but for a truly authentic dose of the unusual you’ll want to visit some of the province’s smaller towns Dotted around the province like sprinkles on a Tim Hortons’ donut these small communities each channel a little eccentricity into their one‑of‑a‑kind museums and off‑beat festivals From a Star Trek‑themed prairie town to villages that have built their tourism industries around native rodents these destinations prove that taking the occasional detour can pay off Sci-fi fans approaching the town of Vulcan on Highway 23 are greeted by a large fiberglass replica of the starship USS Enterprise Located at the front of the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station this unique visitor center doubles as a Star Trek mini‑museum complete with costumes to try‑on and even souvenir starship boarding passes to take home with you check the gift shop for a can or two of Vulcan Ale a tasty red IPA licensed by the Star Trek franchise Established in 1913 and named after the Roman god of fire long before Captain Kirk and his sidekick a post office that sells commemorative United Federation of Planets’ stamps and annual Spock Days events in June that offers cosplay parades and other Star Trek-themed shenanigans diehard fans and casual observers alike are guaranteed to enjoy a visit to Spock the Torrington Hotel offers budget rooms and food and beverage options (it’s especially fun on karaoke nights) Mundare is situated less than an hour east of Edmonton and makes for a fun day trip from Alberta’s capital city This small town’s skyline is dominated by a nearly 13‑meter (42 ft) Ukrainian sausage statue (yes this giant kielbasa was erected in 2001 in honor of Stawnichy’s Meat Processing a family‑run business that still smokes more than 25,000 links daily then cross the street to Stawnichy’s deli for a kielbasa‑and‑borsch lunch plate You can learn more about this quirky community and its Ukrainian roots at the Basilian Fathers Museum, home to a collection of 16th‑century religious books and artefacts including intricate embroidery brought by early settlers from Ukraine A great time to visit is during the Mundare Agri‑Days celebration in mid-August Highlights include a Friday‑night sausage‑sizzle (naturally!) and plenty of opportunities to mingle with locals In addition to seeing these monsters up close the event features kids’ gourd carving fun at Pumpkin Park as well as fairground attractions and games Pumpkin Park also sits on the 300‑kilometer (186-mile) Iron Horse Trail an all‑season rail‑trail route popular with ATVers parts of which date to 1922 and feature a Ukrainian‑Canadian restaurant known for its hand‑rolled cabbage rolls The town has made a name for itself among collectors and shoppers with the four‑block Nanton Antique District being a big draw The district is also home to the iconic century‑old Candy Store with its wall of retro sweets and classic old toys Many visitors are surprised to learn that Alberta has a strong cowboy culture and Nanton does its part in preserving this old way of life at the Nanton Pro Rodeo this must-see event brings professional Canadian cowboys to the Ag Grounds for barrel racing and other sill-testing activities Situated very close to the provincial border with British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies Beaverlodge takes its quirky name from the country’s national animal This fact is celebrated by its oversized mascot Sculpted in 2004 using a mix of foam blocks the town’s #1 roadside attraction marks the location of the Beaverlodge Art & Culture Centre a great place to check out the work of local artists and craft-makers Alberta’s smallest towns make much of their quirky side taking advantage of their unusual names and sometimes strange local lore to create unique experiences travelers will never find in big‑city destinations From Torrington’s fixation on squirrels and gophers to Smoky Lake’s massive pumpkins crowd‑weary road‑trippers would do well to “seize the daytrip” and include these quirky-yet-perfect small towns in their Alberta travel plans photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com Vulcan Materials Co. reported a series of financial gains in the first quarter despite a 1 percent decrease in aggregate shipments The gross profit in Vulcan’s aggregate segment increased 18 percent to $357 million and gross profit margin expanded 320 basis points to 26.7 percent cash gross profit per ton increased 20 percent to $10.63 per ton This resulted from geographically widespread pricing growth and improving operational efficiencies Although aggregate shipments dropped 1 percent in the quarter versus the prior-year period Vulcan says shipments from acquisitions partially offset one less shipping day in the quarter and challenging weather – particularly in February Aggregate price increases that Vulcan implemented at the beginning of 2025 produced another quarter of attractive growth Vulcan says freight-adjusted selling prices increased 7 percent versus the prior year Freight-adjusted unit cash cost of sales decreased 3 percent due to continued operational cost discipline and moderating inflationary pressures “The combination of our aggregates-led business and our consistent focus on our ‘Vulcan Way of Selling’ and ‘Vulcan Way of Operating’ disciplines resulted in strong earnings growth and margin expansion in the first quarter,” says Tom Hill and adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 420 basis points over the prior year.  “Aggregates cash gross profit per ton improved 20 percent with widespread improvements across our footprint,” Hill adds “Our commercial and operational execution support our full-year outlook to deliver another year of earnings growth in 2025.” Hill says Vulcan continues to monitor factors such as trade policy and the trajectory of interest rates we are focused on the things we can control,” Hill says “Our continued execution of our strategic disciplines has and will continue to lead to attractive cash generation and value creation for our shareholders regardless of external headwinds.” Related: How Martin Marietta fared in the first quarter of 2025 Vulcan Materials delivers ‘strong’ first-quarter performance USGS: Aggregate production down 6 percent in 2024 Martin Marietta ‘off to a strong start’ to 2025 Astec to acquire TerraSource in $245M deal Pit & Quarry is the leading aggregates industry magazine and the equipment and technology media source for the crushed stone Reader question: What is the status of the trail that was supposed to be built between Lutz and Vulcan Heritage parks in Appleton It was rumored to be in the works when I moved to the area in 2007 The trail, as envisioned, would connect the two parks along the north shore of the Fox River adjacent to the railroad Appleton Parks and Recreation Director Dean Gazza said the city first sought to build the trail as a boardwalk extending from the shoreline but the railroad wouldn't grant the necessary easement but unfortunately we only can get so far before we hit the railroad property," Gazza said adding that the city offered to erect a fence to separate the boardwalk from the railroad Appleton then sought to build the trail as a boardwalk on piers in the water but the DNR wouldn't grant the necessary permit Though the piers would be relatively small Gazza said the DNR viewed them as altering water flow "It would be such a nice amenity for the community but it isn't the city that is holding it up It's the regulatory agencies that have rules in place that Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions Appleton had secured a DNR waterways permit in 2010 to construct the trail City budgetary constraints slowed the project Gazza said a DNR representative had warned the city to proceed promptly with construction to avoid that exact scenario "It's too bad it didn't happen because we wouldn't be talking about it," Gazza said Appleton borrowed $750,000 for the trail as early as 2008 When troubles arose securing the DNR permit the money was reallocated to other projects A review of Appleton's annual budgets shows the estimated cost of the trail design and construction grew to $950,000 in 2011 and then to $2.9 million in 2024 The 2025 budget earmarks $125,000 for design Without changes by the railroad or DNR or additional property acquisitions by the city that seems to be little more than a placeholder Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176 Aggregates-Led Business Delivers Strong Earnings and Margin Expansion Pricing Gains and Unit Profitability Improvement in Each Segment First Quarter Results Reinforce Full-Year Outlook BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates today announced results for the quarter ended March 31 $       1,635 $       1,546 $       7,507 $       7,679 $          365 $          305 $       2,060 $       1,951 $          138 $          130 $          540 $          555 $          129 $          103 $          938 $          915 $          411 $          323 $       2,145 $       1,997 Earnings attributable to Vulcan from      continuing operations per diluted share $         0.98 $         0.78 $         7.11 $         6.92 Adjusted earnings attributable to Vulcan from      continuing operations per diluted share $         1.00 $         0.80 $         7.73 $         6.85 $       22.03 $       20.59 $       21.39 $       19.42 $         7.48 $         6.30 $         8.52 $         7.52 $       10.63 $         8.86 $       10.99 $         9.66 Vulcan Materials' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer "The combination of our aggregates-led business and our consistent focus on our Vulcan Way of Selling and Vulcan Way of Operating disciplines resulted in strong earnings growth and margin expansion in the first quarter.  Adjusted EBITDA increased 27 percent and Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 420 basis points over the prior year.  Aggregates cash gross profit per ton improved 20 percent with widespread improvements across our footprint  Our commercial and operational execution support our full-year outlook to deliver another year of earnings growth in 2025."  AggregatesSegment gross profit increased 18 percent to $357 million ($7.48 per ton) and gross profit margin expanded 320 basis points to 26.7 percent.  Cash gross profit per ton increased 20 percent to $10.63 per ton resulting from geographically widespread pricing growth and improving operational efficiencies.  On a trailing-twelve months basis marking the ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit compounding improvement in unit profitability Aggregates shipments decreased 1 percent as compared to the prior year's first quarter.  Shipments from acquisitions partially offset one less shipping day in the quarter and challenging weather Price increases effective at the beginning of the year resulted in another quarter of attractive growth.  Freight-adjusted selling prices increased 7 percent (mix-adjusted pricing increased 8.5 percent) as compared to the prior year.  Freight-adjusted unit cash cost of sales decreased 3 percent ($0.33 per ton) as a result of continued operational cost discipline and moderating inflationary pressures.     Asphalt and ConcreteAsphalt segment gross profit was $5 million a 24 percent improvement over the prior year.  Shipments increased 4 percent resulting in 19 percent improvement in unit cash gross profit.  Concrete segment gross profit was $3 million and cash gross profit was $19 million.  Unit cash gross profit increased 77 percent through a combination of improvement in the legacy business and the benefit of acquired operations.  Shipments improved 15 percent and price improved 4 percent versus the prior year Administrative and General (SAG) and Other ItemsSAG expense of $138 million was in line with the Company's expectations for the first quarter.  On a trailing-twelve months basis SAG expense as a percent of total revenues was flat compared to the prior year at 7.2 percent Liquidity and Capital AllocationCapital expenditures for maintenance and growth projects were $105 million in the first quarter.  For the full year the Company expects to spend $750 to $800 million for maintenance and growth projects.  the Company returned $104 million to shareholders through $66 million of dividends and $38 million of common stock repurchases.  The Company also used $400 million of cash on hand to redeem its 2025 notes resulting in a ratio of total debt to trailing-twelve months Adjusted EBITDA of 2.3 times or 2.2 times on a net debt basis.  On a trailing-twelve months basis return on average invested capital was 16.2 percent.  The Company remains well positioned for continued growth with a strong liquidity position and balance sheet profile.  "Our execution in the first quarter was strong and we reiterate our full-year outlook to deliver $2.35 to $2.55 billion of Adjusted EBITDA.  We continue to monitor the impact on overall economic activity from the uncertainty surrounding trade policy and the trajectory of interest rates.  As always we are focused on the things we can control  Our continued execution of our strategic disciplines has and will continue to lead to attractive cash generation and value creation for our shareholders regardless of external headwinds."  Conference CallVulcan will host a conference call at 9:00 a.m. CT on April 30, 2025.  A webcast will be available via the Company's website at www.vulcanmaterials.com.  Investors and other interested parties may access the teleconference live by calling 800-343-4136 or 203-518-9843 if outside the U.S.  The conference ID is 4926462.  The conference call will be recorded and available for replay at the Company's website approximately two hours after the call Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresBecause GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis are not accessible and reconciling information is not available without unreasonable effort we have not provided reconciliations for forward-looking non-GAAP measures other than the reconciliation of Projected Adjusted EBITDA as included in Appendix 2 hereto we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT DISCLAIMERThis document contains forward-looking statements  Statements that are not historical fact including statements about Vulcan's beliefs and expectations are forward-looking statements.  Generally these statements relate to future financial performance earnings (including EBITDA and other measures) anticipated profit improvements and/or planned divestitures and asset sales.  These forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "believe," "should," "would," "expect," "project," "estimate," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "will," "can," "may" or similar expressions elsewhere in this document  These statements are subject to numerous risks including but not limited to general business conditions and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports Vulcan periodically files with the SEC Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results and business decisions may vary significantly from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.  The following risks related to Vulcan's business could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: general economic and business conditions; domestic and global political economic or diplomatic developments; a pandemic epidemic or other public health emergency; Vulcan's dependence on the construction industry which is subject to economic cycles; the timing and amount of federal state and local funding for infrastructure; changes in the level of spending for private residential and private nonresidential construction; changes in Vulcan's effective tax rate; the increasing reliance on information technology infrastructure including the risks that the infrastructure does not work as intended experiences technical difficulties or is subjected to cyber-attacks; the impact of the state of the global economy on Vulcan's businesses and financial condition and access to capital markets; international business operations and relationships including recent actions taken by the Mexican government with respect to Vulcan's property and operations in that country; the highly competitive nature of the construction industry; the impact of future regulatory or legislative actions including those relating to climate change tax policy and domestic and international trade; the outcome of pending legal proceedings; pricing of Vulcan's products; weather and other natural phenomena including the impact of climate change and availability of water; availability and cost of trucks barges and ships as well as their licensed operators for transport of Vulcan's materials; energy costs; costs of hydrocarbon-based raw materials; healthcare costs; labor relations shortages and constraints; the amount of long-term debt and interest expense incurred by Vulcan; changes in interest rates; volatility in pension plan asset values and liabilities which may require cash contributions to the pension plans; the impact of environmental cleanup costs and other liabilities relating to existing and/or divested businesses; Vulcan's ability to secure and permit aggregates reserves in strategically located areas; Vulcan's ability to manage and successfully integrate acquisitions; the effect of changes in tax laws guidance and interpretations; significant downturn in the construction industry may result in the impairment of goodwill or long-lived assets; changes in technologies which could disrupt the way Vulcan does business and how Vulcan's products are distributed; the risks of open pit and underground mining; expectations relating to environmental social and governance considerations; claims that our products do not meet regulatory requirements or contractual specifications; and other assumptions risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the reports filed by Vulcan with the SEC.  All forward-looking statements in this communication are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement  Vulcan disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this document except as required by law Earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest Basic earnings (loss) per share attributable to Vulcan Diluted earnings (loss) per share attributable to Vulcan Weighted-average common shares outstanding Effective tax rate from continuing operations Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities Changes in assets and liabilities before initial effects of business acquisitions and dispositions Payment of current maturities and long-term debt Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period Average Unit Sales Price and Unit Shipments   costs that we pass along to our customers and service revenues related to aggregates as well as service revenues from our asphalt construction paving business 3 Freight-adjusted revenues are Aggregates segment sales excluding freight & delivery revenues and  that are derived from our aggregates business 4 Freight-adjusted sales price is calculated as freight-adjusted revenues divided by aggregates unit shipments 5 Sales price is calculated by dividing revenues generated from the shipment of product (excluding service revenues   generated by the segments) by total units of the product shipped Aggregates segment freight-adjusted revenues is not a Generally Accepted Accounting Principle (GAAP) measure and should not be considered as an alternative to metrics defined by GAAP We present this metric as it is consistent with the basis by which we review our operating results We believe that this presentation is consistent with our competitors and meaningful to our investors as it excludes revenues associated with freight & delivery It also excludes other revenues related to services we use this metric as the basis for calculating the average sales price of our aggregates products Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below: Aggregates Segment Freight-Adjusted Revenues freight & delivery revenues include intersegment freight & delivery (which are eliminated at the consolidated level) and freight to remote distribution sites GAAP does not define "cash gross profit," and it should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP We and the investment community use this metric to assess the operating performance of our business we present this metric as we believe that it closely correlates to long-term shareholder value Cash gross profit adds back noncash charges for depreciation accretion and amortization to gross profit Segment cash gross profit per unit is computed by dividing segment cash gross profit by units shipped Segment cash cost of sales per unit is computed by subtracting segment cash gross profit per unit from segment freight-adjusted sales price Reconciliation of these metrics to their nearest GAAP measures are presented below: Freight-adjusted cash cost of sales per ton Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures (Continued) GAAP does not define "Earnings Before Interest and it should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP We use this metric to assess the operating performance of our business and as a basis for strategic planning and forecasting as we believe that it closely correlates to long-term shareholder value We do not use this metric as a measure to allocate resources We adjust EBITDA for certain items to provide a more consistent comparison of earnings performance from period to period Reconciliation of this metric to its nearest GAAP measure is presented below (numbers may not foot due to rounding): Gain on sale of real estate and businesses Charges associated with divested operations 1 Represents charges associated with acquisitions requiring clearance under federal antitrust laws Similar to our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA we present Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) attributable to Vulcan from continuing operations to provide a more consistent comparison of earnings performance from period to period This metric is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP Adjusted Diluted EPS Attributable to Vulcan from Continuing Operations (Adjusted Diluted EPS) Adjusted diluted EPS attributable to Vulcan from Projected Adjusted EBITDA is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP Because GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis are not accessible other than the reconciliation of Projected Adjusted EBITDA as noted above Net debt to Adjusted EBITDA is not a GAAP measure and should not be considered as an alternative to metrics defined by GAAP the investment community and credit rating agencies use this metric to assess our leverage Net debt subtracts cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash from total debt Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash Trailing-Twelve Months (TTM) Adjusted EBITDA We define "Return on Invested Capital" (ROIC) as Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing-twelve months divided by average invested capital (as illustrated below) during the trailing 5-quarters Our calculation of ROIC is considered a non-GAAP financial measure because we calculate ROIC using the non-GAAP metric EBITDA We believe that our ROIC metric is meaningful because it helps investors assess how effectively we are deploying our assets Although ROIC is a standard financial metric numerous methods exist for calculating a company's ROIC the method we use to calculate our ROIC may differ from the methods used by other companies Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) will host its first quarter 2025 earnings conference call on Wednesday today announced results for the quarter ended.. Construction & Building Earnings Earnings Earnings Forecasts & Projections Do not sell or share my personal information: Vulcan Materials Company has replied to Jackson County in the company’s petition for review to try and overturn the county’s November 2024 decision to deny its quarry.  The petition was filed in December of last year after the denial of Vulcan’s special use applications to build a roughly 900-acre quarry in the southern part of the county Vulcan claims that the county’s argument that it can deny a permit because of public opposition and “unsubstantiated claims” is wrong under Georgia law “A zoning authority therefore cannot deprive a landowner of a lawful use of its property without valid objective legal grounds…” the filing reads Vulcan also said that the county does not have the right to deny its special use permits for “any” reason but that evidence must be competent and sufficient to sustain the decision.  "The County's purported evidence consists of the unsupported opinions and claims of opponents to Vulcan's application and the County's planning staff," the filing reads Some of those claims by the county and opponents included environmental and the fact of a potential groundwater recharge area The opposition saw 16 speakers at the October 2024 planning commission meeting including a former member of the Jackson County Planning Commission a University of Georgia Hydrology and Water Resources professor two members from the Oconee River Land Trust and a slew of concerned residents near the site.  Vulcan claims that the evidence the county had was not competent or sufficient to justify “depriving” them of the permit to build the quarry Vulcan also reiterated claims that the denial violates their right to due process The petition in Jackson County Superior Court is potentially Vulcan’s last alley for a reversal of the denial In an announcement highly anticipated by United Launch Alliance and others in the spaceflight community Space Force’s Assured Access to Space (AATS) office affirmed that the Vulcan rocket is now fully certified to launch national security payloads The completion of this multi-year process means that the USSF’s Space Systems Command can begin launching National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions on the two-stage “Assured access to space is a core function of the Space Force and a critical element of national security,” said Brig “Vulcan certification adds launch capacity and flexibility needed by our nation’s most critical space-based systems.” Air Force forged a plan for the certification of Vulcan in September 2016 Years of development led to the rocket first certification flight (Cert-1) in January 2024 when it launched the Peregrine-1 mission on behalf of Astrobotic and NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program ULA wanted to fly Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser on its Cert-2 mission but the winged spaceship wasn’t ready in time it pivoted to a launch in October carrying no payload to fulfill the need for a second certification flight It was during that flight that one of the rocket’s two solid rocket boosters experienced a burn through less than a minute into flight which resulted in the liberation of the nozzle ULA was able to complete its mission as intended but the anomaly resulted in a month’s long investigation into the root cause ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno announced the conclusion of that investigation during a media roundtable in Washington D.C appropriate corrective actions and those were qualified and confirmed in a full-scale static motor firing in Utah last month,” Bruno said “We are back in continuing to fabricate hardware.” Bruno said there was a manufacturing defect in one of the internal parts of the nozzle ULA posted a nearly 12-minute video on YouTube that walked through their diagnosis process and showed a clip of the aforementioned static fire test In addition to the work during and following the two certification flights ULA said it also completed 52 certification criteria which included 60 payload interface requirement verifications and 18 subsystem design and test reviews “Thank you to all our customer partners who have worked hand-in-hand with us throughout this comprehensive certification process We are grateful for the collaboration and excited to reach this critical milestone in Vulcan development,” Bruno said in a statement “Vulcan is uniquely designed to meet the challenging requirements demanded by an expanding spectrum of missions for U.S this next-generation rocket provides high performance and extreme accuracy while continuing to deliver to our customer’s most challenging and exotic orbits.” The completion of Vulcan’s certification is a long awaited achievement for the U.S SpaceX and ULA won contracts for the NSSL Phase 2 program it divided the number of national security payload missions over a series of order number years the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) with ULA receiving the majority of those missions ULA was assigned 26 mission and 23 went to SpaceX ULA launched its first NSSL Phase 2 mission after switching from Vulcan to an Atlas 5 rocket In a post shared by Bruno to his LinkedIn page there are three Vulcan boosters at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Two of those are earmarked for the first two NSSL Phase 2 missions: USSF-106 and USSF-87 Following the forthcoming launch of Kuiper-1 on behalf of Amazon and its Project Kuiper internet constellation (using an Atlas 5 rocket) ULA will launch the USSF-106 mission from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) SSC said USSF-106 is expected to launch “this summer.” The timing of the Vulcan certification announcement aligns with statements made by SSC to Spaceflight Now in late December an SSC spokesperson said,“The government anticipates completion of its evaluation and certification in the first quarter of calendar year 2025.” The spokesperson added that it anticipated the first Vulcan NSSL mission to launch “in the second quarter 2025.” With the second quarter ending on June 30 ULA may just be a few months from launching its first NSSL mission that will depend on the readiness of the payload and if there are delays related to the Kuiper-1 mission Bruno said he also expects to be launching Vulcan rockets from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California before the end of the year This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account Gord Nelson says it will lighten his load to sell a portion of his vast collection of vehicles Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience said Thursday there were just too many vehicles on his property with every one of them taking a little work to maintain “It’s starting to be a burden to maintain them all,” he said Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Noon News Roundup will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Nelson is selling some of the higher-end cars he never drives as well as some project vehicles he knows he won’t get to A 1966 Dodge Charger 426 Hemi — on which Nelson has spared no expense — is among the jewels of his collection that he’s selling With Nelson not wanting to drive the muscle car on gravel roads — he’s put about 240 kilometres on it — he says he would need to load it onto a trailer before taking it for a spin 1971 Ford Mustang and a 1962 Chevrolet Impala are also among the “nicer” vehicles he’s selling I don’t like tying them down,” said Nelson of the high-end vehicles which he’s put a lot of time and money into Nelson says he will still have more than 200 vehicles left who’s driven all the good ones — about 25 to 30 vehicles — in his collection try to take a car to a couple of parades each year said there’s always equipment that could be bought for the farm or the money could be put away for retirement Nelson spends his winter fixing up and maintaining his vehicles He takes his coffee to his shop in the morning and starts “puttering.” “Winter is when I make the progress,” he said Nelson is currently working on several projects including modernizing the drivetrain of an old school bus from Lomond “I’ll leave the outside looking just like it did when they were hauling kids around,” he said “They’re not all muscle cars. He’s got classic trucks, he’s got restoration vehicles, he’s got hot rods, he’s got trailers, he’s got toys and motor bikes that he’s selling,” said Schwidt. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Exposure management company Tenable Holdings announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vulcan Cyber Vulcan Cyber’s capabilities will augment Tenable exposure management platform enhancing customers’ ability to consolidate exposures across their security stack prioritize risks and streamline remediation efforts across the entire attack surface Tenable will acquire Vulcan Cyber for approximately US$147 million in cash and $3 million of restricted stock units (RSUs) that vest over a future period The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025 “That is what this acquisition is all about we’re accelerating our Tenable One vision to radically unify security visibility insight and action across the attack surface – from the data center to the cloud – to rapidly expose and close the gaps that put businesses at risk.” Tenable plans to expand the Tenable One Exposure Management Platform with Vulcan Cyber’s robust capabilities By consolidating and aggregating vast amounts of data into the most comprehensive Exposure Management platform Tenable is empowering organizations to reduce risk across their entire environment “These capabilities aren’t just technical enhancements – they represent a fundamental shift in how organizations will manage cyber risks holistically into the future while having a cloud security platform is critical on its own its power is exponentially amplified when treated as part of a comprehensive exposure management approach,” said Mark Thurmond “By uniting disparate tools and data under one roof we’re providing security teams with a full-spectrum view of their attack surface enabling them to prioritize what matters most and act decisively to address vulnerabilities.” “We’re thrilled to join forces with Tenable Integrating Vulcan Cyber’s capabilities into the Tenable One platform will uniquely address all exposure management use cases across the entire attack surface,” said Yaniv Bar-Dayan security teams will be able to consolidate exposure findings from multiple sources into a single We are excited to start working with Tenable and their customers to remediate exposure risk.” All rights reserved | Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy Solid Execution Drives Margin Expansion and Aggregates Unit Profitability Growth Outlook Includes Double-Digit Earnings Growth in 2025 BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) today announced results for the quarter ended December 31 $        537 $        472 $        138 $        142 $        531 $        543 $        294 $        227 $        912 $        933 $        550 $        476 $       2.23 $       1.72 $       6.91 $       7.06 $       2.17 $       1.46 $       7.53 $       7.00 $       9.02 $       7.67 $       8.26 $       7.40 $       9.92 $       9.46 "Our aggregates-led business delivered a strong finish to the year.  Adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter improved 16 percent and Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 370 basis points.  The favorable pricing environment coupled with strong operational execution led to consistent double-digit year-over-year improvement in aggregates cash gross profit per ton each quarter – exiting 2024 with aggregates cash gross profit per ton at $11.50.  As we look to 2025 and we are focused on our operating disciplines to manage costs and improve efficiencies we expect to deliver 19 percent growth in Adjusted EBITDA." AggregatesFourth quarter segment gross profit increased 15 percent to $486 million ($9.02 per ton) and gross profit margin expanded 300 basis points.  Cash gross profit per ton improved 16 percent ($1.58 per ton) to $11.50 per ton resulting from continued pricing growth and moderating cost trends  Improvements in unit profitability were widespread across the Company's footprint and marked the eleventh consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.        Aggregates shipments in the fourth quarter decreased 3 percent reflecting underlying demand as well as the benefit of favorable weather in most markets throughout the quarter.        Freight-adjusted selling prices increased 11 percent ($2.07 per ton) versus the prior year's fourth quarter with all markets realizing year-over-year improvement.  Freight-adjusted unit cash cost of sales increased 5 percent ($0.49 per ton) as a result of operational cost discipline and moderating inflationary pressures.     Asphalt and ConcreteAsphalt segment gross profit was $46 million a 29 percent improvement over the prior year.  Shipments increased slightly compared to the prior year and price improved 7 percent.  Concrete segment gross profit was $5 million and unit cash gross profit improved 5 percent despite lower volumes.  The prior year included results from the previously divested concrete assets in Texas Administrative and General (SAG) and Other ItemsSAG expense in the quarter was $138 million 3 percent lower than the prior year and 30 basis points lower as a percentage of revenue.  Full year SAG expense was $531 million 2 percent lower than the prior year and 7.2 percent of total revenues.  Other operating expense was $46 million compared to $13 million in the prior year's fourth quarter.  The year-over-year increase was driven by a $17 million charge associated with previously divested operations and $8 million of acquisition related expenses Liquidity and Capital AllocationFor the full year cash provided by operating activities was $1.4 billion  Capital expenditures for maintenance and growth projects were $236 million in the fourth quarter and $638 million for the full year.  the Company completed the acquisitions of Wake Stone Corporation a leading pure-play aggregates supplier in the Carolinas asphalt and concrete producer in Southern California.  These acquisitions add quality aggregates reserves to the Company's existing franchise in three attractive states.  The Company also completed bolt-on acquisitions in both Alabama and Texas.  These acquisitions are consistent with our disciplined capital allocation priorities and aggregates-led strategy of continuing to expand our reach through value-enhancing acquisitions in attractive regions in the United States the Company returned $313 million to shareholders through $244 million of dividends and $69 million of common stock repurchases.  At December 31 the ratio of total debt to Adjusted EBITDA was 2.6 times reflecting over $600 million of cash on hand.  The Company's weighted-average debt maturity was 13 years and the effective weighted average interest rate was 5 percent.  On a trailing-twelve months basis return on average invested capital was 16.2 percent "We carry solid momentum into 2025 and are well positioned to deliver another year of strong earnings growth and cash generation.  Continued strength in public construction activity and our recent acquisitions support our expectations for volume growth in 2025  The pricing environment remains positive and inflationary pressures continue to moderate.  This backdrop coupled with our Vulcan Way of Selling and Vulcan Way of Operating disciplines will lead to further expansion in our industry-leading aggregates cash gross profit per ton and value creation for our shareholders." Conference CallVulcan will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. CT on February 18, 2025.  A webcast will be available via the Company's website at www.vulcanmaterials.com.  Investors and other interested parties may access the teleconference live by calling 800-274-8461 or 203-518-9814 if outside the U.S.  The conference ID is 4821207.  The conference call will be recorded and available for replay at the Company's website approximately two hours after the call Investor Contact:  Mark Warren (205) 298-3220Media Contact:  Jack Bonnikson (205) 298-3220 (Earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of year      costs that we pass along to our customers      other revenues related to services      generated by the segments) by total units of the product shipped Adjusted Diluted EPS attributable to Vulcan from Continuing Operations (Adjusted Diluted EPS) Adjusted diluted EPS attributable to Vulcan from  Projected EBITDA is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to earnings measures defined by GAAP and reconciling information is notavailable without unreasonable effort other than the reconciliation of Projected EBITDA as noted above today announced results for the quarter ended March.. Reporting by Joey Roulette and Jasper Ward Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The initial developer for a planned mixed-use development on the 30-acre Vulcan site downtown has taken a pass but a new developer has quickly stepped up to the plate.adButlerLazyLoad("136784578618669576",100,["433948","433948","433948"],"177031"); going from General Industrial District to Mixed Use Planned Unit Development However, in recent weeks, VP Riverside let their option expire, according to Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council CEO Buck Dellinger “The previous developer ran out of time,” Dellinger told Clarksville Now on Monday They were waiting on favorable interest rates and other funds that didn’t materialize It didn’t work out from a pencil perspective.” The new developer is now moving forward, awaiting the results of a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation study before finalizing plans and signing the contract.adButlerLazyLoad("2741287753842594300",100,["433948","433948","433948"],"177031"); The CMC Industrial Development Board received a grant for a TDEC investigation of soil which was a former rubber plant mainly making soles for shoes The Phase 1 “paper review” showed there’s nothing there to worry about that could affect the site plan or the project phasing so that will determine the timeline for the due diligence process and closing “If some minor remediation is needed they will work around that and go forward,” Dellinger said But VP Riverside’s pitch for a baseball stadium was not mentioned but Dellinger didn’t want to get ahead of the new developer’s planning.adButlerLazyLoad("1115079605763590720",100,["433948","433948","433948"],"177031"); | DON’T MISS A STORY: Sign up for the free daily Clarksville Now email newsletter Under the Mixed Use Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning that the prior developer arranged there would be very specific uses for the property Dellinger said the new developer will request scaling back to traditional commercial and multifamily zoning Dellinger wasn’t at liberty to name the company but he said it’s a regional developer with offices in Nashville and Franklin Clarksville Now reached out to the Hand family and they deferred to Dellinger.adButlerLazyLoad("3156852677145552",100,["433948","433948","433948"],"177031"); The environmental investigation began Monday and will take 30-45 days “Then they will know which parts of the property can be developed then they’ll be getting it rezoned.” “We’re excited about where downtown is headed,” Dellinger said “It’s a great addition in rooftops to support walkable retail for people who live downtown.” He spoke to the importance of building more housing downtown as opposed to sprawling out onto undeveloped land sewer are already there at scale,” Dellinger said “Adding more rooftops (where those services are) is all a good thing.”adButlerLazyLoad("605182041364984425",100,["433948","433948","433948"],"177031"); The Vulcan site has sat empty for quite some time; it’s a large section of downtown surrounded by rusted barbed-wire fence The factory closed November 2018 after 80 years in business the buildings were demolished to make way for potential new development In September 2020, the Hand family, in partnership with Nashville-based real estate developer BNA Associates, bought the Vulcan site with the hope of “kickstarting the area.” It’s also expected to address multiple longstanding traffic concerns including at College Street and Hornberger Lane | LATEST NEWS: Check out the most recent Clarksville news articles Reach him by email at csmith@clarksvillenow.com or call 931-648-7720 The City of Clarksville posted the proposed 2026 fiscal year budget on its website Friday It includes a letter from Mayor Joe Pitts in which he highlighted a proposed property tax increase of 15 cents Police have closed off a north Peachers Mill Road neighborhood in Clarksville as they negotiate with a barricaded person in a house Tennessee Environmental Council (TEC) is excited to host their second Recycling Roundup in Montgomery County Some new summer markets have popped up in Clarksville and Montgomery County Here’s a list of where you can find local markets for locally sourced vegetables Visitors don’t just pass through Clarksville – they help pay our bills taxes from tourism spending put an extra $14.7 million into Clarksville’s public purse This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again Vulcan Elements CEO John Maslin welcomes over 100 leaders in the rare earth industry and allies in the private capital market to the grand opening of Vulcan Elements’ small-scale commercial manufacturing and R&D facility Vulcan Elements hosted the grand opening of its state-of-the-art manufacturing and R&D facility in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park This milestone marks a significant step toward the company’s mission of onshoring a secure and commercially operational rare earth magnet supply chain This facility directly supports United States’ strategic objectives of reducing its dependence on China for rare earth magnets and critical supply chains while bringing manufacturing jobs and investments back to America The grand opening convened leaders in the rare earth industry the opening was a “special moment for the country because this commercial and R&D facility is directly onshoring one of the most important supply chains in the world and strengthening our manufacturing and industrial base for decades to come.” Before founding Vulcan Elements Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program (Naval Reactors) in various roles including as the financial manager for the Ballistic Missile Submarine Program 21,000 square foot facility will manufacture rare earth magnets specifically Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) magnets for Department of Defense programs and commercial applications using a proprietary process that enables production in the United States The facility also serves as Vulcan Elements’ research and development hub author of the New York Times bestseller Chip War: the Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology Miller described how rare earth magnets are one of three critical components—alongside batteries and semiconductors— required for nearly every advanced technology “America’s entire advanced economy would be frozen and nearly all military capabilities rendered inoperable.” a member of the House Armed Services Committee underscored the national importance of the grand opening which he called the “dawn of an era of independence from China for the technologies that matter most and a key milestone in bringing manufacturing back to America.” Congressman Harrigan described how the facility’s opening comes at a pivotal moment for the Nation and the critical minerals industry especially in light of President Trump’s March 20th Executive Order on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production This Executive Order underscored the urgency of investing in domestic production of critical minerals and it defined “mineral production” to encompass “all goods that incorporate processed minerals.. such as permanent magnets.” Vulcan Elements’ operations directly align with this national directive and will reinforce America’s industrial base resilience United States Senator Thom Tillis has been a strong advocate in Washington for Vulcan Elements’ mission of onshoring the rare earth magnet supply chain As he made clear to the company’s leadership Vulcan Elements “embodies the future of American manufacturing and economic leadership.” Nadia Schadlow—a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute—who was the architect of the 2017 National Security Strategy of the United States: the document that put strategic competition with China on the map Schadlow reflected on the Department of Defense’s dependence on China for rare earth magnets for many of its most critical military platforms and the vulnerabilities that led DoD to pause the F-35 program in 2022 after discovering Chinese material in the F-35’s magnets is an example of the exact type of supply chain shifts that the Pentagon needs now North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley highlighted North Carolina’s investments in frontier manufacturing and engineering initiatives with Vulcan Elements as “the model for pioneering innovation and research in one of the most important sectors for the Nation’s economy and defense.” Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams welcomed the 100 attendees to North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park emphasizing that Vulcan Elements’ presence in Durham makes the city a center for all three of the critical components that enable advanced technologies and electronics: semiconductors Durham Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Geoff Durham concluded the program by thanking the attendees for supporting Vulcan’s growth and for believing in its mission and values—the elements that make Vulcan a “beacon of opportunity for the United States and the American people.” From left to right: Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams Durham Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Geoff Durham North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley Rare earth magnets convert electricity into motion They are essential components in almost every advanced machine and electronic device—from data centers that enable AI and semiconductor fabrication plants to electric motors Without assured access to rare earth magnets—especially NdFeB magnets which are lightweight and heat-tolerant—nearly every technology that the United States depends on would be at risk The minerals used to produce these magnets are mined in very few countries making them strategically important and a critical resource for many nations China dominates the global rare earth supply chain controlling nearly 90% of all critical mineral processing and producing over 90% of the global supply of NdFeB magnets Vulcan Elements manufactures permanent sintered NdFeB magnets for critical defense and commercial applications Vulcan Elements is committed to strengthening the domestic rare earth magnet supply chain by advancing technological innovations galvanizing America’s manufacturing workforce and collaborating with public and private sector stakeholders web design and development by new target, inc. Copyright © Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International BECOME A MEMBER The first national security mission for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket might not occur until April 2025 at the earliest The third flight for the Vulcan is set to carry a payload for the U.S Vulcan needs to complete its certification to launch missions under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract a spokesperson for the USSF’s Space Systems Command (SSC) which oversees the launch procurements for the NSSL missions said “the second quarter 2025” is when SSC anticipates the first NSSL Vulcan mission “The government team has not completed its technical evaluation of the certification criteria and is working closely with ULA on additional data required to complete this evaluation,” the spokesperson said in a statement “The government anticipates completion of its evaluation and certification in the first quarter of calendar year 2025.” a ULA spokesperson said that it would be ready to launch Vulcan during the first quarter of 2025 adding that the rocket is still stacked (minus the payload) inside the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ULA decided that for its certification process it would develop and test the Vulcan rocket shoulder-to-shoulder with the U.S The two entities established the Vulcan Certification Plan in 2018 which was based on the New Entrant Certification Guide published in 2011 During a roundtable discussion with reporters last week ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno said there were essentially two choices when it came to how to certify Vulcan to fly missions for the Department of Defense we’re in a hurry and we’re concerned the government will slow us down So go away and we’ll call you when we’re done and give you a large amount of data to wade through at the end,” Bruno said “And that typically requires three or four certification flights we’re comfortable working with the government so come on in and attend all the meetings and be embedded with us through the entire journey and there’ll be data deliveries all along Bruno said the outcome of the second option results in a final data review by the government where the perform an independent verification and then approve the certification He said they are in the end game of that now One of the watch items in the certification process is an anomaly that occurred with one of the two Graphite-Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL solid rocket boosters (SRBs) flown during the second certification flight of Vulcan on Oct one of the booster lost part of its nozzle the rocket was able to compensate and successfully completed the rest of the test flight Bruno said last week ULA is still drilling down to a root cause of the issue and wasn’t ready to go into detail on that But he said “it’s not the first time that I have liberated a nozzle in my several decades of building rockets.” he added that “nothing in there surprises me.” we have recovered hardware from near the pad that are bonded to the inside of the shell that becomes the nozzle and we recovered parts of those,” Bruno said [we have] a pretty good idea what happened and minor modifications that would be necessary and desired to correct that [are] already underway.” the SSC said its investigation concerning the SRB was also ongoing and that “The government team is working closely with ULA to resolve the investigation.” that anomaly shouldn’t stand in the way of certifying Vulcan but that’s not how the certification plan works You’re not necessarily expected to fly without observations You are expected to prove that the architecture of the rocket works and that it would have the performance required to do the missions,” Bruno said “It’s not unusual to come through certification with something like that and the process for that which is also described in the certification plan anything that you see that needs to be dealt with the way it would be dealt with if you were already certified goes into that and then runs its own course they can be opportunities to improve the rocket They can also be liens against future missions where it’s something you want to resolve before you fly again just like routine business post-certification.” as with the rest of the Vulcan development process the government will be alongside ULA as it responds to the SRB nozzle anomaly They are literally embedded in our team,” Bruno said “I am making minor modifications to those parts of the nozzle that are involved in this and we’re definitely going to test them and they’ll get all the data While ULA completes the certification process for Vulcan it is also looking at the new year and several more missions than it flew in 2024 Bruno said ULA has 20 missions on its 2025 manifest but couched that number by saying that the final tally at the end of the year will partly depend on the readiness of the payloads He said the 20 launches are split fairly evenly between Atlas 5 rockets and Vulcan “You rarely have more flights in the year than you were expecting because you’re at the end of the journey You’re the last step,” Bruno said in reference to being the launch provider then typically they move into the next year With Vulcan potentially waiting until spring to launch again Bruno said there is the possibility that a launch for Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite internet constellation could move to the front of the launch line in the new year Amazon purchased nine launches for its satellites on Atlas 5 rockets and 38 on Vulcan rockets “It’s possible to have one satellite customer over another and because we have a stockpile of rockets “And I would certainly want anyone who is ready to go to space able to go to space.” The new year will also be busy for ULA in other respects It will complete work on Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to support Vulcan launches from the Western Range It will also roll the final Atlas 5 rocket out of its factory in Decatur Bruno said they’ll deliver the last two Atlas 5 rockets “in the next couple of months.” He said they are just waiting on two parts from suppliers to finish off those rockets “We expect to fly all except the Starliner Atlases out in ’25 or perhaps early ’26,” Bruno said United Launch Alliance will need to lure commercial customers to ensure the economic viability of its new Vulcan rocket, which is set to debut in 2019 just as the rate of U.S. military satellite launches is due to take a dip. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --The Board of Directors of Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) today declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.49 per share on its common stock to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 10 The new quarterly dividend represents an increase of 7 percent from $0.46 to $0.49 per share "I am pleased to announce a dividend increase for the eighth consecutive year This increase reflects the favorable outlook supported by our durable growth business model and enduring commitment to delivering shareholder value." Investor Contact: Mark Warren (205) 298-3220Media Contact: Janet Kavinoky (205) 298-3220Media Contact: Jack Bonnikson (205) 298-3220 Dividends SatNews Vulcan Wireless assists the United States returning to the Moon after 52 years Vulcan Wireless played a critical role in the successful lunar landing and operation of Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander providing advanced communication systems that enabled high-data-rate transmissions from the lunar surface The Blue Ghost Lander relied on Vulcan Wireless’s S-Band transponder and three S-Band antennas to establish robust and efficient communications throughout the mission The S-Band communications subsystems used two distinct waveforms to ensure reliable connectivity throughout the mission the lander utilized CCSDS standard PN ranging waveform which provided highly precise Doppler and range measurements exceeding system requirements of 10-meter RMS range accuracy and Doppler accuracy As the mission transitioned to autonomous landing Firefly Aerospace selected the CCSDS telemetry standards-based waveform for its higher data rate capabilities for monitoring real time telemetry the X-band transmitter implements the CCSDS DVB-S2 standard which is optimized for maximum throughput and spectral efficiency in high-data-rate transmissions This waveform is specifically designed for high-resolution imaging and large data file transfers to Earth An example of this application is illustrated in the following figure coupled with three of Vulcan’s high-performance broad-beam unified S-Band antennas provided all-aspect communications for the lander ensuring uninterrupted data transmission throughout the mission It also provided all range and velocity measurements to support accurate navigation to the moon and it’s decent to the surface.During cislunar operations the team demonstrated high power X-Band 10 Mbps data rates using the DVB-S2 waveform and the system is now successfully transmitting this from the lunar surface — which sets a new record data rate from the Moon The mission’s success has been widely recognized across the space communications community AMSAT-DL described the downlink signal as “the smoothest and most stable communications link [they] have ever observed.” ASI confirmed that the “S-Band was rock solid all the way down to the surface and X-Band is now sending data at 6 Mbps from the lunar surface.” In response “this is the best professional compliment Vulcan Wireless could receive” The following screenshot shows the observation from the 20-meter AMSAT-DL ground terminal during the 3/2/25 landing Blue Ghost Mission 1 is also the first lunar mission to rely entirely on commercial ground stations for communications marking a shift in deep-space operations by demonstrating that commercial systems can provide reliable high-performance solutions for lunar exploration The entire communications payload provided by Vulcan Wireless for Blue Ghost Mission 1 weighs just 1.414 kg making it exceptionally SWaP-efficient while maintaining industry-leading performance The Firefly communications team worked together with the ground system provider extensively to ensure reliable S-Band and X-Band communications The ground system was provided by SSC Swedish Space Corporation’s Connect global ground terminals This achievement underscores the growing role of commercial technology in space exploration and highlights the importance of reliable communication systems for future lunar and deep-space missions These high-resolution images from lunar missions are revolutionizing our understanding of the Moon’s environment to support the manned Artemis mission The mission marks a significant milestone in commercial lunar exploration demonstrating the capabilities of privately developed landers to support NASA’s Artemis program and future deep-space missions Kevin Lynaugh President/CEO stated “Being part of the first all-commercial team to return the United States to the Moon is a career milestone and we are proud to play a critical role in accomplishing this historic achievement.” The cybersecurity vendor is reportedly in talks for a nine-figure deal to acquire the six-year-old company Tenable is in discussions for a nine-figure deal to acquire exposure risk management startup Vulcan Cyber Israel-based media outlet Calcalist reported Wednesday about the potential acquisition deal of Tel Aviv-based Vulcan The report pegged the deal “in the hundreds of millions of dollars.” [Related: 10 Key Cybersecurity Startup Acquisitions In 2024: Q3-Q4] Tenable does not comment on rumor or speculation,” the company said in a statement CRN has reached out to Vulcan Cyber for comment Vulcan is a venture-backed player in the exposure risk management space which includes capabilities around management of vulnerabilities cloud exposures such as misconfigurations and other cyber risks Tenable is among the biggest names in the exposure management sector and has already been busy expanding its platform through M&A in recent years The company announced a deal to acquire Eureka Security a data security posture management (DSPM) startup That followed Tenable’s $265 million acquisition of cloud identity security startup Ermetic in the fall of 2023 At the same time, Tenable itself has been mulling a potential sale to a private equity firm or to a “strategic” buyer has raised at least $70 million in funding to date including a $55 million Series B round that closed in November 2023 The report comes near the end of a year when cybersecurity vendor consolidation has been a continual theme. A number of major M&A combinations have been announced as well as a flood of smaller deals many of them for venture-backed security startups Space Force's Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space organization announced Wednesday the certification of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA’s) Vulcan launch system for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions The NSSL certification process requires launch service providers to prove their ability to design and produce launch systems that will successfully deliver national security space satellites to orbit Vulcan completed its two flight tests in January and October of 2024 ULA has now joined SpaceX as one of the two certified providers eligible to launch NSSL missions resiliency and flexibility needed by our nation’s most critical space-based systems,” said Brig program executive officer for Assured Access to Space Assured Access to Space is responsible for securing reliable launch services to deploy space-based capabilities needed by warfighters and intelligence professionals and it operates and sustains launch and test infrastructure “Assured access to space is a core function of the Space Force and a critical element of national security,” Panzenhagen said the first NSSL mission on Vulcan is expected this summer “We are proud to have launched 100 national security space missions and honored to continue serving the nation with our new Vulcan rocket,” said Tory Bruno president and CEO of United Launch Alliance “We thank the Space Force for their collaboration and confidence and we are honored to support our national security needs for many years to come.” Sign up for the Breaking Defense newsletter The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket lifts off Oct 2024 from Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral on the Cert-2 flight test WASHINGTON — The Space Force today announced it has certified United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan-Centaur launch vehicle to carry critical national security payloads to space — after a five month investigation into a problem with its second required flight test last October With that thumbs up from Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Assured Access to Space program office in hand, ULA now is the second fully certified launch provider, along with SpaceX, cleared under the Space Force’s National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program Blue Origin, the space launch company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, also hopes to join the NSSL program. The company in January successfully tested its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket for the first time and flexibility needed by our nation’s most critical space-based systems,” Brig the Assured Access to Space program executive officer ULA CEO Tory Bruno told reporters on March 12 that the loss of one of the engine nozzles during Vulcan’s second NSSL certification flight was caused by a manufacturing error Bruno said “Vulcan is uniquely designed to meet the challenging requirements demanded by an expanding spectrum of missions for U.S There are two NSSL launches already in Vulcan’s queue under the current NSSL Phase 2 program: USSF-106 and USSF-87 both of which were supposed to go up last year but had to be postponed due to the investigation of the second flight A senior Space Force official said in January that the service is planning 18 total launches this year under  NSSL Phase 2: 11 on Vulcan and seven for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Cybersecurity skills must evolve in near-real time as Zero Day threats continue and AI provides new challenges The smaller SBI price tag enabled by the drop in launch costs could be offset by the need for a much larger number of satellites to fulfil Trump’s Golden Dome plan the Congressional Budget Office study caveats Voyager Technologies explains how we must reshape the Aerospace and Defense industrial supply chain to make it stronger Distributed anti-submarine warfare leverages autonomy and advanced comms and networked sensors that already exist Sign up and get Breaking Defense news in your inbox Northrop Grumman is one of the only companies with expertise and capability to design build and operate systems across an array of orbits Analyst Trey Grooms from Stephens has increased the price target for Vulcan Materials (VMC, Financial) from $300 to $315 while maintaining an Overweight rating on the stock Despite missing consensus expectations in the first-quarter sales figures the company's adjusted EBITDA and EPS surpassed market expectations indicating what the analyst describes as a strong quality EBITDA achievement Vulcan's robust price-cost dynamics are seen as a factor that positions the company well for future growth Based on the consensus recommendation from 26 brokerage firms, Vulcan Materials Co's (VMC, Financial) average brokerage recommendation is currently 2.0 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript let's revisit the origins of this significant moment in Star Trek history Before we jump into a detailed explanation of what First Contact Day is within Star Trek canon we thought we'd address a practical matter — how and why did the writers-producers of choose April 5 as First Contact Day "The short answer on First Contact Day is that it's my oldest son Jonathan's birthday," Moore told StarTrek.com "And that's the only reason the date was chosen." First Contact Day pays tribute to the flight of the warp-capable Phoenix and the pivotal first interaction between humans and Vulcans built and piloted by inventor Zefram Cochrane was the spacecraft that marked mankind's first successful attempt at traveling at warp which caught the attention of a Vulcan survey ship after tracking the warp signature of the Phoenix believing this civilization was advanced enough with their discovery of faster-than-light travel displaying the split-fingered Vulcan greeting initiating Earth's first contact with another species and ushering in a new era for humanity and it paved the way to the formation of the United Federation of Planets Eager to discover more about First Contact and First Contact Day 2025United Launch Alliance launches its next-generation Vulcan rocket on its January 2024 maiden flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida (Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today via AP)The Space Force said Wednesday it has certified United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket to fly military launch missions positioning the company to compete with SpaceX for future contracts and flexibility needed by our nation’s most critical space-based systems,” Brig Space Systems Command’s program executive officer for assured access to space To achieve certification for National Security Space Launch yearslong process tailored to their rocket’s unique capabilities the Space Force and ULA validated the rocket met 52 certification criteria including 18 subsystem design and test reviews and 114 audits of the spacecraft’s hardware and software The final steps of that process featured two Vulcan launches, the first in January 2024 and the second last October the rocket suffered an anomaly involving its Northrop Grumman-provided solid rocket booster ULA CEO Tory Bruno told reporters the issue was found to be a manufacturing defect involving a booster component The investigation into that root cause appears to have delayed the Space Force’s certification process, which was expected to wrap up by the end of 2024. Bruno said the Space Force’s long-awaited sign-off positions Vulcan to meet the service’s “expanding spectrum of missions.” “This next-generation rocket provides high performance and extreme accuracy while continuing to deliver to our customer’s most challenging and exotic orbits,” he said A handful of other firms are further behind in their launch vehicle development. Rocket Lab hopes to fly its Neutron rocket by December 2025 and Relativity Space plans to launch its Terran R sometime next year. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace have partnered to develop the Medium Launch Vehicle and are also targeting a 2026 debut. Speaking March 20 at a virtual Defense One conference, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said the service is encouraged by the number of companies looking to break into the military space launch market. “It was only about 10 years ago when we had one provider and just a few rocket systems,” Saltzman said. “I think we’re on the right trajectory.” Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges. Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feedDefense News © 2025 A day after delivering a patriotic speech in Mexico City’s Zócalo in celebration of the United States’ decision to suspend tariffs on most Mexican goods President Claudia Sheinbaum answered questions from reporters at her regular morning press conference One reporter honed in on a letter a group of Republican Party lawmakers sent to United States President Donald Trump last Friday Sheinbaum rejected a central premise of the letter as well as speculation that one of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s signature infrastructure projects was built with Chinese money “As you discuss trade and border security issues with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum we ask that you demand a resolution for Vulcan Materials Company Mexico must resolve this crisis by engaging in good faith negotiations to account for their illegal actions,” the letter said “… Under the direction of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) Mexico’s military forces invaded Vulcan’s facilities and unlawfully shut down Vulcan’s operations,” the members of Congress said “The Yucatan Peninsula’s strategic location economic and national security interests,” the lawmakers said Sheinbaum said that her government would send letters to the members of Congress and Trump to “clarify” what has happened on the coast of Quintana Roo “In that letter they’re suggesting that there was an expropriation There was never an expropriation — the land is theirs “The problem is that they went completely out of their authorized area of operation,” Sheinbaum said referring to Vulcan’s limestone quarrying activity “They went to other areas, affecting cenotes and aquifers,” she said they were told … [to stop] but they continued with the quarrying and then President López Obrador decided to change the [permitted] land use but there is no expropriation,” Sheinbaum said “Now it’s a natural protected area where the exploitation of these materials isn’t permitted because it’s severely affecting the environment,” she said “… The company should have complied with the environmental impact authorization it had No company can violate its environmental impact authorization but they expanded their area of operation,” Sheinbaum said She also said that her government is “meeting with the company to look at alternative solutions” to avoid a “legal conflict” between the two parties If the two parties can’t reach an agreement the matter “will be resolved in court,” Sheinbaum said In their letter, the 35 members of U.S. Congress also raised concerns about possible Chinese funding of the Maya Train railroad, an ambitious project built by the former Mexican government that runs through the states of Tabasco “Beyond the concerning expropriation of Vulcan’s property we are troubled by reports that the adjacent Mayan Train project may be funded by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” the lawmakers said without providing any information about the reports they were referring to “We request that your administration urgently investigate to clarify the true developers of this project to ensure the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative does not establish a presence in this strategically vital location,” the members of Congress said to Trump  Sheinbaum told reporters that the source of the funding for the railroad is “public.” “You can see it in the public accounts reports — everything that was invested in the Maya Train is public [information] it was [built with] the resources of Mexicans who paid taxes and they came back to build the Maya Train So there is no Chinese funding,” she said She said that “if any company” involved in the construction of the Maya Train had some connection to China or the Chinese communist party “that has nothing to do with the funding” of the railroad Mexico’s trade and investment relationship with China and Chinese companies could be a sticking point with the United States and Canada in the 2026 review of the USMCA free trade pact The Mexican government is currently aiming to reduce dependence on Chinese imports, and has recently imposed tariffs on some Chinese goods, including textiles and clothing By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected]) ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC About | Privacy Policy | Advertising| Editorial | Contact Us Subscribe | Login Brief Description of Solution: Most advanced machines (i.e. etc.) rely on rare-earth magnets to operate >90% of rare-earth magnets are produced in China where one ton of magnets manufactured emits nearly 60 tons of carbon Reliance on a potential adversary for critical supply chain components creates risk to U.S national and economic security and our ability to build a high-tech Vulcan Elements’ rare-earth magnet technology enables a secure U.S supply chain and aids in the transition to a decarbonized economy Funding Dollars: >$10M (cannot disclose specifics right now) My time in the Navy taught me the importance of supply chains – how cutting off access to a single component can disrupt entire economies Rare earth magnets are ubiquitous in our commercial economy and national security systems or the military systems we need to defend ourselves and our allies As I dug into the rare earth industry I was shocked at the lack of non-Chinese alternatives I realized that even if production was not in China every company in the space either had Chinese ownership or were reliant on their equipment and material I became convicted in the mission to onshore this critical component and build a company that improved U.S created good paying manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and earnestly worked to aid in the responsible transition to a carbon neutral economy What has been your biggest accomplishment so far with venture who is a professor who opened the first U.S based rare earth magnetic lab in two decades and served as a Principal Investigator on a DARPA program developing novel magnetics; a COO who is a former SpaceX and Ursa Major manufacturing expert; and a VP who is a chemical engineer with experience scaling novel products to commercial manufacturing We also have elite engineers and technicians who are excited about the mission and understand the importance of what we are building What has been the most significant challenge you’ve faced in creating your company and how did you solve it Finding the equipment that we need in our demonstration facility China produces >90% of all rare earth permanent magnets virtually all of the equipment is made in China we set a goal to be fully decoupled from China (down to the material and equipment level) and work to decarbonize a carbon-heavy supply chain but I’m proud to say that to our knowledge we are the only rare earth magnet company in the world that can stand by that statement How has your MBA program helped you further this startup venture I almost dropped out of business school after my first year but I’m glad I decided against it HBS was incredibly supportive in my pursuit of building a business during school and opportunities to refine what I was building It was fundamental in raising our initial round of capital and thinking about how to rapidly and responsibly build a company that is critically important to U.S What founder or entrepreneur inspired you to start your own entrepreneurial journey How did he or she prove motivational to you There are a lot of inspiring entrepreneurs who I look up to but my parents set me on the path to becoming an entrepreneur I remember helping them with inventory during middle school I would count soccer balls and mini hockey sets They would let me help package up material and I would watch them sell They gave me a window into the highs and lows of starting and operating a business Which MBA class has been most valuable in building your startup and what was the biggest lesson you gained from it There were several classes that were helpful but the two that stood out were Julia Austin’s Startup Operations class at Harvard Business School and the Climate and Energy Ventures Course at MIT Both courses were for folks who were serious about working on or with startups after school The biggest lesson I learned was that building the right team will make or break a company in the early stages There are so many parts of building a company that you can’t (and shouldn’t) do alone Having incredibly smart classmates working with me and adding value where I had weaknesses was an invaluable learning opportunity What professor made a significant contribution to your plans and why He was the first professor I spoke to about my idea and he instantly connected me to people in his network who I would not have been able to otherwise access Several of our past and current advisors were from his direct help and willingness to share his network How has your local startup ecosystem contributed to your venture’s development and success and a surprising number of defense and manufacturing folks who want to help and have been incredibly supportive as we got operations off the ground What is your long-term goal with your startup The mission of onshoring this critical supply chain back into the U.S We are laser focused on producing magnets of high quality at cost competitive prices and reestablishing American manufacturing capability what is the biggest lesson you wished you’d known before launching and scaling your venture Even if you think certain things should be simple and straightforward Regardless of whether you’re building a start-up or doing something else DON’T MISS: MOST DISRUPTIVE MBA STARTUPS OF 2024 Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius Website Design By: Yellowfarmstudios.com BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Superior Ready Mix Concrete This value-enhancing acquisition will add six aggregates operations with more than 50 years of quality aggregates reserves to Vulcan's California franchise California ranks as the most populous state in the U.S Superior will also enhance Vulcan's customer service capabilities in Southern California with two asphalt plants and thirteen ready-mixed concrete locations Vulcan's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Superior has had an unwavering commitment to excellence and a long and successful track record of providing high quality products and services to its customers Our continuous improvement culture is about making the best even better and we look forward to working with the Superior team to do just that." "This acquisition is consistent with our aggregates-led growth strategy of continuing to expand our reach to better serve attractive regions in the United States Our Vulcan Way of Selling and Vulcan Way of Operating disciplines remain fundamental to consistently compounding profitability across our franchise and successfully integrating new operations We are excited about the breadth of strategic opportunities created by adding Superior to Vulcan's portfolio With the financial strength and flexibility to continue to grow we are well-positioned to continue to deliver value for our shareholders and our customers." The transaction is expected to close by the end of this year FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT DISCLAIMERThis communication contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other securities laws statements about the benefits of the proposed transaction between Vulcan and Superior Ready Mix Concrete expectations and intentions and the expected timing of completion of the proposed transaction You can generally identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "explore," "evaluate," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," or "will," or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology These forward-looking statements are based on Vulcan's current plans expectations and intentions and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties risks and uncertainties associated with: Vulcan's ability to complete the transaction on the proposed terms or on the anticipated timeline including risks and uncertainties related to the satisfaction of closing conditions to consummate the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the definitive purchase agreement relating to the proposed transaction; failure to realize the expected benefits of the proposed transaction; significant transaction costs and/or unknown or inestimable liabilities; the risk that Superior's business will not be integrated successfully or that such integration may be more difficult time-consuming or costly than expected; risks related to future opportunities and plans for the combined company; disruption from the proposed transaction making it more difficult to conduct business as usual or maintain relationships with customers employees or suppliers; effects relating to the announcement of the proposed transaction on the market price of Vulcan's common stock; the possibility that if Vulcan does not achieve the perceived benefits of the proposed transaction as rapidly or to the extent anticipated by financial analysts or investors the market price of Vulcan's common stock could decline; regulatory initiatives and changes in tax laws; general economic conditions; and other risks and uncertainties including those described from time to time under the caption "Risk Factors" in reports and filings made by Vulcan with the Securities and Exchange Commission including Vulcan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31 Vulcan's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31 and future filings and reports made by Vulcan other risks and uncertainties of which Vulcan is not currently aware may also affect Vulcan's forward-looking statements and may cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from those anticipated Vulcan cautions investors that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements The forward-looking statements made in this communication are made only as of the date hereof or as of the dates indicated in the forward-looking statements and reflect the views stated therein with respect to future events as at such dates even if they are subsequently made available by Vulcan on its website or otherwise Vulcan does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results changes in its expectations or other circumstances that exist after the date as of which the forward-looking statements were made Investor Contact: Mark Warren (205) 298-3220Media Contact: Jack Bonnikson (205) 298-3220 Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers Jackson County has replied to Vulcan Materials Company in the newest update to the company’s petition for review against the county’s November 2024 decision The petition was filed in December of last year in the Superior Court of Jackson County after the Jackson County Board of Commissioners denied Vulcan’s special use application to build a quarry in the southern part of the county the county’s attorney — Charles Ferguson — said that when a superior court reviews a governing body’s decision it must apply the “any evidence” standard of review That standard says that the court “must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the [BOC]’s decision and must affirm the decision if there is any evidence to support it…” Ferguson also claims that the county’s denial of the applications was supported by evidence and a proper exercise of the commission’s discretion.  According to the county’s development code a special use application must meet certain criteria before the board’s approval.  Some of those questions include “will the proposed special use be consistent with the stated purpose of the zoning district in which it will be located?” and “is the proposed special use compatible with the goals purpose and intent of the Comprehensive Plan?” The planning commission found that the establishment of the roughly 900-acre quarry would mark a significant shift in land use threatening the rural nature of the A-2 zoning district the site was planned on The planning staff also determined the quarry could cause nearby property owners to experience “increased noise The suit also goes on to mention the professors and experts who attended the meetings to show the potential environmental impact to the area — specifically to the potential groundwater recharge area near the site Another key argument from Ferguson was that the very need for a special use application implies potential incompatibility with the current zoning and land use.  The Superior Court of Jackson County is potentially one of the last outlets Vulcan has to overrule the county’s November 2024 decision Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here