDE’s dual-pass cyclone with an integrated Infinity dewatering screen, sand blending chute, high-capacity sump, single-point connection for process water, an on-board control panel and the flexibility to add stockpile conveyors, ModaLine includes a range of CDE’s sand-washing technologies.

ModaLine is constructed within a steel frame designed to ISO container dimensions for easy shipping and installation, CDE says. The first models in the line offer feed capacities of up to 250 and 450 metric tph.

“We’ve removed the complexity involved in the commissioning of the typical wash plant,” says Julian Fegan, head of partnerships at CDE. “ModaLine is pre-wired, pre-tested and pre-assembled with fixed spec, so by the time it rolls onto site, the hard work is done.

For our dealers, that means fewer variables allowing for rapid, low-risk commissioning, and for materials producers it means your solution is on-site faster than before and running material sooner rather than later with the same high degree of efficiency expected of any CDE plant,” Fegan adds.

Related: CDE names Greenfield sales VP for North America

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Another successful ConExpo-Con/Agg is in the books, having reportedly attracted more than 140,000 people to Las Vegas. The 2026 Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference is also a wrap, having drawn industry leaders to South Florida for education and networking.

In-depth coverage from both events is available at pitandquarry.com, with our ConExpo-Con/Agg focus on equipment and technology developments. Producers were at ConExpo-Con/Agg in force, ready to buy and explore ways to make their operations more efficient.

Those who exhibited at the show say the right people attended. The tire kickers representative of past ConExpos weren’t as prevalent. Booth dialogue was serious, with producers ready to engage manufacturers on their real-world problems.

Additionally, the energy at the show was high. Nearly every showgoer we engaged said as much. The vibe set an ideal tone for the months ahead, with producers exuding confidence in the face of broader economic concerns and geopolitical uncertainty.

Midway through ConExpo-Con/Agg, Eagle Crusher’s Daniel Friedman sat down with us to convey his show impressions. His sentiments, which are part of the P&Q show coverage available at pitandquarry.com/conexpo, offer a good illustration of the ConExpo-Con/Agg scene.

“Normally, I kind of look at the show as something that pays off a year later,” says Friedman, vice president of marketing at Eagle Crusher. “You have great conversations, people say they’re going to move forward and then a couple months later a PO gets signed – and that’s a win.

“We’ll probably still see some of that,” he adds, “but we’re seeing actual purchases right here at the show.”

P&Q Roundtable takeaways

Additionally, content from the 2026 Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference is now online.

The energy felt March 3-7 at ConExpo-Con/Agg carried over to the March 31-April 1 Roundtable, which was originally scheduled for January but postponed due to Winter Storm Fern. The rescheduled Roundtable provided a platform to further capture the industry mood of the day given the new tension in the Middle East.

Industry stakeholders largely seem undeterred by the activity there. And while the cost of diesel was a Roundtable topic, several shared their belief that elevated pricing should be a shorter-term measure and not one that has a long-lasting impact on their businesses.

Of course, those beliefs were hedged with the notion that the events in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz bear watching. But the overall outlook remains optimistic as spring production ramps up nationwide.

Related: Resilience drives growth as industry leaders look to 2026

<p>The post Full speed ahead: Producers show confidence despite uncertainty first appeared on Pit & Quarry.</p>

USLM says decreased demand from customers in construction, oil and gas services, and roof shingles contributed to the decline. The company indicates that demand from steel customers was better than those other segments.

Additionally, USLM says it caught up on most of the weather-related shipping interruptions that resulted from a January winter storm.

USLM’s first-quarter gross profit decreased 9.5 percent to $41.8 million. Higher fuel and transportation costs were a factor. Net income was also down 10.4 percent in the quarter.

“Although we experienced our first revenue decrease against the comparable prior-year quarter since the COVID pandemic began in 2020, we remain optimistic about the balance of the year, including as it pertains to demand from our construction customers,” says Timothy Byrne, president and CEO of USLM.

Additionally, Byrne says USLM is pleased with the progress of the new kiln project at its Texas facility. The company anticipates it will start up this summer.

Related: How other construction materials firms fared in the first quarter

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Granite reported gains throughout its materials segment in the first quarter, with revenue, gross profit and cash gross profit all up.

Materials segment revenue increased 72.4 percent to $146.4 million, and cash gross profit hit $25.8 million – an increase of 146.3 percent. Gross profit in the segment soared 586.2 percent.

According to Granite, these gains were driven by revenue deriving from the company’s acquisitions of Warren Paving, Papich Construction and Cinderlite.

Granite also reported a number of companywide gains in the quarter. Adjusted net income reached $12 million, compared to $200,000 in the first quarter of 2025. Revenue was up 30 percent to $912 million, gross profit was up 31 percent to $110 million and adjusted EBITDA was up 106 percent to $58 million.

The company reported a net loss of $42 million, compared to a net loss of $34 million in last year’s first quarter.

“Building on our momentum from the fourth quarter, we are off to a strong start across both our construction and materials segments,” says Kyle Larkin, president and CEO of Granite. “Our materials segment is also performing well. Demand for both aggregates and asphalt has been strong, resulting in volume growth and pricing increases that have met our expectations year to date.

“In addition, we recently announced the acquisition of Kenny Seng Construction in Utah, which continues our strategy of strengthening and expanding our home markets by adding high-quality businesses to our portfolio,” Larkin adds. “We continue to actively evaluate and pursue M&A opportunities and expect to complete several acquisitions this year.”

The company’s materials segment performance in the first quarter led the company to increase its fiscal-year 2026 guidance.

“Given our first-quarter performance and recent project awards, including tactical infrastructure for the U.S. Customs & Border Protection, as well as the acquisition of Kenny Seng Construction, we are increasing our fiscal year 2026 guidance,” Larkin says. “We expect 2026 to be a year of meaningful growth, and believe Granite is positioned for continued growth in 2027.”

Related: CRH revenue jumps in Americas Materials business

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CRH says favorable underlying demand and contributions from acquisitions drove the revenue gain. Aggregate pricing, however, slipped 1 percent.

Companywide, CRH’s total revenue increased 9 percent to $7.4 billion. Adjusted EBITDA rose 18 percent to $600 million.

“We delivered a strong start to 2026, reflecting good momentum from early-season project activity, disciplined commercial execution and positive contributions from acquisitions,” says Jim Mintern, CEO of CRH. “During the quarter, we continued our active portfolio management, reallocating capital into higher-growth, more connected businesses.”

CRH says the outlook for the overall business remains positive.

“Notwithstanding the current geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, we are encouraged by the continued strength of underlying demand across our key markets,” Mintern says.

Also in the first quarter, CRH completed five acquisitions for a total of $100 million. The company completed three in April for another $100 million.

Additionally, CRH came to an agreement to acquire Axius Water, a provider of specialized water quality solutions in North America. The deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter, is valued at $700 million.

Related: How other aggregate producers fared in the first quarter

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Amrize, which released its latest earnings report Thursday, reported several gains in the first quarter – including revenue, aggregate tons sold and aggregate pricing.

Companywide revenue reached $2.17 billion, up 4.7 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025. Revenue within Amrize’s building materials business rose 12.9 percent to $1.5 billion, and the segment’s adjusted EBITDA jumped 41.7 percent to $170 million.

Adjusted EBITDA across the whole company was down 10.3 percent in the first quarter to $192 million.

Amrize also reported a 14.1 percent increase in aggregate tons sold (15.6 million tons) and a 2.5 percent gain in freight-adjusted aggregate price per ton ($15.52).

Jan Jenisch, Amrize president and CEO, says the company made progress through its key organic growth investments, kicking off new projects to expand production and improve efficiency. He says that while the first quarter is a seasonally small one for Amrize, the company is encouraged by its progress and the acceleration of customer demand in the building materials business.

“With growing new project starts and multiyear supply agreements for mega-projects, we achieved double-digit volume growth in cement and aggregates,” Jenisch says. “We also significantly expanded building materials margins with continued aggregates pricing, operational efficiency and ASPIRE savings.

“We completed the acquisition of PB Materials, the aggregates leader in high-growth West Texas, which started to positively contribute to our results in the first quarter,” he adds. “With aggregates and U.S. cement price increases put in place in April and strong volumes continuing, our building materials business is well-positioned for 2026.”

Related: Martin Marietta posts strong Q1 shipment, revenue gains

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ACA presented the forecast Wednesday at the IEEE-IAS/ACA Cement Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In its fall forecast shared last November, ACA’s market analysts determined the economy was on an increasingly tenuous footing but there was no clear stimulus for the U.S. to enter a recession.

With the added, unexpected start of the U.S.-Iran war in February, ACA forecasters made a slight downward revision in their numbers.

Despite this, the association says the baseline forecast still does not expect the conflict to push the economy into a recession.

“A black swan event has come in the form of the conflict with Iran, and it’s clear the longer hostilities in the Middle East continue, the weaker the cement forecast becomes,” says Brian Schmidt, senior director of economic policy and analytics at ACA.

Additionally, ACA says the war has produced a restive bond market, which has pushed up borrowing costs. Also, the prevailing mortgage rate is roughly equivalent to what it was before the Fed began cutting rates last September.

ACA says all of this implies another weak year for private construction. Yet, the association’s expectations for the trajectory of cement consumption remain broadly unchanged for 2026. Forecasters predict consumption will turn positive in 2027, although growth will remain subdued due to residual effects from 2026.

Related: Regional market dynamics reveal a varied landscape

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