All the plants that don’t have hot water capabilities have closed just one short week after many of them had monster days.  A few of the plants have had an average to below average year, but most of them have been very busy.  Overall in the North, we are well ahead of last year’s yardage mark.

           Oelwein is having the best year ever, a year that has surpassed all expectations.  Oelwein has been working all summer on an ethanol plant between Fairbank and Oelwein.  We have already supplied over 14,000 cubic yards to various contractors on the project.  Included in that yardage was a 60-hour non-stop slip form pour of a pair of silos.  Oelwein has five drivers stationed there and the slip pour required three trucks around the clock, so outside help was needed.  Waterloo drivers Jake Simon & John Mummelthie were joined by United driver Harold Kavailer to take on the night driving duties on the pour.  Harry Ritter, an Oelwein driver, batched the plant during the nighttime hours.  Hats off to these guys! It is very tough to shift from working days to working nights.  Also, I want to thank Eric Brashaw, Newhall manager, for his help on the slip pour.  He stayed in Oelwein for the week and helped haul concrete during the day. 

Last week we supplied the footing pad for the next slip form pour.  The first trucks were on the job at four in the morning.  The contractor wanted trucks as fast as he could get them to feed his two pumps, as well as trucks dumping directly into the hole.  There was some concern on if we could supply them fast enough since it is roughly a 20-minute haul from both Jesup and Readlyn and ten minutes from Oelwein.  Waterloo, Denver & Independence sent their trucks loaded to the project and then they were dispersed to Readlyn, Jesup and Oelwein to finish out the project.  The pour was 1300 cubic yards and was basically finished by ten in the morning, which is very fast considering that at two of the three plants they have to double or triple batch.  We used over 30 mixers including drivers from Oelwein, Jesup, Independence, Readlyn (Mike Watson), Denver, Waterloo, Products, Vinton & seven trucks from United Concrete.  We had as many as 8 trucks unloading at once.  Thanks to all that participated in the pour, everyone was safe and did a great job.  There is another slip form pour scheduled for the third week of December that should take five days.  In addition to Oelwein being busy with the ethanol plant, the guys there have also been supplying a new wastewater treatment plant and a downtown renovation-paving project.  We passed the 2004 yardage total in July and will be busy in Oelwein through December.  It has been an amazing year in Oelwein, hats off to Danny and all the drivers there.

In addition to Oelwein, the Independence plant has had a great year as well.  A Super Wal-Mart store and a few paving jobs have kept the Indy crew busy and they are well on their way to a near record year.  The new plant in Grundy Center has had a great year for Jerry.  Jerry adapted very quickly from pulling levers and triple batching to pushing buttons to batch on his computer.  Grundy Center has supplied a large paving project and numerous residential projects.  Grundy will finish the year well ahead of last year’s mark.  The yardage in Readlyn has almost doubled last year’s total.  This is largely due to a subdivision-paving project in town.  Readlyn has also been the backup plant to Oelwein for much of the ethanol plant project, and has supplied many yards there.  David Demuth has stepped in and managed the Readlyn plant for us in Dale’s absence.  David had to triple batch on the ethanol pour last week, delivered from 20 minutes away, and still supplied almost 200 cubic yards.  David has done a great job for us.  Traer is substantially up from last year as well.  Vernon supplied two paving projects in town as well as many hog confinements.  Hank in Jesup has had an excellent year in just his first full year as a manager.  Jesup is well ahead of last year.  Some projects Jesup has been supplying are an addition on Bertch in Jesup, numerous IDOT projects and helping out with the ethanol plant.  Hank had to double batch on the big pad pour at the ethanol plant last week, had to deliver from 20 minutes away, and still supplied over 400 cubic yards to the project.

Denver and La Porte City both had great years last year, which are hard to match.  That being said the yardages are down at these two plants.  Denver has been helping the other plants out and has been supplying mostly residential projects.  There is a paving project that will begin first thing in the spring in Denver, which should get the year started nicely.  La Porte City supplied some IDOT projects throughout the summer and has helped the other plants out many times.  There is a new aquatic center going in La Porte City, but the majority of that concrete will be supplied by Waterloo during the winter.

The Waterloo total should be about the same or slightly higher than last year.  Some projects that Waterloo has supplied include a new Hy-Vee on the North side of Waterloo, a new elementary school in Cedar Falls, the Cedar Falls street reconstruction project, a large addition to VGM and a large paving project across the street at John Deere.  The Waterloo drivers have also been busy helping out the surrounding plants on a regular basis. 

Chas Wagoner, the Waterloo dispatcher, had been asked to and agreed to step up and take on more duties in sales.  Chas has been calling on the Waterloo customers and going to the plan room on a regular basis.  He has readily accepted his new duties and adapted easily.  Mike Watson (sales) and Dave Distler (QC) have been very busy this summer and are often asked to be at two places at once.  Their abilities and knowledge are major assets to us. 

We have seen some changes in our value added products (expansion, fiber, chemicals), and had to find new suppliers.  We have established an inventory for these products in Waterloo and Mike is dispersing them around to the plants.  Carolyn Hotzel is keeping close tabs on the inventory and doing a great job with it.

Thanks to all the employees that have made this year such a success, your good work does not go unnoticed and it is greatly appreciated.  Keep up the good work and please continue to work safely.  May everyone have a safe and happy holiday season.