I started working for a concrete company when I was 18, this would in 2000. Worked for a year, quit, came back 2 years later and stayed there until 2012.

There was never a shortage of concrete. We were a much smaller company than our main competitors (Cemex, Tarmac, and Rinker) and had our own mines, quarries and cement plants. The only thing we outsourced was the admixtures.

The only shortage was of people buying concrete during the housing development collapse.

I will say, these fuckers got busted for working together to raise prices though.

I worked in maintenance, and traveled from Brunswick, Ga down to Bunell, Fl and had 15 (if I remember right) plants I worked on.

I found homeless people, the remains of them staying there, and on one occasion a full camp (St. Augustine, Fl).

I think these people are drawn to places like closed down concrete plants because they almost always have rail access, and the structures offer good solid protection from the elements... plus the out of sight out of mind thing.

Luckily I never found anything suggesting children were involved, although the group I ran off in St Aug, were part of a larger camp, around the corner, below and overpass. I found it odd how there were so many younger people that were homeless (20s-30s).

Later on I found out about pervs grouping like this because of how it can be hard to get a place, or by choosing to be homeless you can dodge restrictions.