For Sunday Classifieds, please see section G of this paper
your Inspiration for Better Living • Sunday, September 25, 2016 •
2016 Tr ails West homes
Parade ofHomes September 25
Classic Design homes
Classic Design homes
Ban Construction
Brown Builders
Kisling Quality Builders
Newman Built Quality Homes
Rimrock Builders
Tr ailhead Builders
McCall homes
Need rePlaCemeNt WiNdoWS? CoNSider thiS – Dear Brett,
A Special Advertising Section of The Billings Gazette
Lots to love in this year’s Parade of Homes lineup A funny thing happens when you go on the Parade of Homes. Go to one house. Then the next. Then another. Quickly, every home becomes your favorite. That’s because every house on the parade, now in its 26th year, features a unique design or something so clever that you’ll never look at your home quite the same way again. This year’s group of homes features several new additions to designs, including a three-story urban town home, a luxury cabin and a spectacular rimview estate that has a fully modern architectural design. The homes have similar trends and features in common. This year, the emphasis is on plenty of natural light and the use of windows. Many homes feature light, airy rooms contrasted with darker wood, stained alder and Douglas fir. Look for lots of transom windows, long, horizontal rectangular windows used in closets and doorways that allow for plenty of privacy and natural light. Homes are also becoming smarter. Gone are remote controls
Wells Built homes
Blending current pieces with vintage for a
...timeless look!
Pop inin for for the the perfect perfect gift gift oror let let usus help help you you find find that that distinctive distinctive accessory accessory for for your your home. home. Pop
We recently had new windows and doors installed. We are 100% satisfied with the product and personnel of Reynolds Window and Door. Here are the reasons why:
and wires or thermostat boxes. Now, computer systems, mostly cloud based, have servers running everything from the television channels displayed in each room to lullabye music for the kids and a toe-level LED nightlight system. The Parade of Homes not only showcases the best of Billings’ builders, but proves that Billings also has features and designs that could be found in areas much larger and more urban. There are 12 homes on this year’s parade. Today is the last day of the tour; it is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at any Parade home on the dates of the tours, or in advance at the Home Builders Association office, 1645 Ave. D, Ste. F. This year’s Parade of Homes builders are: Ban Construction; Newman Built Quality Homes; Brown Builders; Rimrock Builders; Trailhead Builders; Kisling Quality Builders; Classic Design Homes; Wells Built Homes, Island at Rock Creek; Trails West Homes; and McCall Homes.
Island at Rock Creek
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1. The owner and general manager visited our home to make sure they were recommending the very best product for our location, one that was within our budget and yet would still provide the highest quality. 2. The installation crew were always sure to call ahead and arrived on time. 3. The installation crew were meticulous in their work. They spent just as much time on the last window as they did on the first. We could easily tell they took pride in their work. 4. The installation crew were friendly, cleaned up after themselves, and even brought treats for our dog! 5. And lastly, the windows are doing what they said they would do...it’s quieter--the wind in our rural location gets loud, but it’s barely noticeable now. It’s cooler--we do not have air conditioning, recently our thermometer showed an outdoor temperature of 100 degrees and an indoor temperature of 68 degrees.
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Sunday, September 25, 2016
Parade ofHomes
Tour Details
HOMESade SPONSORSHomes Map PARADE to OFPar
PARADE OF HOMES SPONSOR
Enjoy your phenomenal Enjoy yourself-guided self-guidedtour tour of of these these phenomenal homes. Visit each your at leisure. will stamp your ticket homes. Visit home each at home your Someone lisure. Someone youyour enter eachwhen home.you enter each home. willwhen stamp ticket You may only visit each home one time. You may only visit each home one time. PRIZE DRAWING INFORMATION We cannot be responsible for lost items. Leave food and drinks in your car. Children 11 and under are free. Children must Weremain cannotwith be aresponsible lost Leave responsiblefor adult at items. all times. Strollers are not permitted. Take your time, take notes and ask questions as you food and drinks in your car. Children 11 and under tour, but keep your cameras and camcorders at home. are free. Children must remain with a responsible Photography and videography are not allowed. This includes adult at all times. Strollers are not permitted. photos taken with cellular telephones. Take your time, take notes and ask questions as youFor tour, keep your portable camerasrestrooms and camcorders yourbut convenience, are located at home. Photography and videography are not outside each home site near parking areas. allowed. This includes photos taken with cellular telephones. Island at Rock Creek . . . . . . . . . . . 9a Kainu, Red Lodge . . . . . . . .1.. 8Island at Rock Creek . . . . . . . . . . . 9a Kainu, Red Lodge . . . . . . . . . 8 For your convenience, restroomsLaurel are . . . . . . . 14 Trailhead Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1214 Longview, Laurel . . . . . . .2.14Trailhead Builders . . . . . . . . . . . .portable . . 1214 Longview, located outside each home site near parking Classic Design Homes . . . . . . . . . . 6140 Timbercove . . . . . . . . . . .3.18Classic Design Homes . . . . . . . . . . 6140 Timbercove . . . . . . . . . . . 18 areas. Kisling Quality Builders . . . . . . . . . . 6101 Carlessa . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.24Kisling Quality Builders . . . . . . . . . . 6101 Carlessa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Wells Built Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5502 Clear Sky Drive . . . . . . . .5.30Wells Built Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5502 Clear Sky Drive . . . . . . . . 30 Trails West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 828 North Fork Trail . . . . . . . . .6.36Trails West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 828 North Fork Trail . . . . . . . . . 36 Brown Builders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5311 Evening Shadow . . . . . . .7.42Brown Builders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5311 Evening Shadow . . . . . . . 42 Ban Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1110 Victoria Falls . . . . . . . . . .8.50Ban Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1110 Victoria Falls . . . . . . . . . . 50 Rimrock Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4908 Diamond Falls . . . . . . . . .9.56Rimrock Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4908 Diamond Falls . . . . . . . . . 56 Classic Design Homes . . . . . . . . . . 2601 Burlwood . . . . . . . . . . . . .10. 62Classic Design Homes . . . . . . . . . . 2601 Burlwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Newman Built QualityHomes . . . . . 3302 Zimmerman Place . . . . . .11. 66Newman Built QualityHomes . . . . . 3302 Zimmerman Place . . . . . . 66 12. McCall Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1918 Songbird . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72McCall Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1918 Songbird . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
LAST DAY... 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Sunday, Sept. 25 ::|:: noon – 5pm
10
$
TICK E T S A RE PER PERSON (12 years and younger are free)
Tickets can be purchased at any Parade home on the 46 Billings Parade of Homes Billingsof Parade of Homes dates the tours, or in advance at the Home Builders Association office, 1645 Avenue D, Suite F. For additional information about the Parade of Homes, log on to BillingsParadeOfHomes.com.
46
two-thousand sixteen
Enjoy home will st You m
PRIZE
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Sunday, September 25, 2016
4908 Diamond Falls • Diamond Falls
Rimrock Builders
‘Montana Modern’ with plenty of original elements
S 48TH ST W
S 52NDST W
KING AVE W
NIAG A
RA F ALLS
LOOP
HAVASU FALLS CIR
VICTORIA FALLS CIR
YELLOWSTONE FALLS LN
OSPREY FALLS CIR
DIAMOND FALLS RD
AUSTRIAN PINE DR
It’s more than
a mortgage. It’s your dream home. And whether you opt to build it from scratch or retrofit a pre-existing home, our dedicated team of lenders is here to offer advice every step of the way. Mortgage lending you can count on—it’s you and
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CINDY REISS, Mgr.
SARA MAINS
TASHA STRAIGHT
Downtown NMLS# 901291 406-255-5148
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Sunday, September 25, 2016
1
3302 Zimmerman Place • Zimmerman Place
Way up high in the Big Sky Newman Built Quality Homes
HWY 3
ZIMMERMAN TRL
RIMROCK RD
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1
5502 Clear Sky Drive • Daybreak
Wells Built homes
54TH ST W
Prairie style features the best of all worlds
GRAND AVENUE
DAYBREAK DR
DAYLIGHT LN
56TH ST W
CLEAR
F5
SKY DR
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Auto Home Business Life Medicare
Building a
BETTER BILLINGS
Long Term Care
Construction Loans
Farm & Ranch
Lines of Credit
Financial Services
Lot Loans Proud to be a Major Sponsor of the Parade of Homes!
Roger L Daniel Insurance 2047 Broadwater 406-252-3411 rdaniel@farmersagent.com
King Ave 655-2700
Hilltop & Main 896-4800
Shiloh & Grand 655-3900
Downtown 655-2400
14th & Grand 371-8100
Worden 967-3612
© 2016 Stockman Bank | Member FDIC
Maintaining stainless steel appliances By John Shultz
McClatchy NEWSPAPERS (MCT)
Stainless steel appliances. They're eye-pleasing, sleek and darned near a cliche these days. But that ubiquity means a lot of people are wrestling with the same problem: how to keep stainless steel clean, ward off scratches and keep a notoriously touchy surface factory-fresh. Deservedly or not, stainless steel has picked up a reputation as something of a dirt magnet. "It is a surface that requires a certain amount of attention," said Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy home editor at Consumer Reports. "A good way to understand that is to go to the appliance section at a store and look at the appliances. And you'll see they often do have fingerprints all over them." If there's one silver lining to this, it's that manufacturers of appliances and household cleaning products have heard the concerns and fired back with waves of cleansers, coatings and stainless steel alternatives. When approaching stainless maintenance, think loosely of your car, said Scott Bennett, kitchen and bath designer at the midtown Kansas City Home Depot. After all, a lot of the current wave of stainless cleaning products can act a bit like a car wax, Bennett said. One product he recommends is Stainless Steel Magic, which he said minimizes fingerprints and gives a polished look. Simple Green's Stainless Steel One-Step Cleaner & Polish is another winner, he said, and both cost just a few dollars. Also similar to car maintenance: stainless steel responds better to dedicated stainless cleaning products, Bennett said. "You can use other cleaners or just soap and water," he said. "But it will probably leave streaks and water spots. If you just take a damp cloth and wipe it down, you'll have streaks, and you'll do nothing to prevent fingerprints."
WWW.STOCKMANBANK.COM
cont’d on pg. 8
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Sunday, September 25, 2016
1214 Longview • Northhill Estates
Tr ailhead Builders
YARD OFFICE RD
Classic style, amazing views
EW
PINON DR
T AVE
GVI
CIR
CRES
LON
ROCKFORK
HILL
GREEN BLUFF AVE
CLARHILL RD
RD
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Relive Billings history with our upcoming pictorial book! BOOK DETAILS: The Billings Gazette is proud to partner with the Western Heritage Center, Rocky Mountain College, Montana State University Billings, Billings Public Library and our readers on a new hardcover pictorial history book. This heirloom-quality coffee-table book offers a glimpse of Billings from 1940-1969 with a brief reprise of the early years through stunning and historic photos. In addition, we are thrilled to include photographic memories of years gone by from our readers. Pre-order your commemorative book now and save $15.00 off the $44.95 retail price.
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Pre-order by mail now (discount expires 10/26/16). Select an option: ☐ Ship my order to me ☐ I’ll pick up my order $29.95 plus $6.95 shipping and handling per book. $29.95 per book. Pick up order at The Billings Gazette Order will be shipped to the address below after office (401 N Broadway, Billings) 12/02/16. after 11/28/16. Quantity: ___ x $36.90 = $______ total Quantity: ___ x $29.95 = $______ total Payment method: ☐ Check/Money Order ☐ Visa ☐ MasterCard ☐ AmEx ☐ Discover
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Sunday, September 25, 2016
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Fireplace safety and maintenance We simplify home buying If you are thinking of buying a home, you’ll need someone in your corner. Someone you can trust, someone to explain the many options, and someone to walk you through the steps. We’d like to be that someone. TM
406.651.AFCU (2328) www.altanafcu.org
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See our Quality BlindS and ShutterS
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• BAN Construction • Kisling Quality Builders • Trails West Homes
Cold blasts across the country mean many woodburning fireplaces — some of them long dormant — are being called into action. Before you strike that match, consider a few safety and maintenance tips from experts at HGTV and Angie’s List, which provides consumer reviews of service companies. Wood-burning fireplaces and chimneys should be inspected annually, or after about 80 fires, by a certified chimney sweep. The home must have functioning carbon-monoxide detectors. “This is not negotiable — any fireplace or chimney that’s not functioning perfectly can kill your family, either through fire or noxious fumes,” said Mike Holmes of HGTV’s “Holmes on Homes.” Common problems are malfunctioning flues, damaged chimney liners and blockages from nesting critters. A chimney cap and a spark arrester can reduce risks. Your chimney sweep company should be certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America or the National Chimney Sweep Guild, says Angie’s List
photo by Artfoliophoto/Thinkstock
founder Angie Hicks. The average price for an inspection is $200. Avoid burning pine or sappy woods. Seasoned wood, dried for at least 12 months, will help reduce creosote buildup in the chimney. (If wood hisses, sizzles or foams when burned, it contains moisture.) Before making a fire in a traditional fireplace, open the damper and crack open a window. Light a match, blow it out and watch the smoke to see whether it’s properly going up the chimney, HGTV suggests. Think twice about using the fireplace on gusty days, when opening a door can change
room pressure enough to coat furniture with a flurry of ash. Place a nonflammable rug (available at fireplace-supply stores) in front of the fireplace so that sparks won’t damage your flooring. Don’t burn a fire for longer than five hours. To clean stains on glass doors: When the fireplace is cool, scrape off door deposits with a razor blade. Add liquid dishwashing detergent to a bucket of warm water, or a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water. Spray or sponge the cleaner on, then wipe away with newspaper. Or try glass cleaner from a fireplace store. Shine brass fireplace utensils with Worcestershire sauce and a
toothbrush. To clean ashes: Fireplace coals can remain hot enough to start a fire up to three days, so wait at least that long before removing ashes, HGTV advises. Then, open the damper and crack a window so that ash isn’t drawn into the house. Wear a dust mask and shovel ashes into a metal container; store it far from combustibles and wood floors. (Vacuuming ashes can leave you with a bigger mess.) During fireplace season, leave about an inch of ash at the bottom of the fireplace to act as insulation for your next fire. Most wood-burning fireplaces can be converted to gas, Holmes said. Gas inserts are gaining popularity. “They are clean, safe, easy to use and install. I love them — I’ve got one myself,” Holmes said. “Wood fireplaces are a lot of work, and wood can be expensive if you live in a city.” Real Fyre Gas Logs are one option that New York-based interior designer Bunny Williams recommends. With gas logs, Hicks said, the flue will need cleaning probably only once a decade.
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Sunday, September 25, 2016
828 North Fork Trail • Trails West
58TH ST. W
Beautiful design in a spectacular neighborhood
GRAND AVE
56TH ST. W
SHOOTING STAR TR
RED BERRY TR
NEW BEN STEELE MIDDLE SCHOOL SITE
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cont’d from pg. 5 Others say it comes down to personal preference. Jeff Adams of the Mop Bucket, a Kansas City cleaning-supply store for homeowners and commercialcleaning services, said if you want a glow, an oil-based stainless steel cleaner is the way to go. But oil-based products can dull as soon as water hits the surface. For a more natural look, Adams said he prefers nonammonia glass cleaner or a water-based stainless cleaner. "It's not going to give you a great shine, it's just going to clean it and remove smudges," he said. Whatever you use, don't overdo it, he said. Fingerprints, smeared surfaces and grease buildup come largely from using too much stainless steel cleaner — and the more you use, the more money you're spending. Consumer Reports has found few differences among cleaners and recommends consumers pick the least expensive option available, Kuperszmid Lehrman said. Another cleaning key: Use a lint-free cloth. Paper towels will work fine, but lint-free microfiber probably will produce the best results. Still too much of a hassle? Consider eschewing stainless altogether in favor of faux-stainless veneers. Unlike most true stainless-steel refrigerators, they have the benefit of being magnetic (meaning the family fridge can once again become an art display and open-air filing cabinet). And faux-stainless veneers happen to be less expensive than true stainless. That price discrepancy may grow more noticeable in coming years. Kuperszmid Lehrman notes that the prices of raw materials for stainless steel have been going up. Some manufacturers have been holding back prices because of the economy, she said, but that may soon change. Still, true uncoated stainless stands head and shoulders above the other options when it comes to scratch repair because you can sand it. With faux surfaces, or
cont’d on pg. 11
Tr ails West homes
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Therapeutic Relief
Aches and Pain For
For anyone suffering from everyday or chronic aches and pains, therapeutic relief through low-impact activities in an aquatic environment provide immense relief and provides freedom to pursue fitness goals without the worry of causing increased pain. Complete body workouts simultaneously tone and strengthen all major muscle groups, and when that exercise happens in an aquatic environment, water’s natural resistance and buoyancy helps to deliver great results with less impact on muscles and joints than land-based exercise. Easy to own and operate, your Endless Pools® Fitness Systems brings your workout home where you can pursue aquatic wellness within the privacy of your own home. No crowds, no traffic, no wasted time, and all the bliss of aquatic wellness, steps away from your door.
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Sunday, September 25, 2016
1110 Victoria Falls • Diamond Falls
Ban Construction
A big house for the Big Sky Country
FALL S
S 48TH ST W
S 52NDST W
KING AVE W
NIAG ARA
LOOP
HAVASU FALLS CIR
YELLOWSTONE FALLS LN
VICTORIA FALLS CIR
DIAMOND FALLS RD OSPREY FALLS CIR
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AUSTRIAN PINE DR
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Community Planning Landscape and Place Making Infrastructure Engineering Surveying and Mapping Branding learn more at: S A N D E R S O N S T E W A R T. C O M
Sunday, September 25, 2016
1
ROI
By Al Heavens
The Philadelphia Inquirer (MCT)
In a recent article, I wrote that an expert recommended homeowners keep at least $5,000 in easy-to-liquidate assets, to cover emergency repairs or replacement costs. Although no one objected to that number — the expert said it was a minimum, and more like $10,000 in the bank would be better — I assume that very few people, especially those on fixed incomes or who have children in college, have even $5,000 to set aside for emergencies these days. There is a tendency to postpone repairs if they don’t disrupt day-to-day living. If a pipe bursts, you shut off the water and call the plumber immediately. But if the faucet in the bathroom sink drips a bit, you try not to think about it, even though you’re wasting lots of water and probably adding to your monthly bill. Sometimes, even if there is enough money to pay for the minor repair, you postpone it — learning to live with the situation, as Philadelphia-area real estate agent Marilou Buffum put it, until it becomes so much a part of your life you forget about it. Until you list your house for sale, that is. Sellers are less likely than ever to find someone as tolerant of a dripping bathroom faucet as they are, Buffum said. Several weeks back, I wrote about a five-bedroom Colonial for sale for $234,900 that prospective buyers described as “too blah,� and that even the agent had considered “boring.� The owners had spent a lot of money trying to make the house, built and purchased in 1971, look appealing, but it spent the winter sitting empty. Finally, an agreement
of sale was negotiated with first-time buyers for $225,000, with a $5,000 sellers’ assist at the settlement table. The subsequent home inspection uncovered needed plumbing and electrical repairs, including bringing the septic system up to code. Then, there was the water pressure, which the owners said had always been problematically low, though the family of nine had managed to get by on it for three decades. The repairs were not that expensive, but the angst created by the inspector’s report was high, as was the concern that the best opportunity for selling the house might be lost to things that were known and left uncorrected because its owners had learned to live with them. Noelle Barbone, broker manager of Weichert Realtors, in Media, Pa., recently sold in just two weeks her parents’ home of 40 years. Sure, they gave each room a coat of paint, but her father also had the roof replaced. Because they knew the house would have to pass the township’s use-andoccupancy inspection, “we had everything taken care of from that checklist,� Barbone said. In preparing the Colonial for sale, however, the owners of that house focused on cosmetics rather than on the systems, which were in greater need of attention. What aren’t on most buyers’ lists of desirable features are roofs in need of replacement and major plumbing and electrical issues. They want those fixed, or there’s no sale. Best advice: Deal with deferred-maintenance issues before you list your house for sale. If you can’t remember what they are, start at the bathroom sink. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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cont’d from pg. 8 even coated stainless, sanding isn't going to produce much more than a mess, said Rick Muscoplat, contributing editor at the Family Handyman magazine. Some cleaners will fill in scratches. If sanding is your only real hope, however, there are solutions available, such as the $30 Scratch-BGone kit, which includes several grades of sandpaper. "As far as elbow grease, you're not going to break a sweat," Muscoplat said. But there is a certain touch involved.
"If you go across the grain, you get more scratches and can make it even worse," Muscoplat said. Make sure that your brush strokes are straight and that you don't curve away at the end of each one, he said. Test your skills first in an inconspicuous spot. The end result, Muscoplat said, is hard to argue with, especially for a do-ityourself project. "I had a scratched dishwasher and used the kit, and no one can even tell I ever had scratches."
If the scratch is too bad or if there is a serious creasestyle dent, replacing the door may be the only repair option. And on a $2,500 fridge, a new door can set you back hundreds. For some owners, including Muscoplat, stainless steel just isn't worth it. "I spent more time cleaning it than any appliance I ever owned," he said. "I'd probably never buy stainless again." For other owners, stainless is likely to be the finish of choice for years to come.
"You don't have to worry about it going the way of avocado green or harvest gold," Kuperszmid Lehrman said. "Stainless steel is around, it's popular, and it's probably not going away." As for the cleaning issues, she said, "I think you're just going to have to ask yourself how crazy are you going to be about your finishes in the kitchen? How much is a smudge going to bother you?"
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Sunday, September 4, 2016
Do You Need Asphalt Paving? We can help with residential driveways... Or commercial parking lots.
LAST CHANCE FOR A FREE QUOTE! Hurry & Call Before the Snow Starts to Fall.
We are currently working in the Billings area and can offer
10% OFF
Offer expires 10/15/16
“Your LOCAL experts”
Asphalt Paving & Professional Coating
Jim: 406-647-9759 Pete: 877-404-4851 327 Sandy Lane - Billings, MT 59101
Hot Mix - Recycled Materials