Central Pre-Mix was honored by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency Thursday for changes at its Sullivan Road gravel plant that dramatically cut dust and fuel emissions.

The 2015 clean air award recognized $9 million worth of investment in the operation since 2009.

Installation of a new rock crusher reduced dust emissions to the point that the company qualified for a lower threshold air permit.

Company officials also installed a conveyor from the gravel plant to a neighboring batch plant, eliminating the need for haul trucks. The switch saves the company about $35,000 annually on fuel.

A five-minute idle timer installed on the remaining vehicles in the fleet shuts off the equipment when it’s not in use. The vehicles also have GPS systems that track idling durations and fuel efficiency.

Central Pre-Mix also estimated that it saves $32,000 per year on its electric bills since the company upgraded to more efficient motors and the use of automated control systems.

The 85-year-old company made the changes to improve efficiency and benefit the enviroment, said KC Klosterman, Central Pre-Mix’s community relations director.

Visa stock will split 4 to 1

NEW YORK – Payment processor Visa has announced a 4-to-1 stock split, effective March 18.

Visa said Thursday that its shareholders will receive three additional shares for each share they own as of Feb. 18. Based on the close of Visa’s stock Thursday at $248, the new shares will be worth $62 each.

Visa did not give a reason for the stock split. However, Visa’s stock is the most expensive of the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones industrial average, and among the most expensive in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Google earnings fall short

SAN FRANCISCO – Google has gotten into the habit of missing analysts’ earnings targets, frustrating investors who believe the online search leader would be more profitable it wasn’t pouring so much money into far-flung projects such as Internet-connected eyewear and driverless cars.

The latest letdown came Thursday with the release of Google’s fourth-quarter earnings report. The earnings were well below analysts’ predictions, marking the fifth consecutive quarter that Google Inc. hasn’t cleared a key hurdle for publicly held companies.

The Mountain View, California, company earned $4.8 billion, or $6.91 per share, a 41 percent increase from the same period in 2013.

Google’s revenue for the period covering the holiday shopping season rose 15 percent to $18.1 billion. After subtracting ad commissions, revenue stood at $14.5 billion – nearly $250 million below analysts’ expectations.