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Industry Overview

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:

    Remove overburden

    Drill bore holes

    Blast rock

    Load shot rock

    Haul to primary crusher

    Convey to secondary crushers

    Separate by size

    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:

        Excavate or dredge

        Wash material

        Screen material

        Separate sand vs gravel

        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:

              Mine limestone

              Crush material

              Heat in kiln (extreme temps)

              Produce clinker/lime

              Store in silos

              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

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