Things are really starting to heat up and I’m not talking about the 90 degree temperatures expected this week.  We at the Metro are starting to see the summer workload unfold.  Some projects we were hoping to see earlier have been pushed back.  This is going to make things tight at the end of the year. 

Cortney Graber’s crew needed a place to go for a week so we put them to work building a parking lot at the new Ankeny plant.  It is always nice to see some familiar faces; I have respect for the guys on that crew I first met back on I-80 ten years ago.  I’m glad to see so many of you staying together for so long, I know it isn’t always good times.  Your workmanship in Ankeny speaks for itself.  Thanks for getting a good start on our back lot.  The Ankeny plant is nearly operational and we are anticipating our first paving day to see what kind of yardage it will put out.  Curt has invested a lot of time in order to make this a user-friendly facility.  Anyone who gets a chance to work there will notice this, everything from the lab to the truck header fill station.  It will stand for many decades as a productive and attractive building along Ankeny’s interstate shoreline.

We were a little concerned when Cortney showed up because we were looking for work ourselves!  Luckily Sternquist Construction, another paver in town, offered us a job that could keep our crews working.  Take time to get to know your competitors; don’t have a negative attitude toward them.  They go through the same challenges we do and any resentment for another company in our industry is wasted energy in my opinion. 

On a similar note, some of you may have noticed some blue Manatt’s trucks running around Des Moines.  We participated in the buy out of M. Peterson, a concrete paving and ready-mix company in Des Moines.  Pete has served the Des Moines area well for many years.  Over his career he saved the taxpayers millions of dollars by bidding work at some competitive prices.   We are honored to have been chosen. I hope we live up to Pete’s expectations and capabilities.  This has given us an increased capacity in our trucking and we were also fortunate to pick up some of his employees.  Manatt’s welcomes those people.  I’m sure we both have something to offer each other.  Have a safe summer, drive safe and wear your PPE (personal protective equipment).  Always keep your work area safe for others and NEVER WALK BY AN UNSAFE ACT.