MASABA Inc., Vermillion, South Dakota, announced the grand opening of its new 147,500-square-foot state-of-the-art metal fabrication and office facility in Vermillion. The company celebrated this occasion with an open house event on Oct. 16, 2025, held at the newly named Harold Higman Fabrication Center. The official name of the facility was a surprise dedication to Masaba Founder and CEO Jerad Higman’s father, Harold Higman, Jr.

The open house included tours and live demonstrations of Masaba’s new metal fabrication equipment; a “make your own keychain” station, where attendees created branded keychains from metal cut and formed by Masaba’s equipment; a formal ceremony; and refreshments.

Following an opening prayer by Dave Moore of the Corporate Chaplains of America, the ceremony featured speeches from a number of government and area development officials. The new building, located adjacent to MASABA’s existing 211,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, includes 120,000 square feet of fabrication space and 27,500 square feet of office and ancillary areas. The expansion represents a major investment in advanced steel fabrication technology, with more than $15 million in new equipment installed to centralize and automate steel processing.

Just a year after breaking ground in April 2024, the new building was complete to the point that production was able to begin there in early May 2025. By September 2025, all plate and structural steel processing had fully transitioned into the space. The new manufacturing facility not only expands fabrication capacity for MASABA, but it also enables the company to repurpose its former steel processing area into additional welding and assembly bays, aligning with MASABA’S long-term growth strategy.

An industry partnership is making BioAsphalt™ road construction materials that win at sustainability. First, let’s look at the partnership and then the product.

Verde Resources Inc. (OTCQB: VRDR) (Verde), St. Louis, Missouri, announced October 2025, the signing of a 10-year definitive license agreement between its wholly owned subsidiary, Verde Renewables Inc., and Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc. The agreement formalizes a long-term strategic alliance to commercialize Verde’s specialized emulsion and carbon sequestering BioAsphalt™ road construction surface materials across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The agreement has a 10-year term with an option to extend for an additional 10 years.

Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions is a subsidiary of Ergon Inc., a diversified global organization engaged in multiple industries. The privately held Ergon is an industry pioneer in asphalt innovation and supply employing more than 4,000 people and serving customers and partners in over 90 countries worldwide.

Building on the successful collaboration that began with a Memorandum of Understanding earlier in 2025, Verde and Ergon will advance the deployment of innovative low-carbon technologies that integrate Verde’s proprietary emulsifying agent with Ergon’s high-performance asphalt, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), and biochar to produce and commercialize a carbon-sequestering road surfacing material across North America.  Under the terms of the agreement, Verde is licensing its proprietary technologies to Ergon for use in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of advanced road construction products. The agreement also grants Ergon the right to use Verde’s trademarks and access ongoing technical services to ensure integrity and transparency, verifying that every ton of carbon dioxide sequestered is accurately quantified, tracked, and validated.

In addition to the commercial agreement, both companies have executed a term sheet for a $2 million investment by Ergon in Verde. The investment underscores Ergon’s confidence in the long-term growth of Verde’s technologies and further solidifies the true strategic nature of the alliance.

“Our milestone commercial collaboration with industry leader Ergon marks a major achievement in our mission to bring innovative solutions to market and accelerate decarbonization across emission-intensive infrastructure,” said Jack Wong, CEO of Verde Resources. “Together with Ergon, we will deliver transformative, common-sense solutions that will redefine the roads of the future for the benefit of both the environment and the economy.”

Verde’s BioAsphalt™ can be produced burnerless and placed year-round, even during winter, without requiring heat or solvents during installation, according to the manufacturers.

“Our agreement with Verde strengthens Ergon’s ability to deliver sustainable, next-generation technologies to the road construction industry,” said Patrick Nation, president of Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions. “We are excited to integrate Verde’s solutions and work to accelerate the adoption and commercialization of the end product over the next year, with the goal of enhancing how roads are built in a sustainable way without compromising quality or reliability. Verde’s technologies align seamlessly with our ongoing commitment to sustainable solutions and long-term growth strategy, and we are excited to bring these solutions to our customers and partners…across North America.”

BioAsphalt™ is also the first in the world to generate verified Carbon Removal Credits, certified through Puro.earth. This breakthrough positions Verde as a pioneer in making asphalt a climate-positive material, actively mitigating Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions across the construction value chain—turning roads, streets and pathways into carbon sinks. To align incentives with sustainability metrics, Verde will share 40% of its future Carbon Removal Credits with Ergon, linking commercial success directly to measurable environmental impact.

Verde’s technologies, including its carbon sequestering BioAsphalt™, have recently earned early validation from the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT), positioning the company at the forefront of low-emission construction innovation.

Eagle Crusher will unveil its new Talon™ line of heavy-duty crushing and stockpiling equipment for recycling applications at CONEXPO-CON/AGG. The new TalonTrax™ mobile crushing plant has been designed for ultra-mobile crushing without sacrificing power or production on the job site. At the heart of the TalonTrax, is Eagle Crusher’s new TalonMax™ (TM-15) impactor, featuring an open-rotor design that reduces weight while still providing the same crushing capabilities for which Eagle Crusher equipment is known. The impactor also features a new, thicker blow bar design to increase overall wear life.

The plant also features a dual-motor, under-crusher pan feeder with industry-leading discharge clearance in excess of 23 inches to enable greater material flow and virtually eliminate clogging; and an easily removable discharge conveyor that allows for quick access to under-crusher area, as well as to the discharge conveyor itself, for inspection, maintenance, and cleaning of both.

TalonTrax comes equipped with a cross-belt, permanent magnet that removes steel contaminants from crushed material. The magnet is reversible to allow steel discharge from either side and stays on for transport.

Additionally, the TalonTrax features a heavy-duty hopper, sized for feeding with a loader or excavator and a grizzly bypass chute and cross conveyor with flop gate allowing for either removal of the material that passes through the grizzly deck for stockpiling or blending back with the crushed material.

The new TalonStack™ mobile, self-propelled, radial stockpiling conveyor has been designed to improve productivity and mobility while minimizing operator costs. On display at CONEXPO-CON/AGG will be the TalonStack 65, with Eagle Crusher offering a wide range of TalonStack sizes.

For more information, visit https://eaglecrusher.com/

Associated Builders and Contractors today released the following statement from President and CEO Michael Bellaman in response to President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address:

“ABC appreciates the president’s continued focus on the economy, expanding opportunity for American workers and addressing affordability. These priorities align with the principles that have guided ABC and its 67 chapters for more than 75 years and continue to drive success across the construction industry, which employs more than 8.3 million people and contributes more than $2 trillion annually to the U.S. economy.

“Merit shop construction workers build the nation’s most enduring, innovative, high-quality roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, industrial facilities, renewables, airports, data centers and military bases safely, with skill and professionalism. This political powerhouse in the construction industry, according to recent polling, focuses on growth, fairness and worker choice, daily building a brighter future for the workforce and our communities. ABC stands ready to work with the Trump administration and Congress to advance policies that prioritize these values for contractors so they can continue to deliver the best possible value for taxpayers.

“ABC strongly urges the president to restore government neutrality in federal contracting by reversing President Joe Biden’s illegal project labor agreement mandate. New unionization data reinforces the need for policies that reflect today’s workforce. Merit shop construction workers continue to dominate the industry, as the latest government data shows nearly 89% of the U.S. construction workforce is not unionized. These millions of construction industry professionals deserve policies that respect their freedom to belong or not belong to a union.

“The president’s broader pro-growth agenda is delivering tangible benefits. The historic Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, allows hardworking Americans to keep more of their paychecks and invest in their businesses. Meanwhile, progress on permitting reform is helping critical projects move forward more efficiently, while a more predictable and balanced approach to the Waters of the United States rule is reducing regulatory uncertainty for construction employers nationwide. Further, the new majority on the National Labor Relations Board will bring a more balanced approach to labor law and end regulatory overreach that threatens workers and job creators alike.

“While resilient, the construction industry faces ongoing headwinds from high costs, tariff uncertainty and a chronic workforce shortage. As these concerns mount, the president should note that this industry is key to achieving his promises to lower the cost of housing, infrastructure and energy for American families. ABC urges the president to create the conditions for contractors to thrive with pro-growth policies so that he can deliver on his affordability promise to the American people.

“Looking ahead, ABC encourages continued action on policies critical to the future of the industry’s workforce, including advancing a new market-based worker visa program that supports American workers, strengthens national security and protections for taxpayers and helps communities build what we need. This new program would tie construction worker visas to documented demand rather than an arbitrary numerical cap, an approach that reflects economic reality and provides stability for workers, employers and communities. While ABC supports strong enforcement of immigration laws, enforcing the law and meeting workforce needs are not mutually exclusive goals. Other critical priorities include passing the Fair and Open Competition Act to prohibit government-mandated project labor agreements and expanding proactive, industry-driven apprenticeship and workforce development programs that align with industry needs.”

Among the equipment and new technologies to be displayed at CONEXPO-CON/AGG next month, Astec Industries, Chattanooga, will offer information on the Astec IntelliPac™ aggregate moisture system, which provides visibility into virgin aggregate—and now RAP—moisture levels. At the heart of the system is its carefully vetted moisture measurement methods.

One of the standout features of the system, according to the manufacturer, is its comprehensive data logging functionality. The system records virgin aggregate composite moisture levels, enabling operators to track and analyze historical trends. This historical data serves as a valuable resource for optimizing processes and making informed decisions to enhance overall efficiency.

The real-time moisture values offered by the IntelliPac Moisture System are integrated into the plant control system, empowering operators to make adjustments on-the-fly. This level of visibility into virgin aggregate moisture allows for more precise addition of liquid asphalt cement. Additionally, operators can fine-tune burner operations based on real-time moisture levels. Stop by booth C30236 in the central hall to see the display and discuss the system with Astec personnel.

Astec is one of the manufacturers joining the inaugural class of AsphaltPro’s Top Products feature from 2025.

For more information, visit https://www.astecindustries.com/products/details/astec-intellipac-moisture-system.

ADM FAYAT Group, Huntertown, Indiana, is adding a new asphalt plant model to its EX Series line of continuous-mix asphalt plants. The new EX 300 will be unveiled at the ADM FAYAT Group booth SV2067 at CONEXPO-CON/AGG March 3-7, 2026, in Las Vegas and features a 102-inch drum diameter and 50-foot length.

The EX 300 was designed to fill a niche not previously covered in the ADM FAYAT Group line of EX Series hot-mix plants and one that is in high demand in the North America marketplace. With existing EX plant capacities of 120, 170, 225, 325 and 425 tons per hour (TPH), the new EX 300 has a capacity of 300 TPH. Like all EX Series plants, the EX 300 is designed to handle up to 50% RAP.

Unique features of the EX 300 counterflow asphalt plant include:

• Single drum diameter
• High efficiency CBS total air burner with variable drive frequency (VFD)
• Trunnion drive with VFD, no V belts
• Drum insulation with stainless steel cover
• Flights designed for easier maintenance
• Available as portable, relocatable or stationary
• Optional high wear package
• Elastic tire supports

As with all EX Series asphalt plants, the EX 300 achieves maximum heat transfer and fuel efficiency through separate drying and mixing zones with its single-drum counterflow-system technology.

For more information, visit https://www.admasphaltplants.com/