Item 1. BUSINESS

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General

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (the “Company”) is a leading supplier of aggregates products (crushed stone, sand, and gravel) for the construction industry, used for the construction of infrastructure, nonresidential, and residential projects. In addition, aggregates products are used for railroad ballast and in agricultural, utility and environmental applications. The Company’s Aggregates business consists primarily of mining, processing, and selling granite, limestone, sand and gravel. The Aggregates business also includes its aggregates-related downstream product lines (including its heavy building materials such as asphalt products, ready mixed concrete, and road paving construction services). The Company’s Cement business produces Portland and specialty cements. The Company also has a Magnesia Specialties business that manufactures and markets magnesia-based chemical products used in industrial, agricultural, and environmental applications, and dolomitic lime sold primarily to customers in the steel industry. In 2015, the Company’s Aggregates business accounted for 82% of the Company’s consolidated net sales, the Company’s Cement business accounted for 11% of the Company’s consolidated net sales, and the Company’s Magnesia Specialties business accounted for 7% of the Company’s consolidated net sales. Within the Company’s Aggregates business, the aggregates product line accounted for 67% of 2015 net sales, while the aggregates-related downstream operations accounted for 33% of 2015 net sales.

The Company was formed in 1993 as a North Carolina corporation to serve as successor to the operations of the materials group of the organization that is now Lockheed Martin Corporation. An initial public offering of a portion of the Company’s Common Stock was completed in 1994, followed by a tax-free exchange transaction in 1996 that resulted in 100% of the Company’s Common Stock being publicly traded.

The Company completed over 80 smaller acquisitions from the time of its initial public offering until the present, which allowed the Company to enhance and expand its presence in the aggregates marketplace. The Company uses its ability to distribute materials over long distances by rail and water to further expand its operations.

The business has developed further through the following transactions over the past five years. In 2011, the Company acquired three aggregates-related businesses. First, it acquired the assets of an aggregates, asphalt, and ready mixed concrete business located in western San Antonio, Texas. Second, it exchanged certain assets with Lafarge North America Inc. (“Lafarge”), pursuant to which it received aggregate quarry sites, ready mixed concrete and asphalt plants, and a road paving business in and around the metropolitan Denver, Colorado, region, in exchange for which Lafarge received properties consisting of quarries, an asphalt plant, and distribution yards operated by the Company along the Mississippi River (referred to herein as the Company’s “River District Operations”) and a cash payment. Finally, the Company acquired a privately-held ready mixed concrete business in the Denver, Colorado area.

In 2013, the Company acquired three aggregates quarries in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area. The transaction provided over 800 million tons of permitted aggregate reserves and enhanced the Company’s existing long-term position in this market.

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In 2014, the Company completed the acquisition of Texas Industries, Inc. (“TXI”), further augmenting its position as a leading supplier of aggregates and heavy building materials. TXI, as a stand-alone entity, was a leading supplier of heavy construction materials in the southwestern United States and a major supplier of natural aggregates and ready-mixed concrete in Texas, northern Louisiana and, to a lesser extent, in Oklahoma and Arkansas. TXI was the largest supplier of construction aggregates, ready mixed concrete, concrete products, and cement in Texas. Now as a wholly-owned subsidiary, TXI enhances the Company’s position as an aggregates-led, low-cost operator in the large and fast-growing geographies in the United States and provides high-quality assets in cement and ready mixed concrete.

In addition to the Cement business, the Company acquired as part of the TXI acquisition nine quarries and six aggregates distribution terminals located in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. The Company also acquired approximately 120 ready mixed concrete plants, situated primarily in three areas of Texas (the Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton area of north Texas; the Austin area of central Texas; and from Beaumont to Texarkana in east Texas), in north and central Louisiana, and in Southwestern Arkansas. The aggregates and ready mixed concrete operations are reported in the Company’s West Group of its Aggregates business. As part of an agreement with the United States Department of Justice’s review of the transaction, the Company divested of its North Troy Quarry in Oklahoma and two related rail distribution yards in Dallas and Frisco, Texas.

TXI was also a major cement producer in California. In 2015, the Company divested its California cement business acquired from TXI. These operations were not in close proximity to other core assets of the Company and, unlike other marketplace competitors, were not vertically integrated with ready mixed concrete production. The divestiture primarily included a cement plant, two distribution terminals, mobile equipment, intangible assets, and inventory. The Company also completed the integration of the TXI operations in 2015, and completed three smaller acquisitions, which included three aggregate operations and related assets.

Between 2001 and 2015, the Company disposed of or idled a number of underperforming operations, including aggregates, asphalt, ready mixed concrete, trucking, and road paving operations of its Aggregates business and the refractories business of its Magnesia Specialties business. In some of its divestitures, the Company concurrently entered into supply agreements to provide aggregates at market rates to certain of these divested businesses. During 2015, the Company disposed of certain non-core asphalt operations in San Antonio, Texas. The Company will continue to evaluate opportunities to divest underperforming assets during 2016 in an effort to redeploy capital for other opportunities.

Business Segment Information

The Company conducts its Aggregates business through three reportable segments: the Mid-America Group, Southeast Group, and West Group. The Company’s Cement business is reported through the Cement segment. The Company also has the Magnesia Specialties segment, which includes its magnesia-based chemicals and dolomitic lime businesses. Information concerning the Company’s total revenues, net sales, gross profit, earnings from operations, assets employed, and certain additional information attributable to each reportable business segment for each year in the three-year period ended December 31, 2015 is included in “Note O: Business Segments” of the “Notes to Financial Statements” of the Company’s 2015 consolidated financial statements (the “2015 Financial Statements”), which are included under Item 8 of this Form 10-K, and are part of the Company’s 2015 Annual Report to Shareholders (the “2015 Annual Report”), which information is incorporated herein by reference.

Aggregates Business

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The Aggregates business mines, processes and sells granite, limestone, sand, gravel, and other aggregate products for use in all sectors of the public infrastructure, nonresidential and residential construction industries, as well as agriculture, railroad ballast, chemical, and other uses. The Aggregates business also includes the operation of other construction materials businesses. These businesses, located in the West Group, were acquired through continued selective vertical integration by the Company, and include asphalt, ready mixed concrete, and road paving operations in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Texas, and Wyoming.

The Company is a leading supplier of aggregates for the construction industry in the United States. In 2015, the Company’s Aggregates business shipped and delivered aggregates, asphalt products, and ready mixed concrete from a network of over 400 quarries, underground mines, distribution facilities, and plants to customers in 36 states, Canada, and the Bahamas, generating net sales and earnings from operations of $2.7 billion and $429.0 million, respectively.

The Aggregates and Cement businesses market their products primarily to the construction industry, with approximately 42% of the aggregates product line shipments made to contractors in connection with highway and other public infrastructure projects and the balance of its shipments made primarily to contractors in connection with nonresidential and residential construction projects. The Company believes public-works projects have historically accounted for approximately 50% of the total annual aggregates and cement consumption in the United States. These businesses benefit from public-works construction projects. As a result of dependence upon the construction industry, the profitability of aggregates and cement producers is sensitive to national, regional, and local economic conditions, and particularly to cyclical swings in construction spending, which is affected by fluctuations in interest rates, demographic and population shifts, and changes in the level of infrastructure spending funded by the public sector.

The Company’s aggregates product line shipments have increased each of the past four years, reflecting a certain degree of volume stability and modest growth, albeit at and from historically low levels. Prior to 2011, the economic recession resulted in United States aggregates consumption declining by almost 40% from peak volumes in 2006. Aggregates shipments had also suffered as states continued to balance their construction spending with the uncertainty related to long-term federal highway funding and budget shortfalls caused by decreasing tax revenues. During 2015, the Company’s heritage aggregates shipments increased 2.1% compared with 2014 levels, despite the impact of historic levels of rainfall in many of the Company’s markets. Most state budgets began to improve starting in 2013 as increased tax revenues helped states resolve or begin to resolve budget deficits.

The federal highway bill provides annual funding for public-sector highway construction projects. After a decade of 36 short-term funding provisions since Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (“MAP-21”) expired, a five-year, $305 billion highway bill, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (the “FAST Act”), was signed into law on December 4, 2015. FAST Act funding will primarily be secured through gas tax collections. In an investigation performed by S-C Market Analytics, aggregate demand is projected to increase with the availability of federal funding and is expected to peak in 2018. However, we believe that in subsequent years, the projected demand for aggregates will decline with anticipated higher interest and inflation rates. Additionally, many states have recently shown a commitment to securing alternative funding sources, including initiating special-purpose taxes and raising gas taxes. According to American Road and Transportation Builders Association (“ARTBA”), fifteen states have raised gas taxes and 30 legislative measures (which represented 68% of ballot initiatives) for transportation funding were approved by voters in 2015. Supported by state-spending programs, the Company’s heritage aggregates volumes to the infrastructure market in the eastern United States increased in the mid-single digits in 2015 compared with 2014. Overall, the infrastructure market accounted for approximately 42% of the Company’s 2015 aggregates product line shipments.

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The FAST Act will reauthorize federal highway and public transportation programs and stabilize the Highway Trust Fund. $207.4 billion of the funding will be apportioned to the states by formula, with a 5.1% increase over actual fiscal year 2015 apportionments in 2016 and then inflationary increases in subsequent years. Meaningful impact from the FAST Act is not expected before the second half of 2016.

The FAST Act retains the programs supported under the predecessor bill, MAP-21, but with some changes. Specifically, TIFIA, a U.S. Department of Transportation alternative funding mechanism, which under MAP-21 provided three types of federal credit assistance for nationally or regionally significant surface transportation projects, will now allow more diversification of projects. TIFIA is designed to fill market gaps and leverage substantial private co-investment by providing projects with supplemental or subordinate debt that is not subject to national debt ceiling challenges or sequestration. Since 2012, TIFIA has provided credit assistance to over 30 projects representing over $49 billion in infrastructure investment. Under the FAST Act, TIFIA annual funding will range from $275 million to $300 million, and will no longer require the 20% matching funds from state departments of transportation. Consequently, states can advance construction projects immediately with potentially zero upfront outlay of local state department of transportation dollars. TIFIA requires projects to have a revenue source to pay back the credit assistance within a 30 to 40 year period. Moreover, TIFIA funds may represent up to 49% of total eligible project costs for a TIFIA-secured loan and 33% for a TIFIA standby line of credit. Therefore, the TIFIA program has the ability to significantly leverage construction dollars. Each dollar of federal funds can provide up to $10 in TIFIA credit assistance and support up to $30 in transportation infrastructure investment. Private investment in transportation projects funded through the TIFIA program is particularly attractive, in part due to the subordination of public investment to private. Management believes TIFIA could provide a substantial boost for state department of transportation construction programs well above what is currently budgeted. As of January 2016, TIFIA funded projects for the Company’s key states (Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida) exceeded $12 billion.

The federal highway bill provides spending authorizations, which represent the maximum financial obligation that will result from the immediate or future outlays of federal funds for highway and transit programs. The federal government’s surface transportation programs are financed mostly through the receipts of highway user taxes placed in the Highway Trust Fund, which is divided into the Highway Account and the Mass Transit Account. Revenues credited to the Highway Trust Fund are primarily derived from a federal gas tax, a federal tax on certain other motor fuels and interest on the accounts’ accumulated balances. MAP-21 extended federal motor fuel taxes through September 30, 2016 and truck excise taxes through September 30, 2017. Of the currently imposed federal gas tax of $0.184 per gallon, which has been static since 1993, $0.15 is allocated to the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund.

Transportation investments generally boost the national economy by enhancing mobility and access and by creating jobs, which is a priority of many of the government’s economic plans. According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 billion in federal highway investment creates approximately 28,000 jobs. The number of jobs created is dependent on the nature and aggregates intensity of the projects. Approximately half of the Aggregates business’ net sales to the infrastructure market come from federal funding authorizations, including matching funds from the states. For each dollar spent on road, highway and bridge improvements, the Federal Highway Administration estimates an average benefit of $5.20 is recognized in the form of reduced vehicle maintenance costs, reduced delays, reduced fuel consumption, improved safety, reduced road and bridge maintenance costs and reduced emissions as a result of improved traffic flow.

The Company’s Aggregates business covers a wide geographic area. The Company’s five largest revenue-generating states (Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Iowa, and Georgia) accounted for 70% of total 2015 net sales for the Aggregates business by state of destination. The Company’s Aggregates business is

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accordingly affected by the economies in these regions and has been adversely affected in part by recessions and weaknesses in these economies from time to time. Recent improvements in the national economy and in some of the states in which the Company operates have led to improvements in profitability in the Company’s Aggregates business.

The Company’s Aggregates business is also highly seasonal, due primarily to the effect of weather conditions on construction activity within its markets. The operations of the Aggregates business that are concentrated in the northern and midwestern United States and Canada typically experience more severe winter weather conditions than operations in the southeastern and southwestern regions of the United States. Excessive rainfall, flooding, or severe drought can also jeopardize shipments, production, and profitability in all of the Company’s markets. Subject to these factors, the Company’s second and third quarters are typically the strongest, with the first quarter generally reflecting the weakest results. Results in any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the Company’s annual results. Similarly, the operations of the Aggregates business in the coastal areas are at risk for hurricane activity, most notably in August, September, and October, and have experienced weather-related losses from time to time. Weather-related hindrances were exacerbated in 2015 by record precipitation in many of the Company’s key markets. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) has tracked precipitation for 121 years. According to NOAA, 2015 represented the wettest year on record for Texas and Oklahoma, while North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado and Iowa each experienced a top-ten precipitation year, and the nation as a whole had its third wettest year in NOAA recorded history. These weather events reduced the Company’s overall profitability in 2015, creating a backlog of construction activity expected to be completed in 2016. The completion of construction activity backlog in 2016 will depend on the capacity of the affected areas to provide enough resources, such as construction crews and equipment, among others.

Natural aggregates sources can be found in relatively homogeneous deposits in certain areas of the United States. As a general rule, truck shipments from an individual quarry are limited because the cost of transporting processed aggregates to customers is high in relation to the price of the product itself. As described below, the Company’s distribution system mainly uses trucks, but also has access to a river barge and ocean vessel network where the per mile unit cost of transporting aggregates is much lower. In addition, acquisitions have enabled the Company to extend its customer base through increased access to rail transportation. Proximity of quarry facilities to customers or to long-haul transportation corridors is an important factor in competition for aggregates businesses.

A significant percentage of the Company’s aggregates shipments continue to be moved by rail or water through a distribution yard network. In 1994, 93% of the Company’s aggregates shipments were moved by truck, the rest by rail. In contrast, in 2015, the originating mode of transportation for the Company’s aggregates shipments was 75% by truck, 21% by rail, and 4% by water. Although the Company divested its River District Operations in 2011 as part of the asset exchange with Lafarge, the development of deep-water and rail distribution yards continues to be a key component of the Company’s strategic growth plan. While the River District Operations were being serviced as part of the Company’s barge long-haul distribution network, those divested operations were not in high-growth states. The majority of rail and water movements occur in the Southeast Group and the West Group, that have certain areas which generally lack a long-term indigenous supply of coarse aggregates but exhibit above-average growth characteristics driven by long-term population growth and density. The Company has an extensive network of aggregate quarries and distribution centers throughout the southern United States and in the Bahamas and Canada, as well as distribution centers along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts. In 2015, 24.3 million tons of aggregates were sold from distribution yards. Results from these distribution operations lowered the gross margin (excluding freight and delivery revenues) of the Aggregates business by 240 basis points in 2015. The gross margin (excluding freight and delivery

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revenues) of the Aggregates business will continue to be reduced by the lower gross margins of the long-haul distribution network.

During the recent economic recession, the Company set a priority of preserving capital while maintaining safe, environmentally-sound operations. As the Company returns to a more normalized operating environment, management expects to focus part of its capital spending program on expanding key Southeast and Southwest operations.

The Company’s Medina Rock and Rail capital project, with a total cost of $160 million, is the largest capital expansion project in its history. The project, located near San Antonio, Texas, consists of a rail-connected limestone aggregates processing facility which is expected to ship approximately six million tons in 2016 and have the future capability of producing in excess of 10 million tons per year. Land acquisitions were completed over several years as part of ongoing capital expenditures, and construction began in 2013. The project began operations in January 2016.

The Company also acquires contiguous property around existing quarry locations. This property can serve as buffer property or additional mineral reserve capacity, assuming the underlying geology supports economical aggregates mining. In either instance, the acquisition of additional property around an existing quarry allows the expansion of the quarry footprint and extension of quarry life. Some locations having limited reserves may be unable to expand.

A long-term capital focus for the Company, primarily in the midwestern United States due to the nature of its indigenous aggregates supply, is underground limestone aggregate mines, which provide a neighbor-friendly alternative to surface quarries. The Company operates 14 active underground mines, located primarily in the Mid-America Group, and is the largest operator of underground limestone aggregate mines in the United States. Production costs are generally higher at underground mines than surface quarries since the depth of the aggregate deposits and the access to the reserves result in higher development, explosives and depreciation costs. However, these locations often possess transportation advantages that can lead to higher average selling prices than more distant surface quarries.

The Company’s acquisitions and capital projects have expanded its ability to ship material by rail, as discussed in more detail below. The Company has added additional capacity in a number of locations that can now accommodate larger unit train movements. These expansion projects have enhanced the Company’s long-haul distribution network. The Company’s process improvement efforts have also improved operational effectiveness through plant automation, mobile fleet modernization, right-sizing, and other cost control improvements. Accordingly, the Company has enhanced its reach through its ability to provide cost-effective coverage of coastal markets on the east and gulf coasts, as well as geographic areas that can be accessed economically by the Company’s expanded distribution system. This distribution network moves aggregates materials from domestic and offshore sources, via rail and water, to markets where aggregates supply is limited.

As the Company continues to move more aggregates by rail and water, internal freight costs are expected to reduce gross margins (excluding freight and delivery revenues). This typically occurs where the Company transports aggregates from a production location to a distribution location by rail or water, and the customer pays a selling price that includes a freight component. Margins are negatively affected because the Company typically does not charge the customer a profit associated with the transportation component of the selling price of the materials. Moreover, the Company’s expansion of its rail-based distribution network, coupled with the extensive use of rail service in the Southeast and West Groups, increases the Company’s dependence on and exposure to railroad performance, including track congestion, crew availability, and power availability, and the ability to renegotiate favorable railroad shipping contracts. The waterborne distribution

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network, primarily located within the Southeast Group, also increases the Company’s exposure to certain risks, including the ability to negotiate favorable shipping contracts, demurrage costs, fuel costs, ship availability, and weather disruptions. The Company has entered into long-term agreements with shipping companies to provide ships to transport the Company’s aggregates to various coastal ports.

The Company’s long-term shipping contracts are generally take-or-pay contracts with minimum and maximum shipping requirements. If the Company fails to ship the annual minimum tonnages under the agreement, it must still pay the shipping company the contractually-stated minimum amount for that year. In 2015, the Company did not incur any such charges; however, a charge is possible in 2016 if shipment volumes do not meet the contractually-stated minimums.

From time to time, the Company has experienced rail transportation shortages, particularly in the Southwest and Southeast. These shortages were caused by the downsizing in personnel and equipment by certain railroads during economic downturns. Further, in response to these issues, rail transportation providers focused on increasing the number of cars per unit train under transportation contracts and are generally requiring customers, through the freight rate structure, to accommodate larger unit train movements. A unit train is a freight train moving large tonnages of a single bulk product between two points without intermediate yarding and switching. Certain of the Company’s sales yards have the system capabilities to meet the unit train requirements. Over the last few years, the Company has made capital improvements to a number of its sales yards in order to better accommodate unit train unloadings. Rail availability is seasonal and can impact aggregates shipments depending on competing movements.

From time to time, we have also experienced rail and trucking shortages due to competition from other products. For example, in Texas, competition with operations in the oil and gas fields for third-party trucking services constrains the availability of these services to us. If there are material changes in the availability or cost of rail or trucking services, we may not be able to arrange alternative and timely means to ship our products at a reasonable cost, which could lead to interruptions or slowdowns in our businesses or increases in our costs.

The Company’s management expects the multiple transportation modes that have been developed with various rail carriers and via deep-water ships should provide the Company with the flexibility to effectively serve customers in the southeastern and southwestern regions of the United States.

The construction aggregates industry has been consolidating, and the Company has actively participated in the consolidation of the industry. When acquired, new locations sometimes do not satisfy the Company’s internal safety, maintenance, and pit development standards, and may require additional resources before benefits of the acquisitions are fully realized. Industry consolidation slowed several years ago as the number of suitable small to mid-sized acquisition targets in high-growth markets declined. During that period of fewer acquisition opportunities, the Company focused on investing in internal expansion projects in high-growth markets. The number of acquisition opportunities has increased in the last few years as the economy has begun to recover from the protracted recession. Opportunities include public and larger private, family-owned businesses, as well as asset swaps and divestitures from companies rationalizing non-core assets and repairing financially-constrained balanced sheets. The Company’s Board of Directors and management continue to review and monitor the Company’s strategic long-term plans, which include assessing business combinations and arrangements with other companies engaged in similar businesses, increasing market share in the Company’s core businesses, investing in internal expansion projects in high-growth markets, and pursuing new opportunities related to the Company’s existing markets.

The Company became more vertically integrated with an acquisition in 1998 and subsequent acquisitions, including the 2014 TXI acquisition, particularly in the West Group, pursuant to which the

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Company acquired asphalt, ready mixed concrete, paving construction, trucking, and other businesses, which complement the Company’s aggregates operations. These aggregates-related downstream operations accounted for 33% of net sales of the Aggregates business in 2015. These aggregates-related downstream operations reported within the Aggregates business segment have lower gross margins (excluding freight and delivery revenues) than the Company’s aggregates product line due to highly competitive market dynamics and lower barriers to entry, and are affected by volatile factors, including fuel costs, operating efficiencies, and weather, to an even greater extent than the Company’s aggregates operations. Liquid asphalt and cement serve as key raw materials in the production of hot mix asphalt and ready mixed concrete, respectively. Therefore, fluctuations in prices for these raw materials directly affect the Company’s operating results. During 2015, prices for liquid asphalt were lower than 2014. Liquid asphalt prices may not always follow other energy products (e.g., oil or diesel fuel) because of complexities in the refining process which converts a barrel of oil into other fuels and petrochemical products. We expect the Company’s gross margins (excluding freight and delivery revenues) for the legacy TXI aggregates-related downstream operations to improve, similar to the pattern experienced at the Colorado aggregates-related downstream operations acquired in 2011.

The Company continues to review carefully each of the acquired aggregates-related downstream operations to determine if they represent opportunities to divest underperforming assets in an effort to redeploy capital for other opportunities. The Company also reviews other independent aggregates-related downstream operations to determine if they might present attractive acquisition opportunities in the best interest of the Company, either as part of their own aggregates-related downstream operations or operations that might be vertically integrated with other operations owned by the Company. Based on these assessments, in 2011 the Company completed the acquisitions described under General above, which included aggregates-related downstream operations, including asphalt, ready mixed concrete, and road paving businesses in the Denver, Colorado, and San Antonio, Texas markets. The 2014 business combination with TXI described under General above further expanded the Company’s aggregates-related downstream operations, with the addition of TXI’s aggregates and ready mixed concrete operations. The TXI combination also added the cement operations of TXI, which are accounted for as a separate business segment of the Company.

Environmental and zoning regulations have made it increasingly difficult for the aggregates industry to expand existing quarries and to develop new quarry operations. Although it cannot be predicted what policies will be adopted in the future by federal, state, and local governmental bodies regarding these matters, the Company anticipates that future restrictions will likely make zoning and permitting more difficult, thereby potentially enhancing the value of the Company’s existing mineral reserves.

Management believes the Aggregates business’ raw materials, or aggregates reserves, are sufficient to permit production at present operational levels for the foreseeable future. The Company does not anticipate any material difficulty in obtaining the raw materials that it uses for current production in its Aggregates business. The Company’s aggregates reserves on the average exceed 60 years of production, based on normalized levels of production. However, certain locations may be subject to more limited reserves and may not be able to expand. Moreover, as noted above, environmental and zoning regulations will likely make it harder for the Company to expand its existing quarries or develop new quarry operations. The Company generally sells products in its Aggregates business upon receipt of orders or requests from customers. Accordingly, there is no significant order backlog. The Company generally maintains inventories of aggregate products in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of customers.

Less than 2% of the revenues from the Aggregates business are from foreign jurisdictions, principally Canada and the Bahamas, with revenues from customers in foreign countries totaling $12.3 million, $13.0 million, and $16.8 million, during 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

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Cement Business

The Cement business produces Portland and specialty cements. Cement is the basic binding agent for concrete, a primary construction material. The principal raw material used in the production of cement is calcium carbonate in the form of limestone. The Company owns more than 600 million tons of limestone reserves adjacent to its two cement production plants in Texas. Similar to the Aggregates business, cement is used in infrastructure projects, nonresidential and residential construction, and the railroad, agricultural, utility and environmental industries. Consequently, the cement industry is cyclical and dependent on the strength of the construction sector.

The Company has the leading cement position in Texas, with two production facilities, one located in Midlothian, Texas, south of Dallas/Fort Worth, and the other located in Hunter, Texas, north of San Antonio. In addition to these production facilities, the Company also operates three cement distribution terminals in Texas. During 2015 the Company also operated a state-of-the-art, rail-located cement plant in southern California at Oro Grande, California, near Los Angeles, California, and operated cement grinding and packaging facilities at the Crestmore plant near Riverside, California. In addition to the manufacturing and packaging facilities, the Company also operated two cement distribution terminals in California in 2015. As of September 30, 2015, the Company sold all of its California cement operations. It retained the real estate at the Crestmore facility, which the Company expects to sell for non-cement use. These operations were not in close proximity to other core assets of the Company and, unlike other marketplace competitors, were not vertically integrated with ready mixed concrete production.

Cement consumption is dependent on the time of year and prevalent weather conditions. According to the Portland Cement Association, nearly two-thirds of U.S. cement consumption occurs in the six months between May and October. The majority of all cement shipments, approximately 70 percent, are sent to ready-mix concrete operators. The rest are shipped to manufacturers of concrete related products, contractors, materials dealers, oil well/mining/drilling companies, as well as government entities.

Energy, including electricity and fossil fuels, accounts for approximately one-third of the cement production cost profile. Therefore, profitability of the Cement business is affected by changes in energy prices and the availability of the supply of these products. The Company currently has fixed-price supply contracts for coal and diesel fuel but also consumes natural gas, alternative fuel and petroleum coke. Further, profitability of the Cement business is also subject to kiln maintenance. This process typically requires a plant to be shut down for a period of time as repairs are made. In 2015, the Cement business incurred ordinary kiln maintenance shutdown costs of $26.0 million.

Texas and California accounted for 73% and 27% of the Cement business’ net sales, respectively, in 2015, including the California cement operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. The Cement business is benefitting from continued strength in the Texas markets, where current demand exceeds local supply, a trend that is expected to continue for the near future. The Cement business sold cement to customers in 13 states and Mexico. Truck and rail transportation modes represent 97% and 3%, respectively, of total tons shipped. A portion of the cement is used internally in the Company’s ready mixed concrete product line. The Company shipped a total of 4.6 million tons of cement in 2015, with 3.7 million tons shipped to external customers and 0.9 million tons consumed by the Company for internal use. Of this amount, 1.1 million tons were shipped from the California cement plant prior to its sale as of September 30, 2015. For 2015 the Cement business generated net sales and earnings from operations of $367.6 million and $47.8 million, respectively.

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The limestone reserves used as a raw material for cement are located on property, owned by the Company, adjacent to each of the cement plants. Management believes that its reserves of limestone are sufficient to permit production at the current operational levels for the foreseeable future.

The Cement business generally delivers its products upon receipt of orders or requests from customers. Accordingly, there are no significant levels of order backlog. Inventory for products is generally maintained in sufficient quantities to meet rapid delivery requirements of customers**.**

Less than 2% of the revenues from the Cement business are from foreign jurisdictions, principally Mexico, with revenues from customers in foreign countries totaling $0.4 million during 2015 and $3.8 million during 2014 for the period from the July 1, 2014 acquisition of TXI.

Magnesia Specialties Business

The Company manufactures and markets, through its Magnesia Specialties business, magnesia-based chemical products for industrial, agricultural, and environmental applications, and dolomitic lime for use primarily in the steel industry. These chemical products have varying uses, including flame retardants, wastewater treatment, pulp and paper production, and other environmental applications. In 2015, 67% of Magnesia Specialties’ net sales were attributable to chemical products, 32% to lime, and 1% to stone sold as construction materials. Magnesia Specialties’ net sales declined 3.6% in 2015 compared with 2014. The reduction reflects a decrease in both the chemicals and dolomitic lime product lines. Net sales were impacted by lower domestic steel production, which was down 9% versus 2014. For 2015 the Magnesia Specialties business generated net sales and earnings from operations of $227.5 million and $68.9 million, respectively.

Given the high fixed costs associated with operating this business, low capacity utilization negatively affects its results of operations. A significant portion of the costs related to the production of magnesia-based products and dolomitic lime is of a fixed or semi-fixed nature. In addition, the production of certain magnesia chemical products and lime products requires natural gas, coal, and petroleum coke to fuel kilns. Price fluctuations of these fuels affect the profitability of this business.

In 2015, 80% of the lime produced was sold to third-party customers, while the remaining 20% was used internally as a raw material in making the business’ chemical products. Dolomitic lime products sold to external customers are used primarily by the steel industry. Products used in the steel industry, either directly as dolomitic lime or indirectly as a component of other industrial products, accounted for 42% of the Magnesia Specialties’ net sales in 2015, attributable primarily to the sale of dolomitic lime products. Accordingly, a portion of the profitability of the Magnesia Specialties business is dependent on steel production capacity utilization and the related marketplace. These trends are guided by the rate of consumer consumption, the flow of offshore imports, and other economic factors. The dolomitic lime business runs most profitably at 70% or greater steel capacity utilization; domestic capacity utilization averaged 70% in 2015, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Average steel production in 2015 declined 9% versus 2014 and the 2016 forecast is an increase of 2% over 2015.

Management has shifted the strategic focus of the magnesia-based business to specialty chemicals that can be produced at volume levels that support efficient operations. Accordingly, that business is not as dependent on the steel industry as is the dolomitic lime portion of the Magnesia Specialties business.

The principal raw materials used in the Magnesia Specialties business are dolomitic limestone and alkali-rich brine. Management believes that its reserves of dolomitic limestone and brine are sufficient to permit production at the current operational levels for the foreseeable future.

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After the brine is used in the production process, the Magnesia Specialties business must dispose of the processed brine. In the past, the business did this by reinjecting the processed brine back into its underground brine reserve network around its facility in Manistee, Michigan. The business has also sold a portion of this processed brine to third parties. In 2003, Magnesia Specialties entered into a long-term processed brine supply agreement with The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) pursuant to which Dow purchases processed brine from Magnesia Specialties, at market rates, for use in Dow’s production of calcium chloride products. Magnesia Specialties also entered into a venture with Dow to construct, own, and operate a processed brine supply pipeline between the Magnesia Specialties facility in Manistee, Michigan, and Dow’s facility in Ludington, Michigan. Construction of the pipeline was completed in 2003, and Dow began purchasing processed brine from Magnesia Specialties through the pipeline. In 2010, Dow sold the assets of Dow’s facility in Ludington, Michigan to Occidental Chemical Corporation (“Occidental”) and assigned to Occidental its interests in the long-term processed brine supply agreement and the pipeline venture with Magnesia Specialties.

Magnesia Specialties generally delivers its products upon receipt of orders or requests from customers. Accordingly, there is no significant order backlog. Inventory for products is generally maintained in sufficient quantities to meet rapid delivery requirements of customers. A significant portion of the 275,000 ton dolomitic lime capacity from a lime kiln completed in 2012 at Woodville, Ohio is committed under a long-term supply contract.

The Magnesia Specialties business is highly dependent on rail transportation, particularly for movement of dolomitic lime from Woodville to Manistee and direct customer shipments of dolomitic lime and magnesia chemicals products from both Woodville and Manistee. The segment can be affected by the specific transportation and other risks and uncertainties outlined under Item IA., Risk Factors, of this Form 10-K.

Approximately 13.3% of the revenues of the Magnesia Specialties business in 2015 were from foreign jurisdictions, principally Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, and the Pacific Rim, but no single foreign country accounted for 10% or more of the revenues of the business. Revenues from customers in foreign countries totaled $32.7 million, $29.0 million, and $25.7 million, in 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively. As a result of these foreign market sales, the financial results of the Magnesia Specialties business could be affected by foreign currency exchange rates or weak economic conditions in the foreign markets. To mitigate the short-term effects of currency exchange rates, the Magnesia Specialties business principally uses the United States dollar as the functional currency in foreign transactions. However, the current strength of the United States dollar in foreign markets is affecting the overall price of Magnesia Specialties’ products when compared to foreign-domiciled competitors.

Patents and Trademarks

As of February 12, 2016, the Company owns, has the right to use, or has pending applications for approximately 33 patents pending or granted by the United States and various countries and approximately 112 trademarks related to business. The Company believes that its rights under its existing patents, patent applications, and trademarks are of value to its operations, but no one patent or trademark or group of patents or trademarks is material to the conduct of the Company’s business as a whole.

Customers

No material part of the business of any segment of the Company is dependent upon a single customer or upon a few customers, the loss of any one of which would have a material adverse effect on the segment. The Company’s products are sold principally to commercial customers in private industry. Although large amounts

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of construction materials are used in public works projects, relatively insignificant sales are made directly to federal, state, county, or municipal governments, or agencies thereof.

Competition

Because of the impact of transportation costs on the aggregates industry, competition in the Aggregates business tends to be limited to producers in proximity to each of the Company’s facilities. Although all of the Company’s locations experience competition, the Company believes that it is generally a leading producer in the areas it serves. Competition is based primarily on quarry or distribution location and price, but quality of aggregates and level of customer service are also factors.

There are over 5,600 companies in the United States that produce construction aggregates. These include active crushed stone companies and active sand and gravel companies. The largest ten producers account for approximately 35% of the total market. The Company’s aggregates-related downstream operations are also characterized by numerous operators. A national trade association estimates there are about 5,500 ready mixed concrete plants in the United States owned by over 2,200 companies, with about 65,000 mixer trucks delivering ready mixed concrete. Similarly, a national trade association estimates there are about 3,700 asphalt plants in the United States owned by over 800 companies. The Company, in its Aggregates business, including its aggregates-related downstream operations, competes with a number of other large and small producers. The Company believes that its ability to transport materials by ocean vessels and rail have enhanced the Company’s ability to compete in the aggregates industry. Some of the Company’s competitors in the aggregates industry have greater financial resources than the Company.

The Company’s Magnesia Specialties business competes with various companies in different geographic and product areas principally on the basis of quality, price, technological advances, and technical support for its products. The Magnesia Specialties business also competes for sales to customers located outside the United States, with revenues from foreign jurisdictions accounting for 13.3% of revenues for the Magnesia Specialties business in 2015, principally in Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, and the Pacific Rim. Certain of the Company’s competitors in the Magnesia Specialties business have greater financial resources than the Company.

According to the Portland Cement Association, United States cement production is widely dispersed with the operation of 107 cement plants in 36 states. The top five companies collectively operate 49.6 percent of U.S. clinker capacity with the largest company representing 14.2 percent of all domestic clinker capacity. An estimated 76.7 percent of U.S. clinker capacity is owned by companies headquartered outside of the United States. In reviewing these figures for cement plants, capacity is often stated in terms of “clinker” capacity. “Clinker” is the initial product of cement production. Cement producers mine materials such as limestone, shale, or other materials, crush and screen the materials, and place them in a cement kiln. After being heated to extremely high temperatures, these materials form marble-sized balls or pellets called “clinker” that are then very finely ground to produce portland cement.

The Company’s Cement business competes with various companies in different geographic and product areas principally on the basis of proximity, quality and price for its products, but level of customer service is also a factor. The Cement business also competes with imported cement because of the higher value of the product and the existence of major ports in some of our markets. A small percentage of the Company’s cement sales are to customers located outside the United States, with less than 2% of revenues for the Cement business in 2015 coming from sales from California to customers in Mexico. The Company divested of its California cement business as of September 30, 2015. Certain of the Company’s competitors in the Cement business have greater financial resources than the Company.

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The nature of the Company’s competition varies among its product lines due to the widely differing amounts of capital necessary to build production facilities. Crushed stone production from stone quarries or mines, or sand and gravel production by dredging, is moderately capital intensive. The Company’s major competitors in the aggregates markets are typically large vertically integrated companies, with international operations. Ready-mixed concrete production requires relatively small amounts of capital to build a concrete batching plant and acquire delivery trucks. As a result, in each local market the Company faces competition from numerous small producers as well as large vertically integrated companies with facilities in many markets. Construction of cement production facilities is highly capital intensive and requires long lead times to complete engineering design, obtain regulatory permits, acquire equipment and construct a plant. Most domestic producers of cement are owned by large foreign companies operating in multiple international markets. Many of these producers maintain the capability to import cement from foreign production facilities.

Research and Development

The Company conducts research and development activities, principally for its magnesia-based chemicals business, at its plant in Manistee, Michigan. In general, the Company’s research and development efforts are directed to applied technological development for the use of its chemicals products. The amounts spent by the Company in each of the last two years on research and development activities were not material.

Environmental and Governmental Regulations

The Company’s operations are subject to and affected by federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to the environment, health and safety, and other regulatory matters. Certain of the Company’s operations may from time to time involve the use of substances that are classified as toxic or hazardous substances within the meaning of these laws and regulations. Environmental operating permits are, or may be, required for certain of the Company’s operations, and such permits are subject to modification, renewal, and revocation.

The Company records an accrual for environmental remediation liabilities in the period in which it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amounts can be reasonably estimated. Such accruals are adjusted as further information develops or circumstances change. The accruals are not discounted to their present value or offset for potential insurance or other claims or potential gains from future alternative uses for a site.

The Company regularly monitors and reviews its operations, procedures, and policies for compliance with existing laws and regulations, changes in interpretations of existing laws and enforcement policies, new laws that are adopted, and new laws that the Company anticipates will be adopted that could affect its operations. The Company has a full time staff of environmental engineers and managers that perform these responsibilities. The direct costs of ongoing environmental compliance were approximately $24.7 million in 2015 and approximately $19.6 million in 2014 and are related to the Company’s environmental staff, ongoing monitoring costs for various matters (including those matters disclosed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K), and asset retirement costs. Capitalized costs related to environmental control facilities were approximately $9.7 million in 2015 and are expected to be approximately $9.0 million in 2016 and 2017. The Company’s capital expenditures for environmental matters were not material to its results of operations or financial condition in 2015 and 2014. However, our expenditures for environmental matters generally have increased over time and are likely to increase in the future. Despite our compliance efforts, risk of environmental liability is inherent in the operation of the Company’s businesses, as it is with other companies engaged in similar businesses, and

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there can be no assurance that environmental liabilities will not have a material adverse effect on the Company in the future.

Many of the requirements of the environmental laws are satisfied by procedures that the Company adopts as best business practices in the ordinary course of its operations. For example, plant equipment that is used to crush aggregates products may, as an ordinary course of operations, have an attached water spray bar that is used to clean the stone. The water spray bar also suffices as a dust control mechanism that complies with applicable environmental laws. The Company does not break out the portion of the cost, depreciation, and other financial information relating to the water spray bar that is only attributable to environmental purposes, as it would be derived from an arbitrary allocation methodology. The incremental portion of such operating costs that is attributable to environmental compliance rather than best operating practices is impractical to quantify. Accordingly, the Company expenses costs in that category when incurred as operating expenses.

The environmental accruals recorded by the Company are based on internal studies of the required remediation costs and estimates of potential costs that arise from time to time under federal, state, and/or local environmental protection laws. Many of these laws and the regulations promulgated under them are complex, and are subject to challenges and new interpretations by regulators and the courts from time to time. In addition, new laws are adopted from time to time. It is often difficult to accurately and fully quantify the costs to comply with new rules until it is determined the type of operations to which they will apply and the manner in which they will be implemented is more accurately defined. This process often takes years to finalize and changes significantly from the time the rules are proposed to the time they are final. The Company typically has several appropriate alternatives available to satisfy compliance requirements, which could range from nominal costs to some alternatives that may be satisfied in conjunction with equipment replacement or expansion that also benefits operating efficiencies or capacities and carry significantly higher costs.

Management believes that its current accrual for environmental costs is reasonable, although those amounts may increase or decrease depending on the impact of applicable rules as they are finalized from time to time and changes in facts and circumstances. The Company believes that any additional costs for ongoing environmental compliance would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s obligations or financial condition.

Future reclamation costs are estimated using statutory reclamation requirements and management’s experience and knowledge in the industry, and are discounted to their present value using a credit-adjusted, risk-free rate of interest. The future reclamation costs are not offset by potential recoveries. For additional information regarding compliance with legal requirements, see “Note N: Commitments and Contingencies” of the “Notes to Financial Statements” of the 2015 Financial Statements and the 2015 Annual Report. The Company is generally required by state or local laws or pursuant to the terms of an applicable lease to reclaim quarry sites after use. The Company performs activities on an ongoing basis that may reduce the ultimate reclamation obligation. These activities are performed as an integral part of the normal quarrying process. For example, the perimeter and interior walls of an open pit quarry are sloped and benched as they are developed to prevent erosion and provide stabilization. This sloping and benching meets dual objectives — safety regulations required by the Mine Safety and Health Administration for ongoing operations and final reclamation requirements. Therefore, these types of activities are included in normal operating costs and are not a part of the asset retirement obligation. Historically, the Company has not incurred substantial reclamation costs in connection with the closing of quarries. Reclaimed quarry sites owned by the Company are available for sale, typically for commercial development or use as reservoirs.

The Company believes that its operations and facilities, both owned or leased, are in substantial compliance with applicable laws and regulations and that any noncompliance is not likely to have a material

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adverse effect on the Company’s operations or financial condition. See “Legal Proceedings” under Item 3 of this Form 10-K, “Note N: Commitments and Contingencies” of the “Notes to Financial Statements” of the 2015 Financial Statements included under Item 8 of this Form 10-K and the 2015 Annual Report, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Environmental Regulation and Litigation” included under Item 7 of this Form 10-K and the 2015 Annual Report. However, future events, such as changes in or modified interpretations of existing laws and regulations or enforcement policies, or further investigation or evaluation of the potential health hazards of certain products or business activities, may give rise to additional compliance and other costs that could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

In general, quarry, mining, and cement production facilities must comply with air quality, water quality, and noise regulations, zoning and special use permitting requirements, applicable mining regulations, and federal health and safety requirements. As new quarry and mining sites are located and acquired, the Company works closely with local authorities during the zoning and permitting processes to design new quarries and mines in such a way as to minimize disturbances. The Company frequently acquires large tracts of land so that quarry, mine, and production facilities can be situated substantial distances from surrounding property owners. Also, in certain markets the Company’s ability to transport material by rail and ship allows it to locate its facilities further away from residential areas. The Company has established policies designed to minimize disturbances to surrounding property owners from its operations.

As is the case with other companies in the same industry, some of the Company’s products contain varying amounts of crystalline silica, a common mineral also known as quartz. Excessive, prolonged inhalation of very small-sized particles of crystalline silica has been associated with lung diseases, including silicosis, and several scientific organizations and some states, such as California, have reported that crystalline silica can cause lung cancer. The Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have established occupational thresholds for crystalline silica exposure as respirable dust. The Company monitors occupational exposures at its facilities and implements dust control procedures and/or makes available appropriate respiratory protective equipment to maintain the occupational exposures at or below the appropriate levels. The Company, through safety information sheets and other means, also communicates what it believes to be appropriate warnings and cautions its employees and customers about the risks associated with excessive, prolonged inhalation of mineral dust in general and crystalline silica in particular.

As is the case with other companies in the cement industry, the Company’s cement operations produce varying quantities of cement kiln dust (“CKD”). This production by-product consists of fine-grained, solid, highly alkaline material removed from cement kiln exhaust gas by air pollution control devices. Because much of the CKD is actually unreacted raw materials, it is generally permissible to recycle the CKD back into the production process, and large amounts often are treated in such manner. CKD that is not returned to the production process or sold as a product itself is disposed in landfills. CKD is currently exempted from federal hazardous waste regulations under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

In 2010, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”) included the lime industry as a national enforcement priority under the federal Clean Air Act (“CAA”). As part of the industry wide effort, the USEPA issued Notices of Violation/Findings of Violation (“NOVs”) to the Company in 2010 and 2011 regarding the Company’s compliance with the CAA New Source Review (“NSR”) program at the Magnesia Specialties dolomitic lime manufacturing plant in Woodville, Ohio. The Company has been providing information to the USEPA in response to these NOVs and has had several meetings with the USEPA. The Company believes it is in substantial compliance with the NSR program. The Company cannot at this time reasonably estimate what reasonable likely penalties or upgrades to equipment might ultimately be required.

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The Company believes that any costs related to any required upgrades will be spread over time and will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations or its financial condition, but can give no assurance that the ultimate resolution of this matter will not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or results of operations of the Magnesia Specialties segment of the business.

In October 2014, the Company received a CAA Section 114 request for information regarding the Manistee, Michigan operations from the USEPA, similar to the one initially received at the Woodville, Ohio plant. The letter seeks information regarding the Company’s compliance with the NSR program at the Magnesia Specialties manufacturing plant in Manistee, Michigan. No notices of violation have been received by the Company relating to alleged non-compliance at the Manistee plant. The Company believes it is in substantial compliance with the NSR program and has submitted information to the USEPA for review and is awaiting a response or additional questions. The Company cannot at this time reasonably estimate the costs, if any, that may be incurred relating to this matter.

In September 2005, the USEPA designated several entities as potentially responsible parties (“PRPs”) under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), at the Ward Transformer Superfund site located in Raleigh, North Carolina. In April 2009, two PRPs filed separate actions in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina against more than 100 other entities, including the Company, seeking contribution from the defendants for expenses incurred by the plaintiffs related to work performed at a portion of the site. The USEPA has not designated the Company as a PRP. The ultimate outcome of these matters will depend upon further environmental assessment and the ultimate number of PRPs and defendants who are held liable for the costs and cannot be determined at this time. The Company believes that any liability will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

The Company has been reviewing its operations with respect to climate change matters and its sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In December 2009, the USEPA made an endangerment finding under the Clean Air Act that the current and projected concentrations of the six key greenhouse gases (“GHG” or “GHGs”) in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations. The six GHGs are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. As of 2010, facilities that emitted 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHGs are required to annually report GHG generation to comply with the USEPA’s Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule. In May 2010, the USEPA issued a final rule (known as the Greenhouse Gas Tailoring Rule) that would have required the Company to incorporate best available GHG control technology in any new plant that it might propose to build and in its existing plants if it modified them in a manner that would increase GHG emissions (in the Company’s case, principally carbon dioxide emissions) by more than 75,000 tons per year. This rule was challenged in court by various public and private parties, and was upheld in part and invalidated in part by the United States Supreme Court in an opinion issued on June 23, 2014. The Court concluded that the USEPA may in fact require best available control technology for GHG, but only if the plant is otherwise subject to Prevention of Significant Deterioration or Title V air permitting under the USEPA’s rules. It is not known whether the USEPA will revise its rules in response to the Court’s decision and, if so, what the impact will be on the Company’s operations. No technologies or methods of operation for reducing or capturing GHGs such as carbon dioxide have been proven successful in large scale applications other than improvements in fuel efficiency, and it is not known what the USEPA will require as best available control technology for plants or conditions it will require for operating permits in the event of modifications to plants or construction of new plants.

In Congress, both the House and Senate had considered climate change legislation, including the “cap-and-trade” approach. Cap and trade is an environmental policy tool that delivers results with a mandatory cap

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on emissions while providing sources flexibility in how they comply by trading credits with other sources whose emissions are below the cap. Another approach that had been proposed was a tax on emissions. The Company believes that climate change legislation is not a priority item in Congress in the near future and that the primary method that greenhouse gases will be regulated is through the USEPA using its rule-making authority. Various states where the Company has operations are also considering climate change initiatives, and the Company may be subject to state regulations in addition to any federal laws and rules that are passed.

The operations of the Company’s Aggregates business are not major sources of GHG emissions. Most of the GHG emissions from aggregate operations are tailpipe emissions from mobile sources such as heavy construction and earth-moving equipment. The manufacturing operations of the Company’s Magnesia Specialties business in Woodville, Ohio releases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide during the production of lime. The Magnesia Specialties operation in Manistee, Michigan releases carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides in the manufacture of magnesium oxide and hydroxide products. Both of these operations are filing annual reports of their GHG emissions in accordance with the USEPA’s Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule.

Cement production worldwide is estimated to comprise approximately 5% to 10% of CO2 or GHG emissions, and the USEPA has indicated that CO2 emitted from cement production is the second largest source of CO2 emissions in the United States. The Company’s subsidiaries, Riverside Cement Company and TXI, file annual reports of the GHG emissions relating to their cement operations. In addition, as it operated in California, Riverside Cement has been subject to California’s existing GHG emissions trading/credit program. With the sale of its California business, Riverside will no longer be required to file such reports. The Company believes that Riverside Cement has purchased an adequate number of additional emission credits to remain under the regulated limits for the pre-sale periods, and that program will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s or the Cement business’ financial condition or results of operations.

If and when Congress passes legislation on GHGs, the Woodville and Manistee operations, as well as the Company’s cement operations, will likely be subject to the new program. In addition, the Company believes that the USEPA may impose additional regulatory restrictions on emissions of GHGs that will impact the Company’s Woodville, Manistee, and cement operations. The Company anticipates that any increased operating costs or taxes relating to GHG emission limitations at the Woodville, Manistee, or cement operations would be passed on to customers. The magnesium oxide products produced at the Manistee operation compete against other products that emit a lower level of GHGs in their production. Therefore, the Manistee facility may be required to absorb additional costs due to the regulation of GHG emissions in order to remain competitive in pricing in that market. The Company is also continuing to review the obligations of our Manistee facility’s global customer base with regards to climate change treaties and accords. The Company at this time cannot reasonably predict what the costs of compliance will be, but does not believe it will have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or results of the operations of either the Magnesia Specialties or Cement businesses.

In California, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or AB32, required the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) to implement rules designed to achieve a statewide reduction in emissions of GHGs in California to 1990 levels by 2020. In response, CARB adopted rules that establish a market-based cap-and-trade program, which began on January 1, 2013. The rules applied to Riverside Cement’s cement plant in Oro Grande, California. However, as the plant was sold as of September 30, 2015, Riverside has no further reporting or compliance obligations for the post-closing periods with respect to these rules.

In 2010, the USEPA issued rules that dramatically reduced the permitted emissions of mercury, total hydrocarbons, particulate matter and hydrochloric acid from cement plants. The compliance date for these new

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standards was September 2015, but the USEPA granted a one-year extension to verify monitoring systems are effective for mercury and hydrogen chloride emissions. The Company has conducted tests to analyze the current level of compliance of its cement plants with the new standards. All plants required the installation of continuous emissions monitoring (“CEMs”). The Company, through its subsidiary TXI, identified, tested and installed new control and monitoring equipment for these purposes prior to the original September 2015 deadline, and believe that the cement plants meet the other emission requirements in these rules. The Company does not believe that the costs relating to these controls and equipment will have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or results of the operations of either the Company or the Cement business.

Employees

As of January 31, 2016, the Company has approximately 7,300 employees, of which 5,543 are hourly employees and 1,756 are salaried employees. Included among these employees are 751 hourly employees represented by labor unions (10.3% of the Company’s employees). Of such amount, 9.8% of the Company’s Aggregates business’s hourly employees are members of a labor union, none of the Company’s Cement business’s hourly employees are represented by labor unions, and 100% of the Magnesia Specialties segment’s hourly employees are represented by labor unions. The Company’s principal union contracts for the Magnesia Specialties business cover employees at the Manistee, Michigan, magnesia-based chemicals plant and the Woodville, Ohio, lime plant. The Woodville collective bargaining agreement expires in May 2018. The Manistee collective bargaining agreement expires in August 2019. While the Company’s management does not expect significant difficulties in renewing these labor contracts, there can be no assurance that a successor agreement will be reached at any of these locations.

Available Information

The Company maintains an Internet address at www.martinmarietta.com. The Company makes available free of charge through its Internet web site its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, if any, filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. These reports and any amendments are accessed via the Company’s web site through a link with the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (“EDGAR”) system maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, the Company’s referenced reports and any amendments are made available as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files such material with, or furnishes it to, the SEC, once EDGAR places such material in its database.

The Company has adopted a Code of Ethical Business Conduct that applies to all of its directors, officers, and employees. The Company’s code of ethics is available on the Company’s web site at www.martinmarietta.com. The Company intends to disclose on its Internet web site any waivers of or amendments to its code of ethics as it applies to its directors and executive officers.

The Company has adopted a set of Corporate Governance Guidelines to address issues of fundamental importance relating to the corporate governance of the Company, including director qualifications and responsibilities, responsibilities of key board committees, director compensation, and similar issues. Each of the Audit Committee, the Management Development and Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company has adopted a written charter addressing various issues of importance relating to each committee, including the committee’s purposes and responsibilities, an annual performance evaluation of each committee, and similar issues. These Corporate Governance Guidelines, and the charters of each of these committees, are available on the Company’s web site at www.martinmarietta.com.

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The Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer are required to file with the SEC each quarter and each year certifications regarding the quality of the Company’s public disclosure of its financial condition. The annual certifications are included as Exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer is also required to certify to the New York Stock Exchange each year that he is not aware of any violation by the Company of the New York Stock Exchange corporate governance listing standards.