Drilling Deeper: A Pit & Quarry podcast

80 Episodes

Reverse

Episode 79: Luck Stone's next phase of autonomous hauling

2026-11-0344:15

On this episode of “Drilling Deeper,” Luck Stone’s Rusty Minix joins the show to discuss what the company has learned from nearly two years of autonomous hauling at its Bull Run operation – and how that experience is shaping its next deployments. With more than four million tons hauled autonomously by Cat 777 trucks, Minix shares how the technology is performing and what it means for the people working alongside it. The conversation also explores why Luck Stone selected the Boscobel and Beale...

Episode 78: Where construction stands heading into 2027

2026-10-2034:51

Ken Simonson, chief economist at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), joins Drilling Deeper to assess the state of the construction industry as 2026 winds down and the outlook for 2027 begins to take shape. Simonson examines the performance of key construction markets, including the tremendous growth in data centers and the expanding demand for power generation and transmission infrastructure. He explores why these segments are positioned for continued strength in 2027 and the...

Episode 77: Inside New Enterprise's Chambersburg Quarry transformation

2026-10-0651:03

A surge in demand presented New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. with a major challenge at its Chambersburg Quarry in Pennsylvania: How do you transform an operation that typically produces between 600,000 and 800,000 tons per year into one capable of producing more than 2 million tons? P&Q’s Kevin Yanik sits down with Dave Cooper, the area manager overseeing Chambersburg, to explore how New Enterprise prepared the quarry for a dramatically different production year. Cooper details the ext...

Episode 76: VDG's Matt Lepp explores the real cost of conveyor downtime

2026-09-2224:57

Matt Lepp, heavy industry technical account sales manager at VDG, joined "Drilling Deeper" to discuss the factors affecting conveyor uptime and maintenance in today's aggregate operations. Lepp explains why producers are paying closer attention to the true cost of downtime, and he shares how condition monitoring and proactive maintenance can help operations avoid more serious equipment issues. He also discusses VDG’s approach to reducing maintenance demands through drum-motor design, includin...

Episode 75: Foward momentum in Minnesota

2026-09-0834:53

On this episode of “Drilling Deeper,” Pit & Quarry managing editor Jack Kopanski shares interviews from a recent trip to Minnesota, where he visited a pair of manufacturers and a contract crushing company. You’ll hear from Jeff DesJardin, general manager at Tecweigh; Joe Scepaniak, president of WDS; and Ben Lentsch, national director of distribution and marketing at Unified Screening & Crushing. DesJardin offers insights into the increasing importance of PLC communication, real-time d...

#box-pro-ellipsis-179452341938093{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Drilling Deeper: A Pit & Quarry podcast

Drilling Deeper: A Pit & Quarry podcast