Eyeing opportunities in Anchor Wall retaining systems and landscaping block (top), plus architectural and conventional concrete masonry, Rogers Block & Wall began constructing the Martinsville site last June and was ready for production by October 1998. Situated near a Rogers Group quarry and alongside a private farm, the new facility houses 21 employees. Anchor Diamond and Windsor blocks form a decorative and functional exterior for the plant building and aggregate hopper retaining wall, reducing noise and dust. Offices feature cabinets and Corian sinks and countertops fabricated by Rogers Building Supply in Bloomington, Ind.

Rogers' Besser Ultrapac II block machine includes a 120-cu.-ft. mixer that feeds material into a skip loader. This unit in turn delivers the mix to the hopper, providing a more convenient transfer method than if the hopper was conventionally located over the top of the machine, according to Plant Manager Bruce Starkey.

A 30-in. weigh belt conveyor located below the hopper feeds material to the plant's Ultrapac, which is outfitted with the AFC SmartPac vibration system. This system allows the operator to tailor vibration to a company's specific needs by setting the amplitude and frequency, and to store that information in the system's computer and recall settings. "The SmartPac allows us to increase the magnitude of vibration and obtain much denser block," Starkey says.

Pallets of block are handled by the Multi-Spade Besser-Matic, which transfers units from conveyor to rack, and then to the LSC-40. This automatic car and crawler takes block racks to the curing room.

Rogers uses a Con Cure Cold Water Mist Curing System that is reportedly more cost and energy efficient than steam systems, and affords better moisture control in the curing process. Blocks are cured for 16-24 hours and picked up by the LSC-40, whose computer system knows which racks are ready for transfer. The unloading side of the Multi-Spade Besser Matic takes the pallets out of the rack and sets them on the conveyor for transfer to the depalleter. The depalleter takes the blocks off the pallets and moves them over to be cubed and eventually shipped. Prior to being cubed, blocks that need to be split are diverted to a separate splitting line.

Rogers Group's operations are mainly positioned in three geographic regions: the central region with operations in Indiana, Ohio and Illinois; the southern region with operations in Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas and Alabama; and the Kentucky region with operations in central and western areas of the state. The company's extensive Indiana holdings (note pullout below) were recently expanded to include Rogers Block & Wall in Martinsville. All of the company's locations are under the leadership of President and CEO Don Williamson.

Rogers Group is the largest privately held crushed stone producer in the United States, providing crushed stone, sand and gravel, asphalt, highway construction, concrete masonry, structural precast products and building supplies. Annual sales are in excess of $250 million.