Skip to main content

PART 1: INDUSTRY STRUCTURE (Aggregates & Mining)

PART 1: INDUSTRY STRUCTURE (Aggregates & Mining)

1.1 What We Actually Do

We do not “serve mining.”

We perform:

Aerial inventory measurement and volumetric reporting for outdoor bulk materials.

Mining & aggregates just happens to be the best-fit vertical.

Core Function:

  • Capture aerial imagery

  • Generate 3D surface models

  • Calculate volumes

  • Provide cut/fill comparisons

  • Deliver audit-ready reporting

Everything else is industry context.

1.2 The Mining & Aggregates Ecosystem

A. Metals Mining (Not Our Focus)

  • Gold, copper, iron ore

  • Massive open pits

  • Benches, haul roads, highwalls

  • Rare in Texas

  • Highly engineered, global operators

Status: Opportunistic, not primary.

B. Coal Mining (Declining Sector)

  • Strip mining

  • Draglines

  • Massive earth movement

  • Regulatory decline

Status: Low priority.

C. Construction Materials (PRIMARY FOCUS)

This is where we dominate.

It includes:

  • Crushed Stone (Quarries)

  • Sand & Gravel (Dredge or excavated)

  • Lime/Cement

  • Terminals

  • Ready Mix (Batch Plants)

  • Asphalt Plants

  • Concrete Recyclers

This entire chain touches the same materials multiple times.

That’s the key insight.

PART 2: THE MATERIAL FLOW (Why This Industry Works for Us)

2.1 Quarry (Stone Mining)

Process:

  1. Remove overburden

  2. Drill bore holes

  3. Blast rock

  4. Load shot rock

  5. Haul to primary crusher

  6. Convey to secondary crushers

  7. Separate by size

  8. Stockpile finished product

Drone Applications:

  • Overburden cut/fill

  • Bench progression

  • Shot rock volume

  • Finished stockpiles

  • Monthly reconciliation

  • Multi-surface comparisons (RTK required)

2.2 Sand & Gravel Plants

Process:

  1. Excavate or dredge

  2. Wash material

  3. Screen material

  4. Separate sand vs gravel

  5. Stockpile products

Key Differences vs Quarries:

  • Messier sites

  • Poor pile definition

  • Moisture variability

  • Often near rivers

  • Heavy wash plant infrastructure

Drone Applications:

  • Wet sand volume

  • Multi-product tracking

  • Dredge progression

  • Wash plant feed tracking

2.3 Cement & Lime Plants

Process:

  1. Mine limestone

  2. Crush material

  3. Heat in kiln (extreme temps)

  4. Produce clinker/lime

  5. Store in silos

  6. Fuel kilns with coal

Drone Applications:

  • Coal inventory

  • Overburden

  • Raw material piles

  • Outdoor storage

  • Terminal inventory

Indoor stockpiles = possible but not preferred.

2.4 Terminals

Function:

  • Rail in

  • Stockpile

  • Load out to trucks

  • Serve metro markets

Strategic importance:

  • Centrally located

  • High throughput

  • Recurring inventory need

Terminals are ideal recurring customers.

2.5 Ready Mix (Batch Plants)

Function:

  • Store aggregates in bins

  • Mix with cement + water

  • Load concrete trucks

  • Deliver within 30-minute radius

Why We Love Them:

  • Extremely dense geographically

  • Multiple sites per owner

  • Recurring replenishment

  • Tight inventory cycles

  • Easy visual identification (silos + bins)

2.6 Asphalt Plants

Process:

  • Aggregate

  • Oil binder

  • Heat drum

  • Mix

  • Load hot

Key marker:

  • The “arch” structure over drum system

  • RAP (Recycled Asphalt Pavement) piles

Drone Applications:

  • RAP volume

  • Aggregate inventory

  • Multi-yard operations

2.7 Concrete Recyclers

Function:

  • Accept demolished concrete

  • Crush it

  • Screen it

  • Sell flex base

Often:

  • Messy yards

  • Mixed materials

  • Irregular piles

Great recurring volume clients.

PART 3: COMPANY STRATIFICATION

Tier 1 – Super Majors

Examples:

  • Martin Marietta

  • Heidelberg Materials

  • CRH

  • Rogers Group

  • AMI

Characteristics:

  • Hundreds of locations

  • Regional divisions

  • Area managers

  • Structured corporate hierarchy

Approach:

  • Start local

  • Expand regionally

  • Learn division structure

  • Sell upward after entry

Tier 2 – Regionals

Examples:

  • Burnco

  • TexMix

  • Arcosa

  • Knife River

Characteristics:

  • Multi-state

  • 5–40 locations

  • Strong regional identity

  • Decision-making semi-centralized

Ideal targets.

Tier 3 – Local Multi-Yard Operators

Examples:

  • Titan ReadyMix

  • Reynolds Asphalt

  • 3–6 site operators

Sweet spot:

  • Enough scale to care

  • Not too bureaucratic

  • Recurring opportunity

  • Accessible leadership

Tier 4 – One-Off Operators

Examples:

  • Single yard sand pit

  • Small ready mix startup

Generally:

  • Budget sensitive

  • Low complexity

  • Limited growth potential

Low priority unless:

  • Strategic geography

  • Clusters nearby

Back to top