Early Data Show Production Numbers Mixed in'03

ALEXANDRIA, Va.?EUR??,,????'??+According to preliminary figures released by the U.S. Geological Survey, production of crushed stone dipped in 2003 while sand and gravel production increased slightly.

USGS said 1,260 companies, operating 3,300 active quarries and distribution yards in 49 states, produced $8.6 billion in crushed stone. The estimated output of crushed stone sold in the first nine months of 2003 was 1.11 billion tons, a 5.4 percent decrease compared with the same period for 2002.

It should be noted, USGS said, that third quarter sales increased by 0.8 percent compared with the same period in 2002. The report estimated that sand and gravel, valued at $5.8 billion, was produced by an estimated 4,000 companies in 6,400 operations in 50 states. Sand and gravel sold in the first nine months of 2003 was about 851 million tons, a slight increase from the revised total for 2002.