Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.
According to a recent PCA report, relatively flat conditions will face the U.S. cement market for the next two years, but this will vary from region to region. Overall, North Dakota, Nebraska, Alaska, Arkansas, and Washington, D.C., have the strongest relative construction fundamentals. On the other end, Nevada, Florida, Arizona, Mississippi and Rhode Island currently have the weakest.
On a national basis, a construction recovery is not expected to materialize anytime soon. Once the onset of recovery takes hold, the timing will differ among regional markets. For example, the top five states that will lead the housing recovery are North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Nebraska, and Iowa. North Dakota, Alaska, Washington, D.C., Texas, and Nebraska are the most promising for commercial construction recovery, while Montana is also emerging in the commercial sector.
