It’s been a rough road for President Trump’s plan to fix America’s roads, bridges and tunnels. But the CEO of Martin Marietta is encouraged about repairing the nation’s crumbling infrastructure after meeting recently with President Trump.
“He’d like to see it happen,” says Ward Nye.
What it comes down to is money. Specifically, getting Congress to go along with raising the federal gas tax by 25 cents a gallon. That tax now stands at around 18 cents. Nye believes a gas tax hike could be in the works because the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a staunch opponent of tax increases, is actually advocating for it.
That’s good news for Martin Marietta, a leading maker of construction supplies like concrete and gravel, and ranks among America’s biggest companies on the Fortune 500. The Raleigh, North Carolina company could also benefit if the President’s plan to build a wall along the border of the U.S. and Mexico gets the okay.
“It would be considerable amounts of stone and concrete and cement,” says Nye, about building the border wall. “It’s impossible to think of something of that scope that wouldn’t require significant products from Martin Marietta.”
Watch the video above for more from our conversation with Nye.