Non-Metal Mining & Quarrying
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 2,700 non-metal mining companies in the US develop mine sites, extract non-metallic minerals from mines, and process the minerals mechanically through beneficiation (crushing, grinding, washing, separating, and concentrating) or by using chemical or electrochemical techniques. Products include dimensional stone blocks or slabs, crushed or broken stone, sand and gravel, clay, and minerals such as potash, soda, borate, sodium, potassium, and phosphate.
Injuries and Fatalities Drive Regulation
The mining industry has a high injury and fatality rate.
Environmental Impacts Of Extraction
During operation, mining companies must control soil erosion and prevent runoff that could contaminate nearby bodies of water.
Industry size & Structure
The average non-metal mining company operates out of one to two locations, has about $58 million in annual revenue, and employs about 37 workers.
- The non-metal mining industry consists of about 2,700 firms that employ 100,800 workers and generate about $156 billion annually.
- Major industry segments include dimensional and crushed stone mining and quarrying; sand and gravel quarrying and dredging; and clay, ceramic, refractory, and other nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying.
- About 71% of establishments have fewer than 20 employees.
- Most companies operate only one or two mine sites at a time, due to the large capital investment in equipment needed for extraction and processing.
- Large US companies include Martin Marietta Materials, The Mosaic Company, Compass Minerals International, Intrepid Potash, and United States Lime & Minerals.
Industry Forecast
Non-Metal Mining & Quarrying Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jan 27, 2025 - Prices Keep Rising
- The producer price index for non-metal mining and quarrying firms, which measures prices producers receive for their output, rose 6% in December compared to a year ago after climbing 5.7% in the previous December-versus-December annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Employment by non-metal mining and quarrying firms was relatively flat year-over-year in December, while average industry wages inched up 0.8% YoY in November to $31.18 per hour, down $0.20 from their record high in January, BLS data show. Rising producer prices are helping to offset the impact of rising payrolls.
- The Trump administration is expected to “significantly prioritize” building more mines, processing facilities, and refineries in the US, as opposed to the previous administration's focus on international cooperation to reduce US reliance on foreign supply chains for critical minerals, according to Gregory Wischer, founder of critical minerals consultancy Dei Gratia Minerals. Wischer also predicts that the Trump administration will continue and accelerate bipartisan policies strengthening US mineral supply chains. “In particular, I think you can expect the [Trump] administration to focus heavily on domestic onshoring of all parts of the mineral supply chain, especially mineral extraction,” Wischer told Mining Technology (MT) after the election. Trump’s approach will likely entail streamlining the permitting process and imposing tariffs to incentivize domestic mineral production, Wischer adds. Also, Trump’s more relaxed approach to environmental regulation is likely to benefit the mining sector, per MT.
- Peabody Energy, one of the nation’s largest coal mining companies, is joining with RWE Clean Energy to repurpose reclaimed land previously used for mining for solar energy projects, Coal Age reports. The partnership brings together RWE’s experience in developing and operating clean energy projects and Peabody’s significant land resources to develop 10 potential projects on reclaimed land in Indiana and Illinois, according to Coal Age. RWE will acquire seven of the projects and enter into a joint venture with Peabody to continue development of the three others. Combined, the renewable energy projects planned for the reclaimed lands could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of over 850,000 homes across the region, Coal Age reports. “The development of utility-scale solar and storage projects on reclaimed land previously used by our coal mining operations is consistent with our mission and beneficial for all our stakeholders,” says Peabody’s chief development officer.
- According to USGS Mineral Industry Survey estimates, production and consumption of crushed stone and sand and gravel declined in the second quarter and the first half of 2024. An estimated 404 million metric tons (Mt) of crushed stone was produced and shipped for consumption in the US in the second quarter, a decrease of 5% compared to a year ago, while production in the first half fell 5% YoY. The five leading producing states (Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Ohio) saw production decline 9% in the second quarter YoY. US output of construction sand and gravel fell 7% in Q2 and 6% in the first half, while total production in the top five producing states fell 10% versus Q2 2023. Aggregates play a key role in the construction industry, with a total of $35 billion of crushed stone and sand and gravel produced in the US in 2023.
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