For the sixth consecutive year, net cash provided by operations was at a record level.
All results are preliminary and, as yet, unaudited.
These results were realized even as severe winter weather in November and December curtailed demand for aggregates and limited production across most of our Midwestern and Southeastern markets. Aggregates shipments increased nearly 1 percent, and prices were up over 4 percent. Excluding recent acquisitions and greenfields, aggregates shipments were 6 percent below 1999's fourth quarter. Our sales and operating cash flows set new records. Construction Materials reported record sales for the eighth consecutive year.