These forward-looking statements are based largely on management's expectations, which are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in this report and in other documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which may cause actual results, financial or otherwise, to be materially different from those anticipated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.  All forward-looking statements included in this document are based on information available to us on the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.  You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "goal", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "may", "will", "should," "could" and similar expressions.

In addition to the risks and uncertainties identified elsewhere herein and in other documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the risk factors described in this document under the caption "Risk Factors" should be carefully considered when evaluating our business and future prospects.

Astec Industries, Inc. (the "Company") is a Tennessee corporation which was incorporated in 1972.  The Company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets equipment and components used primarily in road building and related construction activities as well as other products discussed below.  The Company's products are used in each phase of road building, from quarrying and crushing the aggregate to application of the road surface. The Company also manufactures certain equipment and components unrelated to road construction, including equipment for the mining, quarrying, construction and demolition industries and port and rail yard operators; gas and oil drilling rigs; water well and geothermal drilling rigs; industrial heat transfer equipment; commercial whole-tree pulpwood chippers; horizontal grinders; blower trucks; concrete plants; wood pellet plants; commercial and industrial burners; and combustion control systems.  The Company's subsidiaries hold 8088 United States and 73103 foreign patents and have an additional 5865 United States and 6976 foreign patent applications pending. The Company has been responsible for many technological and engineering innovations in the industries in which it operates.  The Company's products are marketed both domestically and internationally.  In addition to equipment sales, the Company manufactures and sells replacement parts for equipment in each of its product lines and replacement parts for some competitors' equipment.  The distribution and sale of replacement parts is an integral part of the Company's business.

The Company's 1617 manufacturing subsidiaries are:

The Company also has subsidiaries in Australia (Astec Australia Pty Ltd) and Germany (Astec Mobile Machinery GmbH), that market, service and install equipment and provide parts in the regions in which they operate for many of the products produced by the Company's manufacturing subsidiaries.

The Company's strategy is to be the industry's most cost-efficient producer in each of its product lines while continuing to develop innovative new products and provide first class service for its customers.  Management believes that the Company is the technological innovator in the markets in which it operates and is well positioned to capitalize on the need to rebuild and enhance roadway and utility infrastructure as well as in other areas in which it offers products and services, both in the United States and abroad.

The Company's business units have their own management teams and offer different products and services.  The Company's business units are aggregated into three reportable business segments based upon the nature of the product or services produced, the type of customer for the products, the similarity of economic characteristics, the manner in which management reviews results and the nature of the production process, among other considerations.  The Company's reportable business segments are (i) Infrastructure Group, (ii) Aggregate and Mining Group and (iii) Energy Group.  The remaining business units not included in one of the reportable segments provide support and corporate oversight for all the Company's business units and include Astec Industries, Inc., the parent company, and Astec Insurance Company, a captive insurance company.  We refer to these two companies as the "Corporate" category throughout this document.  The Company records U.S. federal income tax expenses for all business segments on the parent company's books; therefore, these taxes are included in the Corporate category for segment reporting.

Financial information in connection with the Company's financial reporting for segments of a business and for geographic areas under FASB Accounting Standards Codification 280 is included in Note 17, Operations by Industry Segment and Geographic Area, in "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" presented in Appendix A of this report.

The Infrastructure Group segment is made up of five business units.  These business units include Astec, Inc. ("Astec"), Roadtec, Inc. ("Roadtec"), Carlson Paving Products, Inc. ("Carlson"), Astec Mobile Machinery GmbH ("AMM") and Astec Australia Pty Ltd ("Astec Australia").  Three of the business units (Astec, Roadtec and Carlson) design, engineer, manufacture and market a complete line of asphalt and wood pellet plants and their related components, asphalt pavers, screeds, milling machines, material transfer vehicles, stabilizers and related ancillary equipment.  The other two business units (AMM and Astec Australia) primarily sell, service and install products produced by the manufacturing subsidiaries of the Company with a majority of their sales to customers in the infrastructure industry.

Astec designs, engineers, manufactures and markets a complete line of asphalt and wood pellet plants and related components primarily for the asphalt production and paving and wood pellet industries.  Certain component equipment supplied by Astec for asphalt and wood pellet plants is manufactured by other Company subsidiaries such as heating and storage equipment (manufactured by the Company's Energy Group) and material handling equipment (manufactured by the Company's Aggregate and Mining Group).  A typical asphalt mixing plant consists of heating and storage equipment for liquid asphalt; cold feed bins for blending aggregates; a counter-flow continuous type unit (Astec Double Barrel) for drying, heating and mixing; a baghouse composed of air filters and other pollution control devices; hot storage bins or silos for temporary storage of hot-mix asphalt; and a control house. Astec introduced the concept of high plant portability for asphalt plants in 1979. Its current generation of portable asphalt plants is marketed as the Six Pack and consists of six or more portable components designed to be easily relocated from one construction site to another, thereby reducing relocation expenses. High plant portability represents an industry innovation developed and successfully marketed by Astec.

Astec developed the patented warm system, which allows the asphalt mix to be prepared and placed at lower temperatures than conventional systems and operates with a substantial reduction in emissions during paving and load-out. Previous technologies for warm mix production rely on expensive additives, procedures and/or special asphalt cement delivery systems that significantly increase the cost per ton of mix. The Company's new Astec multi-nozzle device eliminates the need for the expensive additives by mixing a small amount of water and asphalt cement together to create microscopic bubbles that reduce the viscosity of the asphalt mix coating on the rock, thereby allowing the mix to be handled and worked at lower temperatures.

Astec is focused on producing equipment with the most advanced mix recycling technology in the industry.  More tons of asphalt are available for recycling than is currently being utilized due to restrictions in the amount of recycle allowed by various governmental agencies.  Astec's recycle technology is continuously being enhanced and is providing the science to alleviate the concerns driving such restrictions and thereby improve recycling percentages in the asphalt industry.  Astec's latest system improvement in this area, the RAP Pre-Dryer System, is expected to be introduced to customers in 2017.2018.

The components in Astec's asphalt mixing plants are fully automated and use both microprocessor-based and programmable logic control systems for efficient operation. The plants are manufactured to meet or exceed federal and state clean air standards. Astec also builds batch type asphalt plants and has developed specialized asphalt recycling equipment for use with its hot-mix asphalt plants.

Astec's wood pellet plants have been in commercial production since 2013. Astec's modular design for its wood pellet plants includes replicated parallel production lines (for instance, a 60 ton-per-hour ("TPH") plant consists of three 20 TPH lines) resulting in very few points in the process where any individual equipment failure can shut the entire plant down.  In most other pellet plant designs, one small equipment failure, such as a dryer outage, would result in a total plant shutdown. If a dryer outage were to occur in a 60 TPH Astec plant, the plant could continue to operate at 40 TPH. In fact, there are very few reasons why the plant would ever be completely shut down. Even major maintenance cycles may be performed line-by-line while the plant continues to operate on the other lines.

Roadtec manufactures asphalt pavers, material transfer vehicles, milling machines, soil stabilizing-reclaiming machinery and other equipment used in road building and resurfacing.  Roadtec pavers have been designed to minimize maintenance costs while exceeding road surface smoothness requirements.  The equipment offered by Roadtec can be used in tandem with each other or separately with equipment already owned by the customer.

Roadtec's Shuttle Buggy is a mobile, self-propelled material transfer vehicle which allows continuous paving by separating truck unloading from the paving process while remixing the asphalt.  A typical asphalt paver must stop paving to permit truck unloading of asphalt mix.  By permitting continuous paving, the Shuttle Buggy allows the asphalt paver to produce a smoother road surface while reducing the time required to pave the road surface and reducing the number of haul trucks required.  As a result of the pavement smoothness achieved with this machine, certain states now require the use of the Shuttle Buggy.  Studies using infrared technology have revealed problems caused by differential cooling of the hot-mix during hauling.  The Shuttle Buggy remixes the material to a uniform temperature and gradation, thus eliminating these problems.  Roadtec plans to introduceintroduced its newest version of its highly successful Shuttle Buggy to the market at ConExpo 2017, which includes the new Guardian System that is designed to anticipate maintenance needs resulting in more uptime reliability while also providing production and performance data as well as real time location information to the owner.  Roadtec's Spray Paver model, which is recommended for use with the Shuttle Buggy, is also designed to carry and spray tack coat directly in front of the hot mix asphalt in a single process.process, thus eliminating the need for a separate tack truck.

Roadtec manufactures milling machines designed to remove old asphalt from the road surface before new asphalt mix is applied.  Roadtec's line of milling machines, which are designed for larger jobs, are manufactured with a simplified control system, wide conveyors, direct drives and a wide range of horsepower and cutting capabilities to provide versatility in product application.  In addition to its half-lane and larger highway class milling machines, Roadtec also manufactures a smaller, utility class machine for two-to-four foot cutting widths and a utility class cold planer model mounted on steel wheels.

Roadtec currently produces soil stabilizers in configurations of 275HP, 440HP, 625HP and 755HP.  These machines double as asphalt reclaiming machines for road rehabilitations, in addition to their primary purpose of stabilizing soil sub-grades with additives to provide an improved base on which to pave.

Carlson manufactures its patented screeds which attach to asphalt paving machines and place asphalt on the roadbed at a desired thickness and width while smoothing and compacting the surface.  Carlson screeds can be configured to fit many types of asphalt paving machines, including machines manufactured by both the Company and its competitors. The Carlson screed uses a hydraulic powered generator to electrify elements that heat a screed plate so asphalt will not stick to it while paving.  A generator is also available to power tools or lights for night paving.  Carlson offers options to its screeds which allow extended paving widths and the addition of a curb on the road edge.  Carlson also offers commercial class eight-foot pavers designed for parking lots, residential driveways and secondary road applications.

Astec Mobile Machinery functions primarily as a distributor of Roadtec products in the European market.  Additionally, it designed and manufactures a small road widener attachment to meet the unique needs of the European market.

Astec Australia markets relocatable and portable asphalt plants and components produced by Astec, Heatec and CEI, asphalt paving equipment and components produced by Roadtec and Carlson, and aggregate equipment produced by the Company's Aggregate & Mining Group.  A majority of its sales are to customers in the infrastructure industry.  In addition to selling equipment, Astec Australia provides complete support for its customers' equipment with service, training and spare parts.  Astec Australia also provides turnkey installation solutions for large asphalt plants, aggregate and mining plants and bitumen tank farms.

The Company markets its hot-mix asphalt products domestically under the Astec and Astec Dillman trademarks and internationally under the Astec trademarks.  Asphalt plants and related equipment are sold directly to asphalt producers or domestic and foreign government agencies through Astec's domestic and international sales departments and through a Company-owned dealership (Astec Australia), although independent agents are also used to market asphalt plants and their components in certain international markets.  The Company markets wood pellet plants to individual plant operators supplyingindependent producers who supply wood pellets to the utility and home-use industries.

The Company markets its asphalt paving equipment both domestically and internationally to highway and heavy equipment contractors, utility contractors and foreign and domestic governmental agencies both directly and through dealers (including Astec Australia in the Australian and New Zealand markets and AMM in the European market).  Mobile construction equipment and factory authorized machine rebuild services are marketed both directly and through dealers.

This segment's products are marketed by 7478 direct sales staff, 5147 domestic independent distributors and 94113 international independent distributors, including Astec's subsidiaries in Australia and Germany.

Raw materials used in the manufacture of products in the Infrastructure Group include carbon steel, pipe and various types of alloy steel, which are normally purchased from distributors and other sources.  Raw materials for manufacturing are normally readily available.  Most steel is delivered on a "just-in-time" arrangement from the supplier to reduce inventory requirements at the manufacturing facilities, but steel is occasionally inventoried after purchase.  Other components used in the manufacturing processes include engines, gearboxes, power transmissions and electronic systems.

This industry segment faces strong competition in price, service and product performance and competes with both large publicly-held companies and various smaller manufacturers. Domestic hot-mix asphalt plant competitors include Gencor Industries, Inc., ADM and Almix.  In the international market, the hot-mix asphalt plant competitors include Ammann, Fayat/Marini, Benninghoven/WirtgenDeere and local manufacturers.  Paving equipment and screed competitors include Weiler, Caterpillar Paving Products, Volvo Construction Equipment, Vogele America, a subsidiary of Wirtgen America, Dynapac, Bomag Fayat Group and Lee Boy.  The segment's milling machine equipment competitors include Wirtgen, CMI, Caterpillar, Bomag, Dynapac and Volvo.  The Company believes that it is the only company offering a single source for a complete pellet plant, as known competitors only sell individual plant components thereby requiring the customer to purchase the remaining plant components from other sources.

At December 31, 2016,2017, the Infrastructure Group segment employed 1,6811,712 individuals, of which 1,1681,236 were engaged in manufacturing, 185187 in engineering and 328289 in selling, general and administrative functions. None of the employees of the Infrastructure Group are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

The backlog for the Infrastructure Group at December 31, 20162017 and 20152016 was approximately $232,224$239,495 and $203,830,$232,224, respectively. Approximately $60,000 of the 20162017 and 20152016 backlogs relate to the Company's first three-line pellet plant order from a single customer.  Substantially all of this order was manufactured and delivered to the customer prior to December 31, 2015, with continuing enhancements being developed and installed during 2016.2016 and 2017.  As the Company is financing this sale, revenue recognition on the plant sale will not occur until customer payments are received.received, which is expected to begin in late 2018.  Management expects all the current backlog to be filled in 2017 except for the $60,000 pellet plant order discussed above, which is expected to be recognized in 2018.

The Company's Aggregate and Mining Group is comprised of eight business units which are focused on designing and manufacturing heavy processing equipment, as well as servicing and supplying parts for the aggregate, metallic mining, recycling, ports and bulk handling markets.  These business units are Telsmith, Inc. ("Telsmith"), Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc. ("KPI"), Astec Mobile Screens, Inc. ("AMS"), Johnson Crushers International, Inc. ("JCI"), Breaker Technology Ltd/Breaker Technology, Inc. ("BTI"), Osborn Engineered Products, SA (Pty) Ltd ("Osborn"), Astec do Brasil Fabricacao de Equipamentos Ltda. ("Astec Brazil") and Telestack Limited ("Telestack"), which was acquired in April 2014..

Telsmith designs, engineers, manufactures and supports equipment servicing the construction, aggregate, metallic mining and recycling markets. Telsmith's core products are crushers, vibrating equipment, modular relocatable stationary plants, mobile portable plants and larger track-mounted systems.  Telsmith also provides consulting and engineering services to provide complete "turnkey" processing systems. During 2016, Telsmith celebrated its 110^th anniversaryThese systems often include electrical control centers and plan automation products engineered and produced by hosting numerous customers, dealers and employees from around the world as part of its continuing commitment to offer complete solutions for customer needs and challenges.Telsmith.

Telsmith maintains an ISO 9001:20082015 certification, an internationally recognized standard of quality assurance. In addition, Telsmith has achieved CE designation (a standard for quality assurance and safety) on its crushing and vibration equipment products marketed into European Union countries.

During 2016,2017, Telsmith completedlaunched the design of the T500 Cone Crusher expanding the T-Series which also includes the T300, T400, and T900.  Telsmith's design engineers incorporated the unique patent pendingpatented technologies of hybrid thrust bearing, hydraulic anti-spin, thread scraper and the concave retaining system.  Telsmith planssystem in these products.   Designed for durability, the T-series cone crusher also has many service friendly features like top service and easy eccentric removal.  The units TRAC10 PLC monitoring system is designed for improved productivity and troubleshooting capabilities.

Telsmith's Vibro-King TL vibrating screen line features sizes from 4x10 single deck to officially launch8x24 quadruple deck screens. The "TL" screen vibrator, with its many service minded features, was introduced to the T500marketplace in March 2017 at the ConExpo Show2006 and has been well received by customers. The "Neverwear" sealing system is guaranteed to keep lubricants in Las Vegas, Nevada.and to never wear out. The "TL" includes wide 233 series bearings for added capacity, simple counterweight adjustments, and Telsmith's unique J-beam tray design.

KPI, JCI and AMS design, engineer, manufacture and support a complete line of stationary and portable aggregate processing equipment for the aggregate metallic and nonmetallic, bulk handling, sand and gravel, mining, quarrying, concrete and asphalt recycling and industrial markets. This equipment is marketed through an extensive network of KPI/JCI/AMS dealers.

KPI/JCI/AMS products include a complete line of primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary crushers, including jaw, horizontal shaft impactor, vertical shaft impactor and roll rock crushers as well as industry related washing and conveying equipment, mobile screening plants, portable and stationary screen structures and vibrating and high frequency screens. These rock crushers are used by mining, quarrying and sand and gravel producers to crush oversized aggregate to salable size, in addition to their use for recycled concrete and asphalt. This equipment can be purchased as individual components, as portable plants for flexibility or as completely engineered systems for both portable, stationary and RAP applications. They also offer the highly-portable Fast Pack System, featuring quick setup and teardown, thereby maximizing production time and minimizing downtime. KPIKPI/JCI/AMS also offers portable fully self-contained and self-propelled Fast Trax track-mounted jaw, cone, VSI and horizontal shaft crushers, which are ideal for either recycle or hard rock applications, allowing the producer to move the equipment to the material.  KPI'sThe KPI/JCI/AMS expanded GT line of track-mounted crushing and screening plants focuses more specifically on the need for rental and global markets.

KPI/JCI/AMS portable plants combine various combinations of crushing, screening and conveying equipment mounted on tow away chassis and track chassis configurations.  Due to high transportation costs of construction materials, many producers use portable equipment to process materials they need in close proximity to their job sites.  Portable plants allow aggregate producers the ability to quickly and efficiently move equipment from one location to another as their jobs necessitate.   The portable track plants are fully self-contained and allow operators to be producing materials within minutes of unloading equipment off of their transport trucks.  The introduction of track-mounted crushing and screening plants has enabled contractors to perform jobs that in the past were not economically feasible and also allows our dealers to compete in the large track-mounted rental market. 

KPI/JCI/AMS sand classifying and washing equipment is designed to clean, separate and re-blend material from sand deposits to meet the size specifications for critical applications. Products offered include fine and coarse material washers, log washers, blade mills, sand classifying tanks, cyclones, dewatering screens, density classifiers, sieve blend screens and attrition cells. Additional portable and stationary plants are also offered to handle the growing needs in construction sands, specialty sands and fines recovery.  Screening plants are available in both stationary and highly portable models and are complemented by a full line of radial stacking and overland belt conveyors. Screening plants also serve the recycle, crushed stone, industrial and general construction industries.

KPI/JCI/AMS conveying equipment is designed to move or store aggregate and other bulk materials in radial cone-shaped or windrow stockpiles. The SuperStacker telescoping conveyor and Wizard Touch automated controls are designed to add efficiency and accuracy to whatever the stockpile specifications require. Additionally, high capacity rail and barge loading/unloading material handling systems are an important part of the KPI/JCI/AMS product lines.

BTl designs, engineers, manufactures and markets a complete line of industry leading rockbreaker systems for the mining, quarry and recycling markets, and provides large-scale stationary rockbreakers for open pit mining, as well as mid-sized stationary rock breakers for underground applications. In addition, BTI offers a full line of smaller rock breaker systems for mobile track and portable primary crushing plants.  BTl also designs, engineers, manufactures and markets a complete line of four wheel drive articulated production and utility vehicles, scalers and rock breakers for underground mining.

In addition to supplying equipment for the mining and quarry industries, BTl also designs, manufactures and markets a complete line of hydraulic breakers, compactors and demolition attachments for the North American construction and demolition markets.

BTl currently maintains ISO9001:ISO 9001:2008 (quality assurance) and ISO 14001:2004 (environmental assurance) certifications, internationally recognized standards of quality and environmental assurance.assurance and expects to transition to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications during 2018. In addition, BTI has achieved certification for OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health & Safety standards. BTl offers an extensive aftermarket sales and service program through a highly qualified and trained dealer network.

During 2016,2017, BTI completed the design and prototype testing of a new generation of mechanized scaler for ground control of underground hard rock mines. An addition tocollision avoidance as the stationary rockbreaker systems line was completedfirst step in 2016 with a low profile design for underground grizzly applications.boom automation.

Osborn, which is located in South Africa, maintains an ISO:ISO 9001:2008 (quality assurance) certification for quality assurance and designs, engineers, manufactures and markets a range of minerals processing equipment. This equipment is used in the aggregate, mining, metallurgical and recycling industries. Osborn has been a licensee of Telsmith's technology for over 60 years and recently became a licensee of KPI's vertical and horizontal shaft impact crushers.  Osborn also offers the following equipment: mineral sizers; single and double-toggle jaw crushers; cone crushers; rotary breakers; roll crushers; rolling ring crushers; mills; out-of-balance or exciter-driven screens and feeders; modular "containerized" crusher and screening systems; and a full range of idlers.  Osborn also markets equipment produced by other Astec companies in the sub-Saharan African market.

Osborn has recently added a number of new products to its product offerings, including a 300 HP gyratory crusher for secondary applications, horizontal shaft impactors, an extension to the range of out-of-balance exciter gearboxes and a low profile apron feeder, in addition to numerous modernization and updates to its existing product lines.

Assembly operations began in Astec Brazil's newly constructed 132,400 square foot facility in the fourth quarter of 2014, and complete production operations began in the first quarter of 2015.  Manufacturing operations, sales, distribution and product support are all located within the new facility, which currently has 3738 employees. The Company is expected to utilize 120 employees at the facility when it reaches full capacity.  Products manufactured by Astec Brazil include crushing equipment, vibrating equipment, stationary plants, mobile portable systems and asphalt plants. Astec Brazil represents the brands of KPI/JCI/AMS, BTI and Telsmith in the aggregate and mining markets and Astec, Inc. in the asphalt market. Astec Brazil also markets products in the Brazilian market that are produced by the other Astec Aggregate and Mining companies and Astec asphalt plants.

Astec Brazil shipped its first asphalt plant in early 2016; however, sales in the South American market have beencontinued to be hampered by the recent economic downturn in South America and more specifically in Brazil.  The Company plans to position itself to significantly increase the production and sales volumes by Astec Brazil and also plans to manufacture other product lines at the facility once the business environment improves in the region.  In 2016, theThe Company increased itscurrently has a 92% ownership interest in Astec Brazil from 78% to 92%.Brazil.

Telestack located in Omagh, Northern Ireland, designs, engineers, manufactures and markets mobile bulk material handling solutions that are designed to handle all free-flowingfree-flowing bulk materials,, including but not limited to ores, coal, aggregates, fertilizers, grains, woodchips and pellets. Telestack's comprehensive suite of product offerings is sold on a global basis and operates within a significant number of working environments such as mines, quarries, ports, rail yards, power stations and steel mills.

Telestack maintains ISO9001:2008ISO 9001:2015 (quality assurance), ISO 14001:20042015 (environmental assurance) and ISO 18001:2007 (health and safety assurance) accreditations.  Telestack is also an approved supplier of equipment that conforms to Western Australian Mining Standards (AS 4324:1).

Aggregate processing and mining equipment is marketed by approximately 110107 direct sales employees, 166138 domestic independent distributors and 173178 international independent distributors.  The principal purchasers of aggregate processing equipment include highway and heavy equipment contractors, sand and gravel producers, recycle and crushing contractors, mine operators, quarry operators, port and inland terminal authorities, power stations and foreign and domestic governmental agencies.

Raw materials used in the manufacture of products in the Aggregate and Mining Group include carbon steel and various types of alloy steel, which are normally purchased from distributors.  Raw materials for manufacturing are normally readily available.available; however, certain highly customized components may require longer than normal lead times.  BTI purchases hydraulic breakers under a purchasing arrangement with a South Korean supplier.  The Company believes the South Korean supplier has sufficient capacity to meet the Company's anticipated demand; however, alternative suppliers exist for these components should any supply disruptions occur.

The Aggregate and Mining Group faces strong competition in price, service and product performance.  Aggregate and Mining equipment competitors include Metso Minerals, Sandvik Mining and Construction, Terex MP and Powerscreen, Atlas Copco Mining, Thor, Masaba, Edge Innovate, McCloskey, Superior Industries, Wirtgen (Klemmann), Deister,  McLanahan, CDE Global, Weir Minerals (Trio) and other smaller manufacturers, both domestic and international.

At December 31, 2016,2017, the Aggregate and Mining Group segment employed 1,5631,644 individuals, of which 1,1221,186 were engaged in manufacturing, 153156 in engineering and engineering support functions and 288302 in selling, general and administrative functions.

Telsmith has a labor agreement covering approximately 165150 manufacturing employees which expires onhas been indefinitely extended past its September 17, 2017.2017 expiration date while negotiations continue.  Approximately 125124 of Osborn's manufacturing employees fall within the scope of a collective labor union agreement that expires on June 30, 2017.2020. None of the other employees of the Aggregate and Mining Group are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

At December 31, 20162017 and 2015,2016, the backlog for the Aggregate and Mining Group was approximately $88,951$116,987 and $74,484,$88,951, respectively.  Approximately $15,500$16,533 of the increase in backlogs between years relates to orders from domestic U.S. customers.  Management expects the current backlog to be filled in 2017.2018.

The Company's Energy Group is currently comprised of fivesix business units focused on supplying heavy equipment such as heaters, drilling rigs, concrete plants, wood chippers and grinders, pump trailers, storage equipment and related parts to the oil and gas, construction, and water well industries, as well as commercial and industrial burners used primarily in commercial, industrial and process heating applications.  The business units currently included in the Energy Group are Heatec, Inc. ("Heatec"), CEI Enterprises, Inc. ("CEI"), GEFCO, Inc. ("GEFCO"), Peterson Pacific Corp. ("Peterson") and, Power Flame Incorporated ("Power Flame") and RexCon, Inc. ("RexCon").  Power Flame, located in Parsons, Kansas, was acquired in August 2016. The Energy Group previously included the operations of Astec Underground, Inc. ("Astec Underground")RexCon, located in Loudon, Tennessee.  Astec Underground ceased operations in May 2015,Burlington, WI, was formed to acquire substantially all of the manufacturing facilities were sold later in 2015assets and the responsibility for the sales and manufacturing responsibilities for the Astec Underground product lines were transferred to GEFCO during 2015.liabilities of RexCon, LLC on October 1, 2017.

Heatec designs, engineers, manufactures and markets a variety of thermal fluid heaters, process heaters, waste heat recovery equipment, liquid storage systems and polymer and rubber blending systems under the HEATEC trademark.  For the construction industry, Heatec designs and manufactures a complete line of asphalt heating and storage equipment to serve the hot-mix asphalt industry, including complete asphalt terminal facilities, polymer plants and emulsion facilities.  In addition, Heatec builds a wide variety of heaters to fit a broad range of applications, including heating equipment for marine vessels, roofing material plants, refineries, oil sands, energy related processing, chemical processing rubber plants and water heaters for many industrial applications.  Heatec has the technical staff to custom design heating systems and has systems operating as large as 75 million BTU's per hour.

CEI designs, engineers, manufactures and markets thermal fluid heaters, portable and stationary storage tanks, rubberized asphalt and polymer blending systems for the asphalt and other industries.  CEI recently added continuous and batch type concrete production plants to its product line. The Company believes the CEI concrete plants are the most innovative plant in the concrete industry and are designed to produce consistent high quality, low cost concrete due to its advanced process control.

GEFCO designs and manufactures portable drilling rigs and related equipment for the water well, environmental, geothermal, geotechnical, groundwater monitoring, construction, mining and shallow oil and gas exploration and production industries. Portable drilling rigs are offered in a variety of designs with optional equipment, including truck, trailer or track mounted units, diesel engine on deck or Power Take Offpower take-off powered units, hydraulic pump drives, transmission, hydraulic pumps and motors, hydraulic cylinders, gear boxes, plumbing and all related controls.

Peterson designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes large whole-tree pulpwood chippers, biomass chippers, horizontal grinders and blower trucks primarily for the construction, landscaping, recycling, and biomass energy markets.  A deck screen model for the wood chipping and grinding market is produced for Peterson by JCI.  Peterson has granted rights under a licensing agreement to Morbark, USA, whereby Morbark may produce and sell certain grinder equipment covered by a Peterson patent.

Power Flame, a market leader in its segment, designs, engineers, manufactures and markets commercial and industrial burners and combustion control systems.  Power Flame produces a broad range of natural gas, fuel oil, or combination-fueled models with outputs ranging from 400 thousand BTU's to 120 million BTU's per hour.  Power Flame's burners are used primarily in commercial, industrial and process heating applications.

The Energy Group markets its products domestically through a combination of employee sales agents, manufacturer representatives and distributors, while international sales efforts are typically conducted with the assistance of independent sales agents.  The group's products are marketed by approximately 69 direct sales employees, 9481 domestic independent distributors and 4139 international independent distributors. Customers typically include oil and gas field operators, industrial product manufacturers, independent contractors, ready mix concrete producers, heating equipment distributors and government agencies.  The market for the Company's heat transfer equipment is diverse because of the multiple applications for such equipment.

Raw materials used in the manufacture of products in the Energy Group include carbon steel and various types of alloy steel, which are normally purchased from distributors and other sources.  Raw materials for manufacturing are normally readily available.  Most steel is delivered on a "just-in-time" arrangement from suppliers to reduce inventory requirements at the manufacturing facilities, but steel is occasionally inventoried after purchase.  Components used in the manufacturing process include engines, hydraulic pumps and motors, gearboxes, track clutches, burners, power transmissions and electronic systems.

The Energy Group faces strong competition in price, service and product performance and competes both with large companies that have resources significantly greater than those of the Company and with various smaller manufacturers.  Major competitors include Gencor, Almix, Fulton, Sigma Thermal, Erie Strayer, Con-E-Co, Meeker, Versa Drill, Schramm, Atlas Copco, National Oil Well, Blohm & Vos,Forum Energy Tech, Oil Country, NOV/Rolligon, Stewart & Stevenson, Dragon, Morbark, CBI (Terex), Precision Doppstadt, Bandit, Jenz, Komptech, FinFinn Corp, Webster Engineering and Webster Engineering.Stephen's Manufacturing.

At December 31, 2016,2017, the Energy Group segment employed 9301,035 individuals, of which 609701 were engaged in manufacturing, 115120 in engineering and 206214 in selling, general and administrative functions.  GEFCOApproximately 72 of GEFCO's manufacturing employees fall within the scope of a collective bargaining agreement that expires on June 20, 2018. Power Flame is a  party to a collective bargaining agreement that applied to 64 manufacturing employees at December 31, 2016.  The current GEFCO agreement expires on June 20, 2018. When Power Flame was acquired in August 2016, it was party to an existing collective bargaining agreement that applied to a majorityapproximately 104 of its manufacturing employees.  Power Flame expects to enter into a replacement agreementemployees that will apply to approximately 105 employees.expires on December 7, 2019.  None of the other employees of the Energy Group are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

The backlog for the Energy Group at December 31, 20162017 and 20152016 was approximately $36,192$54,987 and $37,596,$40,656, respectively.  The 20152016 backlog has been adjusted to include the backlog of Power Flame,RexCon, which was acquired in August 2016.October 2017.  Management expects all of the current backlog to be filled in 2016.2018.

This category consists of the two business units that do not meet the requirements of separate disclosure as an operating segment or inclusion in one of the other reporting segments and includes Astec Industries, Inc., the parent company, and Astec Insurance Company, a captive insurance company.  These two companies provide support and corporate oversight for all the other business units.  The Company records U.S. federal income tax expenses for all business segments on the parent company's books; therefore, these taxes are included in the Corporate category for segment reporting.

At December 31, 2016,2017, the Corporate category employed 4446 individuals, all of which were engaged in selling, generalexecutive management, corporate finance and administrative functions.

The following information applies to all operating segments of the Company.

Steel is a major component in the Company's equipment. Steel prices rose significantlyfollowed typical seasonal patterns during 2017, peaking in April and reaching lows in November. Prices began to rise in early 2018 and are expected to continue to rise with seasonal demand and an improving economy in the first halfand second quarters of 2016 but then began to decline due to slowing steel consumption and retreating energy prices in the third quarter of 2016. Steel prices began to moderately rise again in late 2016 due to improvements in energy costs and anticipated GDP growth.2018. The Company expects this trend to continue through the first half ofnormal seasonal price movement during 2018 with steel prices higher on average than in 2017. The Company continues to utilize forward-looking contracts (with no minimum or specified quantity guarantees) coupled with advanced steel purchases to minimize the impact of any price increases.  The Company will review the trends in steel prices entering into the second half of 20172018 and establish future contract pricing accordingly.

The Company is subject to various laws and governmental regulations concerning environmental matters and employee safety and health in the United States and other countries. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, other federal agencies and certain state agencies have the authority to promulgate regulations that have an effect on the Company's operations.  Many of these federal and state agencies may seek fines and penalties for violations of these laws and regulations.  The Company has been able to operate under these laws and regulations without any material adverse effect on its business.

None of the Company's operating segments operate within highly regulated industries.  However, air pollution control equipment manufactured by the Company, principally for hot-mix asphalt plants, must comply with certain performance standards promulgated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Air Act applicable to "new sources" or new plants.  Management believes the Company's products meet all material requirements of such regulations and applicable state pollution standards and environmental protection laws.

In addition, due to the size and weight of certain equipment the Company manufactures, the Company and its customers may encounter various state regulations on maximum weights transportable on highways.  Also, some states have regulations governing the operation of asphalt mixing plants, and most states have regulations relating to the accuracy of weights and measures, which affect some of the control systems manufactured by the Company.

Compliance with these government regulations has no material effect on the Company's capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position within the market.

At December 31, 2016,2017, the Company and its subsidiaries employed 4,2184,437 individuals, of which 2,8993,123 were engaged in manufacturing, 453463 in engineering, including support staff, and 866851 in selling, administrative and management functions.

Other than the Telsmith and Osborn labor agreements described under the "Employee" subsection of the Aggregate and Mining Group above and the GEFCO and Power Flame labor agreements described under the "Employee" subsection of the Energy Group above, there are no collective bargaining agreements applicable to employees of the Company or its subsidiaries.  The Company considers its employee relations to be good.

The Company manufactures many of the component parts and related equipment for its products, while several large components of its products are purchased "ready-for-use".  Such items include engines, axles, tires and hydraulics.  In many cases, the Company designs, engineers and manufactures custom component parts and equipment to meet the particular needs of individual customers.  Manufacturing operations during 20162017 took place at 2021 separate locations.  The Company's manufacturing operations consist primarily of fabricating steel components and the assembly and testing of its products to ensure that the Company achieves quality control standards.

The Company periodically conducts technical and service seminars, which are primarily for dealer representatives, contractors, owners, employees and other users of equipment manufactured by the Company.  In 2016,2017, approximately 720660 representatives of contractors and owners of hot-mix asphalt plants attended seminars held by the Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  These seminars, which are led by Company management and employees, along with select outside speakers and discussion leaders, cover a range of subjects, including, but not limited to, technological innovations in the hot-mix asphalt, aggregate processing, paving, milling and recycling markets.

During 2016,2017, 10 service training seminars were held at the Roadtec facility for approximately 520 customer representatives, and 12 remote seminars were conducted at other locations for approximately 200 additional customer personnel.  CEI conducted four service schools during 2016,2017, with approximately 7076 customer representatives attending. Heatec conducted two service schools in 2017 with approximately 50 customer representatives attending and also conducted four remote seminars at other locations for approximately 95 additional customer personnel. Telsmith conducted three technical seminars for approximately 85 customer and dealer representatives during 2016.2017.  KPI, JCI and AMS jointly conduct National Dealers Conference, an annual dealer event. The event offers the entire dealer network a preview of future products, marketing and promotional programs to help dealers operate successful businesses. In addition to this event, the companies also provide factory customer and dealer training and on-site local, regional and national sales training programs throughout the year. Peterson conducted four regional service schools during 2017, with approximately 100 customer representatives attending, and two customer focus group meetings for 40 of the company's elite users where attendees shared best-of-the-best operational processes and participated in future product development.

In addition to seminars, the Company publishes a number of technical bulletins and information bulletins detailing various technological and business issues relating to the industries in which it operates.

The Company seeks to obtain patents to protect the novel features of its products and processes.  The Company's subsidiaries hold 8088 United States patents and 73103 foreign patents.  The Company's subsidiaries have 5865 United States and 6976 foreign patent applications pending.  

The Company and its subsidiaries have 84 trademarks registered in the United States, including logos for Astec, Astec Dillman, Carlson Paving, CEI, GEFCO, Heatec, JCI, Peterson Pacific, Power Flame, Roadtec, and Telsmith, and the names ASTEC, CARLSON, HEATEC, JCI, KOLBERG, PETERSON, ROADTEC and TELSMITH, as well as a number of other product names.  The Company also has 106114 trademarks registered in foreign jurisdictions, including Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Germany, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Paraguay, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Uruguay, Vietnam and the European Union.  The Company and its subsidiaries have six United States and 10six foreign trademark registration applications pending.

The Company dedicates substantial resources to engineering and product development. At December 31, 2016,2017, the Company and its subsidiaries had 453463 full-time individuals employed in engineering and design capacities.

Revenues for recent years, adjusted for acquisitions, have been strongest during the first half of the year, with the second half of the year consistently being weaker. We expect future operations in the near term to be typical of this historical trend.

As of December 31, 20162017 and 2015,2016, the Company had a backlog for delivery of products at certain dates in the future of approximately $357,367$411,469 and $315,910,$361,831, respectively.  The Company's contracts reflected in the backlog generally are not, by their terms, subject to termination.  Management believes the Company is in substantial compliance with all manufacturing and delivery timetables.

Each business segment operates in domestic markets that are highly competitive with respect to price, service and product quality.  While specific competitors are named within each business segment discussion above, imports do not generally constitute significant competition for the Company in the United States, except for milling machines and track-mounted crushers.  In international sales, however, the Company often competes with foreign manufacturers that may have a local presence in the market the Company is attempting to penetrate.

In addition, asphalt and concrete are generally considered competitive products as a surface choice for new roads and highways.  A portion of the interstate highway system is paved in concrete, but over 90% of all surfaced roads in the United States are paved with asphalt.  Although concrete is used for some new road surfaces, asphalt is used for most resurfacing.

The Company's internet website can be found at www.astecindustries.com.  We make available, free of charge on or through our internet website, access to our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. Information contained in our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

General economic downturns, including downturns in the commercial and residential construction industries, could result in a material decrease in our revenues and operating results.  Demand for many of our products, especially in the commercial construction industry, is cyclical.  Sales of our products are sensitive to the states of the U.S., foreign and regional economies in general, and in particular, changes in commercial construction spending and government infrastructure spending.  In addition, many of our costs are fixed and cannot be quickly reduced in response to decreased demand.  The following factors could cause a downturn in the commercial and residential construction industries:

Worldwide economic conditions and the international credit markets have significantly deteriorated in recent years and may remain depressed for the foreseeable future. Continued deterioration of economic conditions and credit markets could adversely impact our earnings as sales of our products are sensitive to general declines in U.S. and foreign economies and the ability of our customers to obtain credit.  In addition, we rely on the capital markets and the banking markets to meet our financial commitments and short-term liquidity needs if internal funds are not available from our operations. Further disruptions in the capital and credit markets, or deterioration of our creditors' financial condition, could adversely affect the Company's ability to draw on its revolving credit facility.  The Company's current credit facility expires in April 2017,2022, and deterioration in the credit markets could make it more difficult or expensive for us to replace our current credit facility, enter into a new credit facility or obtain additional financing.

Many of our customers depend on government funding of highway construction and maintenance and other infrastructure projects.  Any decrease or delay in government funding of highway construction and maintenance and other infrastructure projects could cause our net sales and profits to decrease.  Historically, federal government funding of infrastructure projects has typically been accomplished through bills that establish funding over a multi-year period, such as the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy for Users ("SAFETEA-LU"), which provided $286.5 billion to fund federal transit projects from 2004 to 2009.  SAFETEA-LU funding expired on September 30, 2009, and federal transportation funding operated on a number of shorter term appropriations until December 4, 2015 when the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act ("FAST Act") was enacted.  Among other expenditures, the FAST Act approved funding for highways of approximately $205 billion and funding for transit projects of approximately $48 billion for the five-year period ending September 30, 2020.

Given the inherent uncertainty in the political process, the level of government funding for federal highway projects will similarly continue to be uncertain.  Governmental funding that is committed or earmarked for federal highway projects is always subject to repeal or reduction.  Although continued funding under the FAST Act is expected, it may be at lower levels than originally approved.  In addition, Congress could pass legislation in future sessions that would allow for the diversion of previously appropriated highway funds for other national purposes, or it could restrict funding of infrastructure projects unless states comply with certain federal policies.

We sell equipment primarily to contractors whose demand for equipment depends greatly upon the volume of road or utility construction projects underway or to be scheduled by both government and private entities.  The volume and frequency of road and utility construction projects are cyclical; therefore, demand for many of our products is cyclical.  The equipment we sell is durable and typically lasts for several years, which also contributes to the cyclical nature of the demand for our products.  As a result, we may experience cyclical fluctuations to our revenues and operating results. Any difficulty in managing the Company's manufacturing workflow during downturns in demand could adversely affect our financial results.

A significant portion of our revenues relates to the sale of equipment involved in the production, handling, recycling or installation of asphalt mix.  Liquid asphalt is a byproduct of the refining of oil, and asphalt prices correlate with the price and availability of oil.  An increase in the price of oil or a decrease in the availability of oil would increase the cost of producing asphalt, which would likely decrease demand for asphalt, resulting in decreased demand for many of our products.  This would likely cause our revenues and profits to decrease.  Rising gasoline, diesel fuel and liquid asphalt prices will also adversely impact the operating and raw material costs of our contractor and aggregate producer customers, and if such customers do not properly adjust their pricing, they could experience reduced profits resulting in possible delays in purchasing capital equipment.

Contrary to the impact of increasing oil prices on many of the Company's products impacted by changes in the cost of asphalt mix as discussed above, the products manufactured by the Company's Energy Group, which are used in drilling for oil and natural gas, in heaters for refineries and oil sands, and in double fluid pump trailers for fracking and oil and gas extraction, would be negatively impacted by lower oil and natural gas prices, to the extent that such lower prices lead to decreased development in the oil and natural gas production industries.

Steel is a major component in the Company's equipment. Steel prices fluctuate routinely. Our reliance on third-party suppliers for steel and other raw materials exposes us to volatility in the prices and availability of these materials. Price increases or a decrease in the availability of these raw materials could increase our operating costs and adversely affect our financial results. 

We have completed several acquisitions in the past, including the acquisition of RexCon in October 2017 and Power Flame Incorporated in August 2016 and Telestack Limited in April 2014.2016.  We may acquire additional businesses in the future.  We may be unable to achieve the benefits expected to be realized from our acquisitions.  In addition, we may incur additional costs and our management's attention may be diverted because of unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other risks inherent in acquiring businesses, including the following:

We currently face strong competition in product performance, price and service.  Some of our domestic and international competitors have greater financial, product development and marketing resources than we have.  If competition in our industry intensifies or if our current competitors enhance their products or lower their prices for competing products, we may lose sales or be required to lower the prices we charge for our products.  This may reduce revenue from our products and services, lower our gross margins or cause us to lose market share.

Certain members of our senior management team are of significant importance to our business and operations.  The loss of their services may adversely affect our business.  In addition, our ability to attract and retain qualified engineers, skilled manufacturing personnel and other professionals, either through direct hiring or acquisition of other businesses employing such professionals, will also be an important factor in determining our future success.

In 2016,2017, international sales represented approximately 18.0%21.3% of our total sales as compared to 26.5%18.0% in 2015.2016.  We plan to continue our significant sales and production efforts in international markets.markets and recently filled a new company position of Group Managing Director-International to assist with our efforts.  In connection with any increase in international sales efforts, we will need to hire, train and retain qualified personnel in countries where language, cultural or regulatory barriers may exist.  Any difficulties in expanding our international sales may divert management's attention from our existing operations.  In addition, international revenues are subject to the following risks:

As of December 31, 2016,2017, we were in compliance with the financial covenants contained in our credit agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.  However, in the future we may be unable to comply with the financial covenants in our credit facility or to obtain waivers with respect to such financial covenants.  If such violations occur, the Company's creditors could elect to pursue their contractual remedies under the credit facility, including requiring immediate repayment in full of all amounts then outstanding.  As of December 31, 2016,2017, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the Wells Fargo credit agreement but did have $8,876$9,757,000 of letters of credit outstanding under the credit agreement.  Additional amounts may be borrowed in the future.  The Company's Osborn, Astec Brazil, Telestack and Astec Australia subsidiaries have entered into their own independent loan agreements.

Our quarterly revenues, expenses and operating results have varied significantly in the past and are likely to vary significantly from quarter to quarter in the future.  As a result, our operating results in some quarters may fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors, which could result in a decrease in the market price of our common stock.  The reasons our quarterly results may fluctuate include:

Period-to-period comparisons of such items should not be relied on as indications of future performance.

We manufacture heavy machinery, which is used by our customers at excavation and construction sites, ports and inland terminals and on high-traffic roads.  Any defect in or improper operation of our equipment can result in personal injury and death, and damage to or destruction of property, any of which could cause product liability claims to be filed against us.  The amount and scope of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all losses or liabilities we may incur in the event of a product liability claim.  We may not be able to maintain insurance of the types or at the levels we deem necessary or adequate or at rates we consider reasonable.  Any liabilities not covered by insurance could reduce our profitability or have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

We hold numerous patents covering technology and applications related to many of our products and systems as well as numerous trademarks and trade names registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in foreign countries.  Our existing or future patents or trademarks may not adequately protect us against infringements, and pending patent or trademark applications may not result in issued patents or trademarks.  Our patents, registered trademarks and patent applications, if any, may not be upheld if challenged, and competitors may develop similar or superior methods or products outside the protection of our patents.  This could reduce demand for our products and materially decrease our revenues.  If our products are deemed to infringe upon the patents or proprietary rights of others, we could be required to modify the design of our products, change the name of our products or obtain a license for the use of some of the technologies used in our products.  We may be unable to do any of the foregoing in a timely manner, upon acceptable terms and conditions, or at all, and the failure to do so could cause us to incur additional costs or lose revenues.

Our hot-mix asphalt plants contain air pollution control equipment and several of our other products contain engines that must comply with performance standards promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency.  These performance standards may increase in the future.  Changes in these requirements could cause us to undertake costly measures to redesign or modify our equipment or otherwise adversely affect the manufacturing processes of our products.  Such changes could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

In addition, we may incur material costs or liabilities in connection with other regulatory requirements applicable to our business, including, for example, state regulation of our component equipment, the accuracy of weights and measures, and the maximum weight transportable on highways and roads.

In the past,At various times, we have experienced negative margins on certain large projects.projects, including wood pellet plants recently produced. These large projects have included both existing and innovative equipment designs, on-site construction and promised minimum production levels.  Since it can beDesigning innovative equipment to function as expected is inherently difficult to achieve the expected production results during the projectand significant additional design phase, field testing and redesign costs may be required during project installation, resulting in added cost.incurred. In addition, due to any number of unforeseen circumstances, which can includeimpact actual project costs.  Production delays, design changes and adverse weather conditions, projectsetc. can incur extendedalso result in construction and testing delays which can cause significant cost overruns.overruns or the missing of required completion dates.  In certain circumstances, we may incur contractual penalties as a result of such delays or minimum production levels, and be liable to customers for other losses they incur in connection with such delays, including possible refund of the purchase price.  We may not be able to sufficiently predict the extent of such unforeseen cost overruns and may experience significant losses on specialized projects.projects in the future.  Additionally, the Company typically incurs substantial research and development costs each year and has historically received significant research and development tax credits due to these expenditures.  Congress could reduce or eliminate such tax credits in future years, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Our charter and bylaws and Tennessee law contain provisions that may delay, deter or inhibit a future acquisition or an attempt to obtain control of us.  This could occur even if our shareholders are offered an attractive value for their shares or if a substantial number or even a majority of our shareholders believe the takeover is in their best interest.  These provisions are intended to encourage any person interested in acquiring us or obtaining control of us to negotiate with and obtain the approval of our Board of Directors in connection with the transaction.  Provisions that could delay, deter or inhibit a future acquisition or an attempt to obtain control of us include the following:

None.

The location, approximate square footage, acreage occupied and principal function and use by the Company's reporting segments of the properties owned or leased by the Company are set forth below:

The properties above are owned by the Company unless they are indicated as being leased.

The Company is currently a party to various claims and legal proceedings that have arisen in the ordinary course of business.  If management believes that a loss arising from such claims and legal proceedings is probable and can reasonably be estimated, the Company records the amount of the loss (excluding estimated legal costs), or the minimum estimated liability when the loss is estimated using a range and no point within the range is more probable than another.  As management becomes aware of additional information concerning such contingencies, any potential liability related to these matters is assessed and the estimates are revised, if necessary.  If management believes that a material loss arising from such claims and legal proceedings is either (i) probable but cannot be reasonably estimated or (ii) reasonably possible but not probable, the Company does not record the amount of the loss, but does make specific disclosure of such matter.  Based upon currently available information and with the advice of counsel, management believes that the ultimate outcome of its current claims and legal proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, cash flows or results of operations.  However, claims and legal proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties and rulings unfavorable to the Company could occur.  If an unfavorable ruling were to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, cash flows or results of operations.

None.

The name, title, ages and business experience of the executive officers of the Company are listed below.

Benjamin G. Brock has served as the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President since January 2014.  He previously served as the Vice President and President of the Company's Asphalt Group from August 2012 to December 2013 and as President of Astec, Inc. from 2006 to 2013. From 2003 until 2006, he held the position of Vice President - Sales of Astec, Inc. and Vice President/General Manager of CEI Enterprises, Inc. from 1997 until 2002. Mr. Brock's career with Astec began as a salesman in 1993. Mr. Brock has been a Director of the Company since 2013.  He is 46.47.

David C. Silvious, a Certified Public Accountant, has served as the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company since August 2011. He previously served as Corporate Controller of the Company from 2005 to 2011 and as Corporate Financial Analyst from 1999 to 2005. Mr. Silvious also serves as Treasurer of each of the Company's U.S. operating subsidiaries and Vice President of Astec Insurance Company. He is 49.

W. Norman Smith has served as the Vice Chairman of the Company and also Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors since January 2014.  He previously served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company from August 2012 to December 2013, as Group President of the Company's Mobile Asphalt Paving Group from October 2013 until January 2014, as the Group Vice President – Asphalt of the Company from 1998 until August 2012, as the President of Astec, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, from 1994 until 2006, and as the President of Heatec, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, from 1977 until 1994.  Mr. Smith is a registered professional engineer. Mr. Smith has been a Director of the Company since 1982.  He is 77.78.

Richard J. Dorris has served as the Company's Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President since January 2014.  He previously served as the Group Vice President and President of the Company's Energy Group from August 2012 to December 2013 and as President of Heatec, Inc. from 2004 to January 2014.  From 1999 to 2004, he held the positions of National Accounts Manager, Project Manager and Director of Projects for Astec, Inc. Prior to joining Astec, Inc., he was President of Esstee Manufacturing Company from 1990 to 1999 and was Sales Engineer from 1984 to 1990. He is 56.57.

Richard A. Patek has served as Group President-Aggregate and Mining, International since January 2018 after previously serving as the Group President of the Company's Aggregate & Mining Group since October 2013 after having served as theand its Group's Vice President since 2008. He has also served as President of Telsmith, Inc. from May 2001 until February 2013. He served as President of Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc. from 1997 until 2001. From 1995 to 1997, he served as Director of Materials of Telsmith, Inc. From 1992 to 1995, Mr. Patek was Director of Materials and Manufacturing of the former Milwaukee plant location. From 1978 to 1992, he held various manufacturing management positions at Telsmith. Mr. Patek also served as the 2014 Chairman for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and a corporate board member for the Milwaukee School of Engineering.  Mr. Patek was elected to the E.D. Etnyre & Company board of directors in December 2014. He is 60.61.

Steven L. Claude has served as the Group President of the Company's Infrastructure Group since August 2015.  From November 2007 to July 2015, he held the position of Vice President, International Sales, Sr. Vice President, Sales and Marketing, and Executive Vice President of Astec, Inc.  He is 66.

Jaco van der Merwe has served as Group President of the Energy Group since August 2016.  From 1998 until 2016, he held various positions at Atlas Copco, including Vice President Marketing for the Deephole Drilling group (2013-2016), President/General Manager for the Mining and Rock Excavation Customer Center (2010-2013), and various other division leadership positions.  Mr. van der Merwe's career with Atlas Copco began as Quality Manager in 1998. Prior to joining Atlas Copco, he held various positions at Denel Aviation. He is 44.45.

Jeffrey M. Schwarz Jeffery J. Elliotthas served as the Group President-Aggregate and Mining, U.S.A. since January 2018 after previously serving as Group Vice President of the Company's Aggregate & Mining Group since July 2014 through December 2017.  He served as the President of Johnson Crushers, Inc. ("JCI") sincefrom 2001 until July 2014. He joined JCI as General Manager of AggReCon West, a division of JCI responsible for direct sellingFrom 1999 to end users in the Pacific Northwest.  Prior to joining JCI2001, he was Aggregates Manager for Kerr Contractors and held several management positions with a construction materials supplier from 1995 to 2008.  He is 50.

David H. SmaleStephen C. Anderson has served as Vice President of Administration since August 2011, as Secretary of the General ManagerCompany since January 2007 and as the Director of Investor Relations since January 2003. Mr. Anderson also manages the corporate information technology, vendor finance and aviation departments. He has also been President of Astec Australia Pty LtdInsurance Company since 2008.January 2007. He served aswas Vice President of Astec Financial Services, Inc. from 1999 to 2002. Prior to his employment with the General Manager of Allen's Asphalt from 2006 to 2008Company, Mr. Anderson spent a combined 14 years in commercial banking with AmSouth and as their Operations Manager from 2004 to 2006.SunTrust Banks. He is 61.54.

Malcolm L. SwansonRobin A. Leffew has served as the PresidentCorporate Controller since August 2011 and also serves as Secretary of Astec Inc. since January 2014.  HeInsurance Company. She previously served as Vice President – Engineeringthe Company's Director of Internal Audit from 2005 to 2011 and Controller of Astec, Inc. from 19951990 to 2013 and as Chief Engineer of Astec, Inc. from 19892005. From 1987 to 1995.  Prior to joining Astec, Inc., Mr. Swanson worked as a design engineer and project manager for Combustion Engineering of Chattanooga, TN in both the Fossil and Nuclear Power divisions. Mr. Swanson is a Professional Engineer holding registration in eight states.  He is 68.

None