Aggregate Industry Facts
• The use of aggregates goes back to Greek and Roman periods. America’s first paved road between Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was completed in 1795. Aggregate, in the form of ballast, was the foundation for the growth of our nation’s railroads in the 1850’s. While it is apparent that we have had a long history with aggregates, it is only in the last century that the aggregate industry has had an organized voice. The National Quarry Owner’s Association was founded in 1903.
• For every new dollar of output in the aggregates industry, an additional $1.58 is generated in the U.S. economy.
• For each one million dollars in output produced by the industry, 19.5 jobs are created.
• The aggregates industry contributed $14.59 billion in direct output to the U.S. economy in 2002. When indirect benefits are added to the direct output, the industry contributes $37.6 billion to the gross domestic product and supports 284,900 jobs in all sectors of the economy with personal earnings totaling $10.74 billion.