CUSTOMER| A SALUTE TO AN CUSTOMER |
AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES
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Being one of the world's largest producers of aggregate materials might allow a company to rest on its laurels, knowing its name alone will probably draw customers to it. But the people of Aggregate Industries believe that's not the way to do business. "Our aim is always to make a quality product that's in spec, clean and meets the customer's needs," said Bob Kachinske, Plant Manager of Aggregate Industries' Elk River facility in a suburb of the Twin Cities. "If we do that, we'll continue to be one of the top producers in the market. There's always going to be someone ready to take our place if we slip up. We're committed to not letting that happen." With corporate headquarters in Switzerland, Aggregate Industries ranks among the global leaders in aggregate production. Its United States operations are split into seven regions, including the North Central Region that's headquartered in the Twin Cities area. The
Dan Quie, Area Manager
Bob Kachinske, Elk River Plant Manager
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North Central Region services the upper Midwest, including the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro areas, as well as the Fargo, N.D., area. The North Central Region has three divisions: aggregate production, ready-mix concrete, and concrete products, such as cement blocks. The aggregate production side comprises six sand and gravel operations and four limestone quarries in the Twin Cities metro area. One of the company's locations is the Elk River plant, which Aggregate Industries acquired in 1995 after buying the gravel and mineral rights and existing equipment from the previous owner. The nearly 600-acre site contains reserves that will last the company well into the future. Upping production "We're primarily producing concrete aggregates. Sand and course aggregate goes into concrete products, such as ready-mix and precast," said Area Manager Dan Quie. "The plant also produces manufactured sand and bituminous aggregate that are used in asphalt paving and road base. We sell much of what we produce to our own ready-mix and concrete products divisions, but we do service a large number of outside customers as well." Aggregate Industries has more than doubled the facility's production since acquiring it. When the company took over, production stood at 600,000 tons per year. Last year it mined 2 million tons, with a finished product total of 1.2 million tons. Elk River runs two eight-hour shifts, five days a week, employing 15 people who are dedicated to ensuring each of the six wash products they produce at the plant are of the highest quality.
Elk River Plant Manager Bob Kachinske monitors the plant's classifying control screen via computer, which displays the plant's layout, production and automatic controls. |
