Vulcan to sell Atlanta quarries

The nation's largest producer of crushed stone, sand, gravel and asphalt used in building and road construction says it will sell its production interest in four metro Atlanta quarries.

Birmingham, Ala.-based Vulcan Materials Co. is selling its Atlanta operations for $154 million to Seattle-based Plum Creek Timber Co., which is one of the nation's largest landowners with about 6.3 million acres of timberlands. The four Vulcan Materials quarries are in Kennesaw, Norcross, Stockbridge and Friendship. Plum Creek says it will receive royalty payments from the production and sale of the crushed stone from the quarries for about 25 years. Vulcan Materials employs 653 people in Georgia.

Auto supplier doubles staff

An automotive supplier in northern Alabama said Friday it plans to more than double its staff. Hayashi Telempu North America Corp., which opened a 145,000-square-foot plant in Jasper, Ala., in 2011 with 84 employees, plans to add 100 jobs. HTNA supplies automotive parts for Japanese and domestic manufacturers.