A high-energy ConExpo-Con/Agg is in the books. P&Q’s Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski sat down toward the very end of the five-day show to share their experiences and detail some of the trends that permeated throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center.

In addition, P&Q welcomed seven guests into its booth to capture their ConExpo-Con/Agg perspective and what stood out. This episode’s guests include:

• Matt Dibble, Dibble Equipment (10:33-13:44)

• Stephen Woodcock, Dibble Equipment (13:44-14:46)

• Randy Kunz, GeoLogic (14:46-17:19)

• Ryan Pintar, Major (17:19-20:41)

• Tomaso Veneroso, AMCAST (20:41-23:46)

• Mark Krause, McLanahan Corp. (23:46-28:11)

• Josh Swank, Philippi-Hagenbuch (28:11-35:28)

Additionally, the magazine’s editors preview what you can expect on Episode 63, which will be available toward the end of March.

For 108 years, Pit & Quarry magazine has been the premier monthly aggregate processing information source. Through multiple platforms, we deliver the very latest in equipment and technology news and information that is critical for safely achieving the highest level of efficiency and profitability. Editors Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski cover the market in print, online and through e-newsletters. As respected industry insiders, they moderate the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference and speak at industry conferences and meetings.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, follow us on YouTube to see full-length episodes of the podcast, watch our Road to Prosperity videos and see other clips from our travels and events.

On this episode of “Drilling Deeper,” P&Q managing editor Jack Kopanski sits down with Dominic Nasso and TJ Greene of Buffalo to talk about the company’s biggest ConExpo presence yet – and what that milestone says about where the brand is headed in 2026 and beyond.

Nasso explains how Buffalo’s record-setting booth in Central Hall (#C31458) captures the brand’s evolution from a wire specialist to an all-encompassing solutions provider. He also previews what visitors can expect when they “Follow the Buffalo” at the show, including live product demos and a look at the TechSquad Roadshow.

Greene walks through the debut of Bison DuraWeld, a new welded wire product line that complements Buffalo’s existing offerings and is designed to deliver added value to producers. The discussion explores how DuraWeld supports the company’s “Complete Solutions. One Buffalo.” philosophy, emphasizing fit-for-purpose recommendations, engineering support and longer-term collaboration with customers.

The conversation closes with a look at how Buffalo’s growing depth in offering – from wear parts to modular screening systems – is influencing how producers think about efficiency, reliability and support in the field. For ConExpo attendees, the episode also serves as a practical guide to what they’ll find when they “Follow the Buffalo” to Booth #C31458.

For 108 years, Pit & Quarry magazine has been the premier monthly aggregate processing information source. Through multiple platforms, we deliver the very latest in equipment and technology news and information that is critical for safely achieving the highest level of efficiency and profitability. Editors Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski cover the market in print, online and through e-newsletters. As respected industry insiders, they moderate the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference and speak at industry conferences and meetings.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, follow us on YouTube to see full-length episodes of the podcast, watch our Road to Prosperity videos and see other clips from our travels and events.

As the industry’s biggest trade show inches closer, Pit & Quarry’s Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski preview what’s coming to ConExpo-Con/Agg while offering an inside look at P&Q’s show lead-up – from virtual press conferences to the steady flow of equipment launches being shared with the magazine.

This episode’s centerpiece is an in-depth interview with ConExpo-Con/Agg show director Dana Wuesthoff, who joins the show to offer an exclusive preview of the March 3-7 Las Vegas event. Wuesthoff shares how the show is shaping, what’s new this year compared with 2023, and what’s already taking place behind the scenes at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Wuesthoff also dives into the technology trends she expects to emerge on the show floor and explains what continues to set ConExpo-Con/Agg apart – and not just within construction and aggregates, but across the global trade show landscape.

Following the interview, Yanik and Kopanski discuss other upcoming show highlights – including a planned Guinness World Record attempt on opening day and what P&Q will be up to across the five-day festivities.

There’s so much more to find in this episode. You won’t want to miss it!

For 108 years, Pit & Quarry magazine has been the premier monthly aggregate processing information source. Through multiple platforms, we deliver the very latest in equipment and technology news and information that is critical for safely achieving the highest level of efficiency and profitability. Editors Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski cover the market in print, online and through e-newsletters. As respected industry insiders, they moderate the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference and speak at industry conferences and meetings.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, follow us on YouTube to see full-length episodes of the podcast, watch our Road to Prosperity videos and see other clips from our travels and events.

On this episode of “Drilling Deeper,” P&Q managing editor Jack Kopanski sits down with Christian Kurasek, CFO of Pronto.ai, to discuss the company’s partnership with Heidelberg Materials and the producer’s recent milestone of 2 million tons hauled autonomously at a Texas quarry.

Pronto and Heidelberg began their partnership in 2023 when Heidelberg began using Pronto’s autonomous haulage system (AHS) at its Bridgeport Quarry in Bridgeport, Texas. Then, in 2024, the producer deployed the AHS at its Lake Bridgeport Quarry in the same city. In early 2025, Heidelberg announced it was automating more than 100 trucks across its sites worldwide. Finally, at the start of this year, Heidelberg shared that in less than eight months, it had hauled 2 million tons autonomously at its Lake Bridgeport Quarry.

In this interview, Kurasek discusses how Heidelberg came to partner with Pronto, what the collaboration has been like to this point and what this milestone means for the greater aggregates industry and future autonomous solutions. Additionally, Kurasek provides insights into the tech behind Pronto’s AHS, saying the company took a ground-up approach rather than attempting to scale down larger tech, and prioritized being “OEM agnostic” to fit into a wider variety of fleets.

Kurasek goes on to talk about the future of autonomy in aggregates, touching on common misconceptions that remain about the technology, the barriers for small- to mid-size producers in utilizing the technology and what other pieces of equipment could be made autonomous moving forward.

There’s so much more to find in this episode. You won’t want to miss it!

For 108 years, Pit & Quarry magazine has been the premier monthly aggregate processing information source. Through multiple platforms, we deliver the very latest in equipment and technology news and information that is critical for safely achieving the highest level of efficiency and profitability. Editors Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski cover the market in print, online and through e-newsletters. As respected industry insiders, they moderate the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference and speak at industry conferences and meetings.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, follow us on YouTube to see full-length episodes of the podcast, watch our Road to Prosperity videos and see other clips from our travels and events.

In the very first Drilling Deeper episode of 2026, Pit & Quarry editorial director Kevin Yanik and managing editor Jack Kopanski lay out 10 trends they’ll be watching closely in aggregates throughout 2026. Among the topics explored this episode are:

• Autonomy. How it moves from pilot programs to commercial-ready systems

• AI and connectivity. How AI, automation and telematics further take hold

• Mergers and acquisitions. Who’s poised to buy this year, and what’s ahead for producer and manufacturer dealmaking

• Construction’s key markets. What infrastructure, housing and data centers mean for demand

• Safety and MSHA. What a higher fatality count in 2025 could signal for enforcement and prevention this year

• Aggregate pricing and volumes. Whether pricing gains continue if volumes wobble

• Mega-dealer growth. The ongoing push toward larger dealer footprints, with expanding territories and consolidation changing how equipment is sold and supported

• Used equipment and rental. Why the secondary market becomes a shock absorber in uncertain conditions

• Sustainability and electrification. What’s real, what’s marketing and what changes may be ahead

• Workforce. How labor challenges evolve, and what it means for training, retention and safety

Recorded Jan. 8 and released Jan. 13, the episode sets the agenda for the year ahead and tees up deeper conversations to come.

For 108 years, Pit & Quarry magazine has been the premier monthly aggregate processing information source. Through multiple platforms, we deliver the very latest in equipment and technology news and information that is critical for safely achieving the highest level of efficiency and profitability. Editors Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski cover the market in print, online and through e-newsletters. As respected industry insiders, they moderate the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference and speak at industry conferences and meetings.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, follow us on YouTube to see full-length episodes of the podcast, watch our Road to Prosperity videos and see other clips from our travels and events.

As 2025 comes to a close, Drilling Deeper wraps up the year with one final episode that reflects on what shaped the aggregate industry over the past 12 months – and what’s already building momentum for 2026.

Editorial director Kevin Yanik and managing editor Jack Kopanski open the show with year-end banter before diving into Pit & Quarry’s 16 most-read stories of 2025. From major equipment launches and autonomous equipment advancements to mergers and acquisitions, this episode revisits the headlines and trends that captured the industry’s attention and defined the year.

Kevin and Jack also recap a busy fourth quarter that included a pair of state association meetings. The episode features insights from Matt Konjevich of Melvin Stone and Elliott Archibald of LJ Inc. and Supreme Manufacturing, who both share perspectives on market conditions, data center-driven demand and expectations for 2026.

The episode closes with a look ahead to the year to come – including major industry events such as ConExpo-Con/Agg and a packed first-quarter travel schedule. Kevin and Jack also outline what listeners can expect from Drilling Deeper in the new year.

For 108 years, Pit & Quarry magazine has been the premier monthly aggregate processing information source. Through multiple platforms, we deliver the very latest in equipment and technology news and information that is critical for safely achieving the highest level of efficiency and profitability. Editors Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski cover the market in print, online and through e-newsletters. As respected industry insiders, they moderate the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference and speak at industry conferences and meetings.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, follow us on YouTube to see full-length episodes of the podcast, watch our Road to Prosperity videos and see other clips from our travels and events.

On this episode of Drilling Deeper, P&Q managing editor Jack Kopanski sits down with Daniel Friedman, vice president of marketing at Eagle Crusher, to look at how “small” innovations are quietly reshaping the crushing and screening industry. Friedman explains why core crushing principles haven’t radically changed, yet refinements in metallurgy, manufacturing and wear parts are delivering meaningful gains in production, uptime and total cost of ownership.

The conversation explores the industry’s gradual move from purely preventive to increasingly predictive maintenance, including how sensors, telematics and smarter algorithms help operators spot vibration and throughput issues before they become failures. Friedman also unpacks the pros and cons of consolidation among producers, manufacturers and emerging “mega dealers,” from better parts access to the loss of long-standing local relationships.

Finally, Friedman highlights Eagle Crusher’s latest update to its Ultramax 1400-OC plant and the launch of the new Talon tracked line, which includes lighter open-rotor impactors, dual-power track plants and tracked stackers designed to meet changing job site needs while preserving the company’s manufacturing roots. He closes by previewing what attendees can expect to see from Eagle Crusher at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2026 in Las Vegas.

You won’t want to miss this episode. Listen now!

For 108 years, Pit & Quarry magazine has been the premier monthly aggregate processing information source. Through multiple platforms, we deliver the very latest in equipment and technology news and information that is critical for safely achieving the highest level of efficiency and profitability. Editors Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski cover the market in print, online and through e-newsletters. As respected industry insiders, they moderate the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference and speak at industry conferences and meetings.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, follow us on YouTube to see full-length episodes of the podcast, watch our Road to Prosperity videos and see other clips from our travels and events.

Episode 55 of Drilling Deeper celebrates the arrival of the reimagined Pit & Quarry University – an expansive learning resource designed to guide newcomers and seasoned professionals alike through the fundamentals of stone, sand and gravel production.

The new Pit & Quarry University is now available at pitandquarry.com/pqu, marking the first full update to the classic Pit & Quarry Handbook since 2014. With workforce development and training more critical than ever in aggregates, the 2025 edition arrives at a pivotal moment for aggregate producers.

P&Q editorial director Kevin Yanik shares some history behind the legacy handbook in this episode, offering a behind-the-scenes view into how the 2025 edition ultimately came together. And to bring Pit & Quarry University content to life more fully, the show is joined by a special guest: Anthony Konya, CEO of Intercontinental Development, Konya Mining Company and DetX.

Konya, a globally recognized explosives engineer and mining leader, lends his deep experience across surface and underground operations to help unpack some of the most critical concepts in drilling and blasting. Konya tackles the “first transformative act” in quarrying, explaining why a blast sets the tone for everything that follows downstream. He explains how a well-designed shot can elevate production and equipment life, breaking down common fragmentation misconceptions while detailing how digital modeling, drones and modern QA/QC practices are reshaping evaluation and execution in the field.

Additionally, Konya shares lessons learned from real-world blasting challenges and offers advice for the next generation of drillers and blasters entering the industry.

Whether you're an experienced operator or new to aggregates, this episode – and the debut of the new Pit & Quarry University – offers a timely, in-depth guide to doing quarrying work safer, smarter and more efficiently than ever.

For 108 years, Pit & Quarry magazine has been the premier monthly aggregate processing information source. Through multiple platforms, we deliver the very latest in equipment and technology news and information that is critical for safely achieving the highest level of efficiency and profitability. Editors Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski cover the market in print, online and through e-newsletters. As respected industry insiders, they moderate the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference and speak at industry conferences and meetings.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, follow us on YouTube to see full-length episodes of the podcast, watch our Road to Prosperity videos and see other clips from our travels and events.