Nonmetallic Mineral Mining & Quarrying Industry Profile

The nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying industry in the US includes about 3,300 companies with annual revenues of about $22 billion. Major companies include Vulcan Materials, Martin Marietta Materials, and subsidiaries of foreign firms such as Lehigh Hanson and Oldcastle Materials. The industry is fragmented, with many small firms serving local geographic markets.

China and India have the largest nonmetallic mineral reserves in the world. Lime, zeolites, asbestos, and garnet are the world's most highly mined minerals. Large nonmetallic mining companies outside the US are Rio Tinto (United Kingdom), DeBeers (South Africa), HeidelbergCement (Germany), and CRH (Ireland).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by construction spending and agricultural spending on fertilizers. Large companies have some economies of scale in purchasing and administrative systems, and have the production volume to supply large construction projects, such as new highways. Small companies typically own just one mine and compete in a local market based on superior customer service.

Imports of nonmetallic minerals account for about 5 percent of the US market. Major sources of imports include Canada, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iraq, and Mexico. US exports, mainly to Canada, Japan, China, Mexico, and Germany, represent about 5 percent of domestic production.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products include crushed and broken limestone (35 percent of revenue), construction sand and gravel (20 percent); crushed and broken granite (10 percent); potash, soda, and borate (5 percent); kaolin and ball clay; and phosphate rock (each ...