As 2025 comes to a close, Drilling Deeper wraps up the year with one final episode that reflects on what shaped the aggregate industry over the past 12 months – and what’s already building momentum for 2026. Editorial director Kevin Yanik and managing editor Jack Kopanski open the show with year-end banter before diving into Pit & Quarry’s 16 most-read stories of 2025. From major equipment launches and autonomous equipment advancements to mergers and acquisitions, this episode revis...

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

Episode 55 of Drilling Deeper celebrates the arrival of the reimagined Pit & Quarry University – an expansive learning resource designed to guide newcomers and seasoned professionals alike through the fundamentals of stone, sand and gravel production. The new Pit & Quarry University is now available at pitandquarry.com/pqu, marking the first full update to the classic Pit & Quarry Handbook since 2014. With workforce development and training more critical than ever in aggreg...

Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski break down 20 trends shaping the aggregate industry this year. With the new year approaching, Kevin and Jack step back from the daily headlines to look at the bigger picture influencing producers nationwide. They open with market and economic themes – including steady-yet-slightly lower aggregate volumes and the continued shift toward value over volume. Kevin and Jack touch on potential funding uncertainty coming in 2026, as well as what’s transpiring in the mixe...

On this episode of "Drilling Deeper," Pit & Quarry managing editor Jack Kopanski shares interviews from his recent travels to Vermillion, South Dakota, and a pair of stops in Missouri. In South Dakota, Jack stopped by the grand opening of Masaba's new steel fabrication facility. The 147,500-sq.-ft. building includes both fabrication and office spaces and is adjacent to the company's 211,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility. Masaba president Mike Krajewski talked with Jack during the event a...

Two equipment dealers join the show to break down what’s happening in the aggregate industry right now – and where things are headed in 2026. P&Q welcomes Gavin Cole, executive vice president of sales at Kirby-Smith Machinery, and Robert Krutsinger, vice president of sales at Brandeis Machinery, for dealer perspective on market conditions, technology trends and the ripple effects of tariffs. Listeners will hear: • How producers and dealers are navigating 2025 • Where equipment and tec...

In Episode 51 of Drilling Deeper, Pit & Quarry’s Kevin Yanik takes listeners to the Pacific Northwest for a closer look at three producers shaping the region’s aggregate market. From Oregon to Washington, Kevin visits Allied Rock, Knife River and Washington Rock Quarries to capture fresh perspectives on operations, technology, workforce development and market trends. At Allied Rock, Andrew Siegmund discusses how the company continues to grow through strategic acquisitions and forward-t...

On this episode of Drilling Deeper, P&Q managing editor Jack Kopanski sits down with Elliott Tribble, director of aggregate at General Kinematics, to explore the evolving landscape of aggregate production and the technology reshaping it today. Tribble shares his boots-on-the-ground perspective on matching screen design to site-specific needs, meeting increasingly tight customer specifications and tackling sticky material and throughput challenges with tailored solutions. Hear first-...

The next ConExpo-Con/Agg is less than six months away, and equipment manufacturers have their show plans in motion. A late-summer meeting in Chicago brought ConExpo-Con/Agg manufacturers and others together to capture the latest exhibiting best practices – and P&Q’s Jack Kopanski was there to capture the energy and perspective. In this episode, Jack visits with seven guests – including Megan Tanel (Association of Equipment Manufacturers), Jen Dugas (National Stone, Sand & Gravel Asso...

On this episode of "Drilling Deeper," Travis Chewning, vice president of engineering and operational support at Luck Stone, and Dr. Erik Westman, professor of mining and materials engineering at Virginia Tech, join the show to discuss the "Built for the Mine" program. In their conversation with P&Q editor-in-chief Kevin Yanik, Chewning and Westman spotlight how the "Built for the Mine" program – a collaboration between Luck Stone and Virginia Tech – is preparing the next generation of min...

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 climat...

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 relatio...

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 b...

In the latest episode of Drilling Deeper, hosts Kevin Yanik and Jack Kopanski shine a spotlight on one of Pit & Quarry’s most anticipated magazine editions of the year: The Dealer Issue. Now in its seventh year, P&Q’s Dealer Issue explores the vital role equipment dealers play across the aggregate industry’s supply chain. Kevin and Jack dive into this year’s four dealer-centric stories, which include in-depth coverage on tariffs and equipment supply – plus insights from a standout pro...

On this episode of “Drilling Deeper,” P&Q managing editor Jack Kopanski is joined by VDG’s Matt Lepp. The duo take a deep dive into the current state of the market and the challenges facing the industry today, as well as VDG’s experiences navigating the economic landscape so far in 2025. Lepp, technical account sales manager for the heavy industry at VDG, offers a look at the broader economic state, exploring how recent tariffs are impacting operations and what’s behind ongoing supply cha...

Rob Duke, founder of Armada Materials, joins the show to discuss the origins and growth of his rapidly emerging company. Launched through the 2023 acquisition of Volunteer Materials in Tennessee, Armada has since completed a couple of smaller deals as it builds out its platform in the aggregates industry. Duke pulls back the curtain this episode on Armada’s merger and acquisition activity, offering insights into the company’s expansion strategy and what’s driving its momentum. Beyond the comp...

On this episode of “Drilling Deeper,” PPI’s Allen Mathes joins P&Q managing editor Jack Kopanski to provide insights into the latest developments in the pulley market, the basics of wing pulley use and the history of PPI’s pulley designs. Mathes, a sales manager at PPI, kicks off the conversation by diving into the “when” and “why” of wing pulley use. He explains the benefits wing pulleys provide, specifically outlining the way wing pulleys prevent damage to the tail side of belts H...

John Scepaniak, director of aggregate operations at WD Scepaniak, joins the show to discuss the nature of the contract crushing business and how his company is adapting in 2025 to meet the demands of the market. Scepaniak also shares how WD Scepaniak is venturing to new parts of the U.S. outside of its home state of Minnesota, and he details his personal approach to recruiting and building up the company’s workforce. Additionally, P&Q’s discussion with Scepaniak touches on so...

On this episode of “Drilling Deeper,” Peter Brewitt and Magnus Skörvald with Weir sit down with P&Q managing editor Jack Kopanski to discuss the company’s latest offerings and provide an update on the North American sand and aggregate market. Brewitt, global product manager of sand and washing at Weir, and Skörvald, the company’s global product owner for crushers, offer their insights on how the sand and aggregate market in North America is experiencing strong growth. The pair point...

Pit & Quarry caught up with an assortment of industry leaders at AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo, including Capital Aggregates’ Jamie Jones, Wm. D. Scepaniak’s John Scepaniak, Rogers Group’s Thabiso Bolebano, Machinery Partner’s Clement Cazalot, Philippi-Hagenbuch’s Josh Swank, Major’s Ian Edwards, Wingfield Scale’s Dan Caine and Dodge Industrial’s Nick Roseto. This episode’s guests reflect on their AGG1 2025 experience while sharing what they saw and heard on the trade show floor at A...