The board of AltusGroup, Inc.—Bethlehem, Pa.-based proprietor of CarbonCast architectural and structure precast concrete—has appointed Oldcastle Precast Building Systems’ Ron Jankowski to a two-year term as chairman. A member of the Oldcastle Precast business development team, he has served as AltusGroup secretary, Mid-Atlantic Precast Association president and Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Total Precast Committee chair.
Harry Gleich (Metromont) was re-elected as treasurer at the 2015 AltusGroup meeting, while John Seroky (High Concrete Group) was elected secretary. Other board members confirmed are Tom Kelley (Gage Brothers), Tony Smith (Metromont), John Leatham and Brian Laufenberg (Chomarat), Aaron Fink (Oldcastle Precast), Loren Later (Knife River Prestress), and Kenneth Kruse (BASF Admixtures). Group Executive Director John Carson will continue as a non-voting board member.
Also during the meeting, Jeremy Olivotti (Mid-States Concrete Industries) was elected Marketing Committee chair and Dave Schneider (High Concrete) was tapped to head up the Technical Advisory Committee, with Sam Kakish (Enterprise Precast) and Harry Gleich overseeing enclosure systems and double tees, respectively. Operating in partnership with carbon fiber reinforcement supplier Chomarat N.A. LLC, AltusGroup has grown from five founding members in 2003 to 19 member companies in North America and two international affiliates in Europe. Producers have erected more than 900 projects nationwide representing 34 million square feet of CarbonCast surface area.
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| Adam Mainka |
Adam Mainka has been promoted to vice president of Operations and general manager of the new Heldenfels Enterprises, Inc. plant in El Paso. He will have overall management responsibilities for the west Texas market and production activities. Mainka joined HEI in 2009 as a quality control technician and was subsequently promoted during his first two years, to QC supervisor and QC manager. He has also held the positions of San Marcos plant manager and, most recently, director of Operations for the San Marcos and Corpus Christi plants. With a proven record in management, lean manufacturing and quality control, plus extensive concrete design knowledge, Mainka holds PCI level III certification; co-chairs the PCI Productivity Committee; and, chairs the Leadership PCI Program Committee.
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| Ted Lindahl |
Ted Lindahl, has joined Cemstone Products Co., Mendota Heights, Minn., as North Metro account representative. A University of Minnesota, Duluth, accounting graduate, Lindahl has served in highway and heavy construction estimating and management roles, with an emphasis on bridges and structural concrete. Over the past eight years, he has been involved in the sale of masonry and concrete accessories in the north metro.
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| Mike Anderson |
Separately, Mike Anderson has joined Cemstone Products as Ready Mixed Concrete Sales Division account representative. The Minnesota native began his career as a mixer truck driver for Wells Concrete in 1993, soon after transitioning to a plant manager post. Anderson holds National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Field Tech 1 and Plant II certification, and recently completed the American Concrete Institute Certified Flatwork Technician course.
Already a key source of clay brick, concrete block and retaining wall units, natural stone veneers and landscaping materials, North Star Stone & Masonry has extended its southern Minnesota footprint by acquiring the Superior Concrete Block Co. plant in Mankato, southwest of the Twin Cities. The deal brings North Star additional landscaping unit capacity and Armorflex erosion control products, while Superior Concrete principals maintain their agricultural precast product business.
“The acquisition underscores [our] continued commitment to providing quality service and high quality block, brick, landscape, and contractor supply products to the southern Minnesota and northern Iowa markets,” says North Star Regional Manager Chad Grande. “Combined with our locations in Rochester, Owatonna and Medford, [it] now enables customers to attain our products over a larger area.”
Atlanta-based Quikrete Companies marks its 75th anniversary in 2015. Widely recognized for establishing the pre-mixed packaged concrete category, it helped shape a building and do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement category with what management notes are thoughtful product innovations, unmatched customer service and a dedicated staff of associates. The company’s evolution from small building materials business in Columbus, Ohio, to multi-brand conglomerate catering to the needs of millions of homeowners and professionals is posted at www.quikrete.com/75.
“We’re proud of our heritage as an American, family-run company that has helped revolutionize the building and home improvement industries during the past 75 years,” says Quikrete CEO James E. Winchester, Jr. “From day one, my father, Gene Winchester, was driven to meet the needs of both contractors and homeowners with the highest-quality products at fair market value, and that commitment remains a core value today. It’s been quite the journey from a single plant in Ohio [packaging] three products to plants across the country manufacturing hundreds of products, but a journey made possible thanks to our hard working employees and loyal customers.”
“Long before the term do-it-yourself was coined or HGTV existed, Quikrete was helping homeowners with easy, affordable projects around the house,” he adds. “However, we’ve also stayed true to our core customers in the building industry by providing heavy-duty products that meet the needs of even the most challenging projects. Quikrete has truly evolved from concrete in a bag into an iconic brand that lives up to its mantra, ‘What America’s Made Of’ every day. We’re extremely grateful for the success and look forward to writing the next chapter in the company’s history.”
Virginia-based Smith-Midland Corp. has announced a $4 million contract covering production and delivery of precast concrete aerial guide-way parapet panels and manholes, plus J-J Hooks barriers for the Metro Silver Line phase II project near Dulles International Airport. In total, the producer will deliver 15,000 tons of precast for northern Virginia job through the end of 2016.
Just over six miles (33,000 linear feet) of Smith-Midland precast concrete aerial guide-way parapet panels will run along the sides of the elevated Metro Silver Line track, beginning in close proximity to Dulles Airport and continuing along Autopilot Drive. In addition, 10,000 linear feet of J-J Hooks precast concrete barriers are included in the contract. The parapet will serve as a noise barrier and visual screen. The 265 precast concrete manholes will serve as electric, communication and traction power vaults ranging in size from 12- x 6-ft. to 16- x 8-ft. They will support Metro controls and Dulles Airport Authority and Dominion Power lines.
To reduce waste in labor, inventory and parts, Smith-Midland has implemented the Toyota Production System model throughout its organization. “Smith-Midland remains focused on lean manufacturing practices, which benefit our customers by providing the highest quality products and services at the lowest cost, in the shortest time, and in the safest manner,” says President Ashley Smith.
The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is a 23-mile extension of Washington’s existing Metrorail System, and is being built in two phases by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. When both phases are complete, the line will provide a one-seat, no-transfer ride from Dulles to Washington, D.C., and include 11 new stations. Phase II will include six stations along 11.4 miles from the Wiehle-Reston East Station to Ashburn. The primary contractor is Capital Rail Constructors, anchored by a Clark Construction Group and Kiewit Infrastructure South joint venture.
Licensed production of Castia Stone, an exterior concrete cladding with patented rainscreen technology, has been expanded to seven additional Central and Northeast states through Columbus-based Oberfields LLC. The producer is one of the most respected names in concrete masonry, landscape, precast and hardscape products in Ohio and surrounding areas. With sales locations throughout Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, it is positioned to extend the Castia Stone product line to contractors, dealers, and architects serving projects in major Central and Northeast markets.
Oberfields is the latest operator to license the concrete veneer technology since 2009, notes Alice Muratore, owner of the Clarksville, Tenn.-based Castia Stone. With an eye to additional licensees affording a national footprint by 2020, she adds, “We will continue to promote to builders, homeowners, contractors and architects to highlight the many benefits of our products. Contractors will save money and time on installation, and the owner will get a healthier building envelope that virtually eliminates the potential for moisture or mold to build up in the wall. With the addition of Oberfields and our presence on CADdetails.com we are very excited for what the future holds.”
BRYAN MATERIALS GROUP ADDS BEAVER CONCRETE
Pittsburgh’s leading independent ready mixed and aggregate operator Frank Bryan Inc. has closed on Beaver Concrete & Gravel, Rochester, Pa. The rebranded Beaver Concrete & Supply becomes a satellite, up the Ohio River, to two larger Bryan Materials Group (BMG) ready mixed operations in Pittsburgh: the Frank Bryan flagship, whose downtown location affords in many signature-building contracts; and, Quality Concrete, focused on residential and light commercial work.
Beaver Concrete is strategic to Tri-State River Products in Beaver, Pa., one of four BMG aggregate production or distribution businesses along a 50-mile Ohio River stretch—Georgetown, Pa. (Georgetown Sand & Gravel) to Neville Island (Neville Aggregates Co.) to Pittsburgh (Neville Glenwood Division). Now led by members of the founding family’s fourth and fifth generations—brothers Tom and David Bryan, cousin Matt Bryan, and Tom’s son Justin Bryan—BMG has grown on the strength of the Frank Bryan and Quality Concrete brands, plus Pittsburgh-centered aggregate dredging and depot assets acquired in the mid-1990s from Dravo Inc. Area businesses rounding out the company’s portfolio are BMG Marine Division; Concrete Concepts Inc., a utility precast producer; and, Rox Trucking.
ACME BRICK HONORS TOP PLANT CHIEF
Tracy Bruton, manager of the Acme Brick Co. Bennett, Texas, operation, has been named the Dallas-based clay and concrete masonry giant’s Plant Manager of the Year. The recognition dovetails the site’s Acme Brick Plant of the Year honor.
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| Acme Senior Vice President of Production Ed Watson (left) and Acme Plant Manager of the Year Tracy Bruton. |
Bruton began his Acme career in 1994 as a grinding room utility/operator at the original Bennett site, west of Fort Worth. After holding several positions, he relocated to Bridgeport, Texas, where he entered into the management trainee program in July 2000, becoming burning supervisor the following year. He returned to Bennett in 2002 and was named plant superintendent three years later. In October 2013, after serving in key roles at other Acme plants, he was promoted to his current post.
The largest operator in clay masonry, Acme Brick has 26 plants and 70 company-owned sales offices across 17 states, plus a nationwide network of independent distributors. A sister operation, Featherlite Building Products, has six concrete block plants in Texas.