In this episode of Drilling Deeper, Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski team up for a deep dive into the nation’s No. 1 aggregate–producing state: Texas.

Their guest, Rich Szecsy, CEO of Big Town Concrete and chair of the Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association, offers an inside look at the unprecedented growth fueling demand for construction materials across the Lone Star State.

Szecsy explains how Texas’s surging population, robust infrastructure investment and business-friendly climate are creating incredible opportunities and unique challenges for producers. The conversation covers everything from sustainably meeting skyrocketing demand to navigating regulation, workforce development and technology adoption – including automation, AI and digitalization.

With firsthand insight from one of the industry’s most respected voices, this episode captures why Texas is setting the pace for aggregates and concrete production nationwide, and how producers can keep up in one of the fastest-growing construction markets in the world.

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Thank you to our show sponsor, Kemper Equipment.

EastRock Solutions is now part of the Kemper Group – and together, they’re raising the bar on parts availability, equipment solutions and turnkey plant design. From the pit to the stockpile, Kemper Group has got your operation covered.

To learn more, visit kemperequipment.com or call (610)-273-2066.

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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.

Steve Fuller, founder of the Steve Fuller Company, joins this episode of Drilling Deeper. Fuller’s company focuses on helping organizations continually improve their safety culture through coaching, advising, mentoring and training.

In this episode, Fuller zeroes in on safety within the aggregate industry. He draws from more than 20 years of experience in safety and operational leadership roles, and shares his approach to safety consulting. Fuller touches on the importance of building relationships, how to address high turnover and seasonality, and tailoring safety messages to the realities on job sites.

Additionally, Fuller provides insight into fatigue management, heat stress and the broader evolution of safety from a priority to a foundational value in aggregates and beyond. He offers practical advice for contractors, supervisors and company leaders on motivating teams, assessing safety culture and implementing core safety fundamentals to ensure everyone goes home safely every day.

If you want more from Fuller, check out his monthly safety column “Going Home Safely, Every Day” in Pit & Quarry and on pitandquarry.com.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you to our show sponsor, Kemper Equipment.

EastRock Solutions is now part of the Kemper Group – and together, they’re raising the bar on parts availability, equipment solutions and turnkey plant design. From the pit to the stockpile, Kemper Group has got your operation covered.

To learn more, visit kemperequipment.com or call (610)-273-2066.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

Eric Gaus, chief economist of Dodge Construction Network, joins the show to give an update on the economy and the construction industry midway through 2025, as well as a look ahead to the second half of the year.

Gaus offers insights into the economy as a whole, including the impact headwinds such as tariffs and interest rates have had, how the construction industry has fared through the first six months of the year and the current state of the industry workforce.

Also in this episode, Gaus breaks down the performance of the nonresidential, residential and nonbuilding subsectors. Additionally, he gives an update on funding from the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and if another infrastructure bill might be on the horizon.

Finally, Gaus offers contractors, developers and investors advice as they plan for the rest of 2025 and 2026.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you to our show sponsor, Kemper Equipment.

EastRock Solutions is now part of the Kemper Group – and together, they’re raising the bar on parts availability, equipment solutions and turnkey plant design. From the pit to the stockpile, Kemper Group has got your operation covered.

To learn more, visit kemperequipment.com or call (610)-273-2066.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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.