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Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has completed what it describes as the world's largest heavy equipment auction. The event in Orlando, Florida, USA, attracted global bidding, and it “broke multiple company records.” New records were set for gross auction proceeds (US$203 million); number of lots sold (more than 10,000); total number of registered bidders (8,670); number of sellers (830); online gross auction proceeds (more than US$47 million) and number of online bidders (4,070).

Liebherr bosses have ensured the company continues to remain independent and family-run by transferring some of their shares in parent company Liebherr International AG to their children. The move by Willi Liebherr, Liebherr Group president, and Isolde Liebherr, his sister and Group vice president, will see future individual Group divisions managed by the president and vice president jointly with a representative of the third family generation which includes Jan Liebherr, Stéfanie Wohlfarth, Sophie Albrecht

With increasing numbers of mining and minerals companies taking advantage of renewables, Aggregates Business Europe looks at two UK-based companies who have been leading the way. In previous editions, renewables lawyer Sonya Bedford has discussed the legal issues (whether contractual, regulatory or relating to EU and member states’ competition laws) which arise from the rush to renewables, as well as the potential economic and social benefits to aggregates operators maximising the benefits of the earth’s na

The Competition Commission (CC) has decided provisionally that the proposed UK joint venture between Anglo American and Lafarge could damage competition in certain markets for construction materials. The CC notes that Anglo American, through its UK subsidiary Tarmac, and Lafarge are both global companies that are active in the supply of construction materials in the UK.

Noise can be one of the biggest causes of complaints from neighbours surrounding quarries. ABE takes a look at the issue. Almost every stage of aggregate production from drilling and blasting, to loading and hauling, to crushing and screening creates some level of noise. These processes can all contribute to the ambient noise level in the area surrounding the quarry, which is why many quarries have restricted working hours.

With many quarries in Europe located close to residential areas, controlling no

Metso has signed a contract with Consorcio Construtor Belo Monte (CCBM) to supply equipment to the construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant (UHE Belo Monte) in Brazil. The project is located at the Xingu River, Pará State, in the northern region of the country. In addition to the equipment, the contract also includes services and parts. The value of the order is some €30million.

Danish industrial firm FLSmidth has posted a record high pre-tax profit of €292million (DKK2.17billion) for 2011. Turnover increased by 9% to DKK21,998million, and the earnings before income tax (EBIT) margin was for the fifth consecutive year between 9 and 10%.

Caterpillar delivered record-breaking sales and revenues of US$60.1 billion in 2011, an increase of 41% from $42.6 billion in 2010, with profit at $4.9 billion, an increase of 83% ffrom $2.7 billion in 2010. Fourth-quarter sales and revenues in 2011 were an all-time quarterly record at $17.2 billion, an increase of 35% compared with $12.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010. Fourth-quarter profit was $1.5 billion compared with $968 million in the fourth quarter of 2010.

The first Quarry Life Award launched by HeidelbergCement raised strong interest from students and researchers with over 300 project proposals competing in 18 countries on four continents. Students and researchers from Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania were asked to submit a project proposal focusing on biodiversity protection and management at the quarries of the group.

Shareholders of Ireland-based cement producer, Readymix, are being urged by the firm to accept a €27.40million takeover bid by Cemex Spain. Earlier this month, Cemex increased its offer to €0.25 per share. The firm currently owns 61% of Readymix.

Concrete suggestions to deal with the economic downturn’s effects on the quarrying industry will be publicly debated by a panel, at the University of Derby, England. The free event for those involved in the industry, students, business people and the public will be held in The Courtroom (Room OL2) at the University’s Kedleston Road site in Derby from 6.30pm on Thursday, 1 March. It has been organised by the Institute of Quarrying’s Derbyshire Branch.

A tracking technology, designed to travel through a mine or mineral processing plant in a series of simple steps, has been made smaller. SmartTag, a 20mm RFID (radio frequency identification) transponder, was designed to allow tracking of material from its source through blasting, run of mine pads, crushers, intermediate stockpiles and into the concentrator. The system was developed by Metso’s Process Technology and Innovation (PTI) Group, which is involved in mineral processing consulting. A significant am

The board of CRH has appointed Nicky Hartery as chairman designate to succeed the present chairman, Kieran McGowan. Mr McGowan, who has been chairman since May 2007 and a board member since 1998, will retire after the company’s annual meeting, which is scheduled for 9 May, 2012. Mr Hartery, 60, who joined the CRH board in 2004, was vice president of manufacturing and business operations for Dell Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations from 2000 to 2008.

Later this year the Institute of Quarrying (IQ) will be moving to a new building on the outskirts of the city of Nottingham, England, which will serve as both a new centre of excellence for education and training for the extractive sector, and also a meeting ‘hub’ for a range of industry organisations. The IQ currently shares offices with QMJ Publishing and Agg-Net.com, and the new meeting facility will be fitted out with state-of-the-art audio-visual and teleconferencing equipment and will be readily acces

The impact of adding a copper mix to concrete to bind chlorides in concrete structures preventing salt damage is being examined in Scandanavia. Researcher Markku Leivo, of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, says the life of concrete structures afflicted by salt could be as much as doubled due to this method.

Alkern chairman Denis Sicard says the French concrete block and slab manufacturer has earmarked several acquisitions for 2012 in order to increase its productivity. The company currently has 37 production sites – compared to 30 at the end of 2010. In 2011, the acquisition of six companies resulted in an additional output capacity close to 0.5million tonnes, mainly in concrete blocks. Turnover rose 25% to €150million in 2011

The Highways Term Maintenance Association (HTMA) has flagged up concerns about the proposed reclassification of bitumen as a carcinogenic when it is in a hot mix. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is expected to report shortly on bitumen classification which could see a change from 'class 3' (insufficient knowledge) or 'class 2' which would imply restrictions on use.

Northern Ireland-based precast concrete producer Acheson and Glover saw paving product sales increase by 50% - after it tracked market data from Invest NI's Business Information Centre. The company says that tracking the data helped it to develop a new business strategy, which boosted sales in the UK.

As a quarry manager Julian Smallshaw spent years at the rock face. Now he organises the education and training that helps others do the job. He talks to Patrick Smith. As a youngster, Julian Smallshaw was fascinated by rocks, and his local quarry offered the ideal place to indulge this passion. It was while visiting the quarry that he was advised to send off a speculative job application. It paid off, and while he maintains the interest in mineralogy and geology, the one-time hobby turned into a career that

The suspension of public works in Spain is behind the 26% fall (to 186,970tonnes) in cement consumption in Andalucia in January 2012 compared to the same month of 2011, according to ACFA. Consumption also decreased by 16.91% dropping to 3.5million tonnes between February 2011 and January 2012, compared to the same period of 2010-11. Exports decreased by 15.94% over the same period to 35,000 tonnes, whilst imports fell 57.6% to 6,500 tonnes.