The Concrete Producer

August 2010

LEAN & MEAN Producers Trim Down TCP exclusive:

Our Annual List of the Top Producers

www.theconcreteproducer.com

By Josh Krol

Slimming Down

Concrete producers adjust to new economic realities.

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The Concrete Producer | August 2010 | www.theconcreteproducer.com

As many hit the gym and balance their diets for a last chance at a summer body, the concrete industry also has slimmed down. But this weight loss came without choice, thanks to the nation’s worst economy since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Not surprisingly, the TCP100, The Concrete Producer’s annual survey of revenue, showed 2009 was another disappointing year. Many producers have tightened their belts and are left wondering what kind of future awaits them. Some saw a remarkable 50% plunge in revenue from 2008 to 2009, while a few actually held steady. Revenue for the public companies on our list fell 21%.

The bottom may have been reached this spring when Houston-based U.S. Concrete, No. 18 on our list, filed for bankruptcy.

David Bloxom, owner of Speed Fab-Crete Corp., a precast producer in Fort Worth, Texas, may have summed it up best: “Profitability is down, competition is fierce, and job payments are slow.”

When President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009, the construction industry hoped it would rain down instant relief. One and a half years later, producers are still feeling the recessionary crunch and wondering where all of that money went.

“The stimulus programs by the U.S. administration failed to provide a boost to the construction sector to the extent hoped for,” Holcim stated in its annual report. “In light of substantial government deficits, political decision-makers and authorities concentrated less on enacting infrastructure projects and more on honoring social services.” But even with the U.S. economy growing at a meager 2.4% annual rate in this year’s second quarter, calls for more stimulus spending will probably not be heeded as worries about deficit spending grow.

The Portland Cement Association claims that nearly $60 billion of the stimulus plan is targeted

Revenue Revenue Projections Revenue Projections for Projections 2010 for 2010 for 2010 Recession Recession Layoffs Recession LayoffsLayoffs As the recession As the recession As slows, the recession producers slows, slows, producers are producers gaining are gaining are gainingMany producers Many producers Many were producers forced were to forced were lay off forced to lay off to lay off confidence. confidence.

They confidence. hope Theyforhope They a better forhope a2010 better for a 2010 better 2010 employees employees across employees across the board across thedue board the to tough due board to tough due to tough but stillbut remain stillbut remain wary. still remain wary. wary. economic economic times. economic times. times.

ExpectedExpected Revenue, Expected Revenue,Revenue, 2008 vs. 2008 2009 vs.2008 2009vs. 2009 Higher 28% Higher 28% Higher 28%

Layoffs During Layoffs During Layoffs During Recent Recession Recent Recession Recent Recession Yes 80%Yes 80%Yes 80%

Lower 36% Lower 36% Lower 36% Similar 36% Similar 36% Similar 36%

No 20% No 20% No 20%

Stimulus Stimulus Funds Stimulus Funds Funds Although Although the stimulus Although the stimulus package the stimulus package has been package hasinbeen hasinbeen in place for place overfor place a year, overforaonly year, overabout aonly year, half about only of the half about of the half of the funds have fundsbeen have funds allocated. been haveallocated. been allocated.

Tax Benefits Tax Benefits Tax Benefits Awarded/$288B Awarded/$288B Awarded/$288B Received/$163B Received/$163B Received/$163B Contracts/Grants/Loans Contracts/Grants/Loans Contracts/Grants/Loans Awarded/$275B Awarded/$275B Awarded/$275B Received/$125B Received/$125B Received/$125B Entitlements Entitlements Entitlements Awarded/$224B Awarded/$224B Awarded/$224B Received/$137B Received/$137B Received/$137B

directly at infrastructure investment, although the exact amount is still highly debated. Many observers also estimate that only about one-half of the stimulus funds have been distributed, meaning more business should be in the pipeline.

some projects are less visible from your car seat. Dukane Precast of Naperville, Ill., is supplying precast panels to realign the canal that runs through Lockport, Ill. (See sidebar.)

Shovel-ready spending

No workout routine is complete without a healthy diet. While humans need a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, producers rely on residential, commercial, and public works construction. These staples have been lacking in strong numbers for some time now. As 2010 wears on, credit remains tight for

The primary phase of the program focuses less on concrete-intensive and more on shovel-ready projects. On these, approvals are secured and work can start right away once funding is in place. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has a list of almost 19,000 such projects. About $27 billion will be allocated to the Department of Transportation to repair roads and bridges in an attempt to create what President Obama calls a “21st century infrastructure.”

This is a boon to producers such as Delta Concrete, a ready-mix producer in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Infrastructure work accounts for one-half of Delta’s business.

Delta did not lay off any employees during the recession and actually saw a revenue increase over this past year.

Others have not been as fortunate.

Argos USA of Houston said that stimulus spending “increased the amount of projects out for bid, but no significant revenue increase was seen.”

As these infrastructure projects move to fruition, concrete consumption could show an increase of 5.4%, according to the Portland Cement Association.

You may pass large orange signs along the highway that claim the government is “Putting America Back to Work.” But

Markets: then and now

Standard Concrete Products of Columbus, Ga., has rehired in some of its plants but is downsizing in others.

consumers and businesses wishing to expand, and consumer confidence and spending (which accounts for 70% of the economy) remain weak.

Dan Grier, regional manager for Delta Concrete, says that the decline in housing caused a 20% volume reduction for his business.

Despite a slowdown after the housing tax credits expired in April, economists were still forecasting an average increase of 15% over last year’s meager 554,000 housing starts.

The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) expects a 14% increase

Robin Nelson / Black Star

Source: Recovery.org

A series of 36-foot-tall panels are being installed along the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal.

Stimulus Money at Work About 35 miles southwest of Chicago lies the suburb of Lockport, Ill. Established in the early 1800s, Lockport features vintage architecture with a modern flair. The town was able to grow exponentially from the time of its birth due to the creation of the 97-mile Illinois & Michigan Canal that extended from the Chicago River to the Illinois River at Peru, Ill. Today, the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal runs straight through the heart of Lockport and is the site of a stimulusfunded construction project. Walsh Construction was awarded $42.9 million for the project and contracted Dukane Precast of Naperville, Ill., to manufacture concrete panels to realign the deteriorating west side of the canal.

Josh Krol

Dukane’s new plant in Plainfield, about 10 miles from the canal, started production of the panels in October 2009 and will continue through the end of 2011.

The stretch of canal that runs through Lockport will need 1335 8-foot-wide, 36-foot-tall concrete panels. Sitting 30 feet under water, the panels interlock via male and female components.

After Walsh Construction was awarded the project by the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers, they both visited the plant several times before finally settling on Dukane.

“We produced 50 panels initially,” says John Kime, vice president of operations.

“They (Walsh) were very pleased with the product and our efficiency.”

The recession has had a devastating effect on concrete producers, and Dukane was no different. The precast producer laid off employees for the first time in its short history. “The fact that we survived is a triumph in itself,” Kime explains.

As Dukane lobbied for the job, the producer felt it had a lot to offer the project in terms of effectiveness and eco-friendly processes.

A specialized production line helps speed up the process as the slab literally moves itself through every step of the panel formation. Each one of the 60,000-pound slabs eases its way from station to station along the production line. Dukane utilizes the European style isolation process to compact the concrete instead of the more common high-frequency vibrations.

The plant’s other green initiatives include soy-based insulation, concrete mixes that include fly ash, recycled aggregate, and recycled steel for rebar.

Kime claims that more than 30% of every dollar is recycled.

A look inside Dukane Precast’s newly renovated Plainfield, Ill plant.

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Thanks to the canal project, Dukane was able to hire back veteran staff and bring on an additional dozen workers.

“I wouldn’t say it was a lifesaver,” Kime says. “However, it did get the gears rolling again.”

The Concrete Producer | August 2010 | www.theconcreteproducer.com

—Josh Krol

in housing starts this year. According to Builder magazine, NAHB chief economist David Crowe believes that housing “will slowly improve throughout the second half of this year and into next year, bolstered by continued low mortgage rates, affordable housing prices, and an improving jobs market.”

While the housing starts and values have fallen for several years, commercial construction is just now taking its beating. “We expect 2010 to be a year of continued commercial contraction,” says Tom Holmes, vice president of sales for High Concrete Group. “It should bottom out in the first half of 2011.”

All of this puts pressure on the public sector to anchor the concrete economy. According to an analysis of federal spending by the Associated General Contractors of America, the stimulus has gone from slowing declines in construction spending to increases due to public investments in infrastructure.

This market instability has forced companies to become more diverse. Unistress Corp., a prestressed producer in Pittsfield, Mass., took on more diverse projects, including a cooling tower for a power plant. Company president Perri Petricca forecasts a turnaround in business in this year’s third quarter.

Layoff picture While construction industry unemployment stands at 20%, the White

House claims government-funded projects have led to 680,000 new jobs. The concrete industry has suffered hard, as some producers in our survey laid off more than half of their employees the last two years.

However, there are signs of life.

For instance, prestressed producer Nitterhouse Concrete Products Inc., of Chambersburg, Pa., laid off 40% of its workforce in its offices and plants. But the producer has already brought some workers back. Nitterhouse is not alone.

Several producers have started to rehire, although most say they are waiting until 2011 or beyond when they hope business and revenue recover.

Others stuck it out. Enterprise Properties, a precast producer in Omaha, Neb., did not lay off any employees.

“We tried very hard to maintain our veteran workforce by leveling manpower, company diversification, and maintain-

ing healthy backlogs,” says company president Thomas Egan.

Looking ahead When asked about the future of the concrete industry, Fabcon’s marketing director Alan Krane says, “I wish I had a crystal ball.”

Such a crystal ball might show glimmers of hope. The cost differential between concrete and its main competitor in road construction, asphalt, is swinging in favor of concrete. It may initially Methodology

The TCP100 companies are ranked by their total North American revenue for the previous year (2009).

Our goal is to show the large scope of the companies involved in concrete production, so producers are listed by their parent company’s name and total revenue. Some figures were for fiscal years.

Revenue figures and other information were acquired through questionnaires, telephone, and e-mail requests. Revenue for companies that did not provide information was obtained through annual reports, press releases, media sources, and the databases of LexisNexis, Hoovers, Manta, and the Gale Business and Company Resource Center.

North America’s largest concrete producers More than $1 billion

1 Oldcastle Inc. / Atlanta

No. 1 for the fourth consecutive year, this subsidiary of CRH plc. recently bought Schwab’s assets in Ohio, including 12 ready-mix locations, two block plants, and one aggregate distribution terminal. www.oldcastle.com

2 Cemex Inc. / Houston Mexico-based producer has subsidiaries in

be cheaper to use asphalt, but concrete is getting more kudos for its durability.

Concrete roads can last as long as 30 years without significant repair. The PCA estimates that by using concrete instead of asphalt, states could save as much as $100 billion on roads built between now and 2015.

Finally, some are striving for cooperation to survive this challenging market.

“Vendors and suppliers need to partner together to get through these difficult times,” says Delta’s Grier. TCP

4 Heidelberg Cement / Allentown, PA.

more than 20 countries. In response to the economic downturn Cemex was forced to sell its Australian operations. www.cemexusa.com

3 Lafarge North America / Herndon, Va.

Sales slumped 24% over the past year for this North American branch of Paris-based Lafarge S.A. North American sales accounted for 19% of the total. www.lafargenorthamerica.com

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After a successful refinancing bailout in 2009, Heidelberg experienced a disappointing full year turnover decrease of 31%. Heidelberg operates 19 North American cement plants. www.heidelbergcement.com

5 Holcim / Dundee, Mich.

Switzerland-based company acquired Cemex Australia. The producer now has interests in 70 countries on every continent, including North America, which made up 16% of total sales in 2009. www.holcim.com/us

6 Trinity Construction Products Group / Dallas Parent of Transit Mix Concrete and Materials, which started in 1939 as a small ready-mix operation in Beaumont, Texas. Concrete and aggregates account for 63% of Trinity’s revenues. www.trin.net/trinbusi/construct.html

Lafarge North America

7 Vulcan Materials Co. / Birmingham, Ala. Early in 2009, producer’s markets lagged the rest of the nation in obligating and awarding stimulusrelated highway projects. In spring, the producer reported the overall economy was improving. www.vulcanmaterials.com

8 Colas S.A. / Roseland, N.J.

Based in France, Colas is considered a world leader in road construction, accounting for about www.theconcreteproducer.com | August 2010 | The Concrete Producer

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9 MDU Resources / Bismarck, N.D.

The Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (MDU) recently completed a wind generation facility in North Dakota. Such projects reflect the company’s commitment to a sustainable environment and environmental responsibility. www.mdu.com

10 Martin Marietta Materials / Raleigh, N.C.

Produces ready-mixed concrete in Arkansas and Texas. It is the second largest producer of crushed stone, sand, and gravel in the U.S. www.martinmarietta.com

11 Buzzi Unicem / Bethlehem, Pa. Created by the 2004 merger of RC Cement and Lone Star Industries; serves the Midwest, Southwest, Northeast, and Southeast areas of the U.S. Recently built the River 7000 plant in St. Louis, which has the company’s largest production line. www.buzziunicemusa.com

12 Mitsubishi Materials / Corona, Calif.

Company produces and sells construction materials in the U.S., China, Vietnam, and other countries. Other branches include automotive, electronics, and precious metals. www.mmc.co.jp/english/

13 Taiheiyo Cement / Glendora, Calif.

Manufactures and sells ready-mix throughout the West Coast region. In 2009, Taiheiyo acquired Nihon Ceratec, manufacturer of ceramic machinery components and electronics parts. www.taiheiyo-cement.co.jp/english $501 million to $1 billion

14 TXI / Dallas

Major cement producer manufactures concrete in much of Texas and central Louisiana. TXI employees helped build a home featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in October 2009. www.txi.com

15 Cementos Argos / Medellin, Columbia The U.S. makes up 34% of this producer’s business. Its greatest concrete production capacity is in the U.S., where it can produce 11.6 million yards per year. www.argos.com.co

16 Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua / Chihuahua, Mexico

Reported a double-digit decline in concrete, block, and aggregate sales in 2009. Renegotiated its debt in May 2010 and reported growth in U.S. concrete and cement sales in this year’s second quarter. www.gcc.com 26

17 Clyde Companies / Orem, Utah

Awarded a contract for a $2.7 million overpass construction project in Twin Falls, Idaho. This year reorganized into two divisions: heavy/highway and special projects. www.clydeinc.com

18 U.S. Concrete Inc. / Houston

Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2010, and reports plans to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of August 2010. www.us-concrete.com $101 million to $500 million

19 Dunn Construction Co. / Birmingham, Ala.

Originally a railroad construction company, Dunn started Mississippi Materials Co. (MMC) in 1927, now the largest ready-mixed concrete supplier in Mississippi. MMC, and subsidiary Bayou Concrete, serve the Southeast U.S. www.dunnconstruction.com

20 Italcementi Group / Nazareth, Pa.

Transparent cement is a recent innovation of this company, which has 39 concrete plants in North America. The Italian Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo was built with this advanced construction material. www.italcementigroup.com

21 Votorantim / Bridgeview, Ill.

A major player in Brazil, Votorantim has several North American plants. In Feb. 2010, it bought portions of Cimpor, Lafarge, and Cinveste. Its agribusiness is one of the largest producers of concentrated orange juice. www.votorantim.com

rehabilitation of railways, and concrete sleepers. www.itisa.com.mx

26 Pavestone / Dallas

Since 1980, this company has manufactured segmental concrete products for various markets. The Pavestone Institute of Hardscape Technology offers a curriculum in hardscape business. www.pavestone.com

27 Cardi Corp. / Warwick, R.I.

This highway construction company founded in 1900 provides concrete to Rhode Island and other parts of New England; also operates Hopkins Hill Sand & Stone in Rhode Island. Producer was awarded funds to refurbish the Sakonnet River bridge portion of Route 24. www.cardi.com

28 County Materials / Marathon, Wis.

A producer of circular and elliptical concrete pipes, along with precast concrete products, this company has more than 30 Midwest locations. www.countymaterials.com

29 Vicat Group / Stockbridge, Ga.

Joseph Vicat started the French company in 1853. Current projects include flight terminals at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and a high-performance concrete block house. www.vicat.com

30 Metromont Corp. / Greenville, S.C.

Precast producer is planning a new plant in Florida. In June 2010, CEO Rick Pennell was named chairman of the board for precast entity AltusGroup Inc. www.metromont.com

22 Titan America / Norfolk, Va.

This subsidiary of Greek-owned Titan Cement Co. is a leading cement and building materials producer in the Eastern U.S.; subsidiaries include Essex, Roanoke, Separation, and Tarmac. www.titanamerica.com

23 Boral / Roswell, Ga.

Headquartered in Australia, this multinational company has extensive operations in the U.S. and Asia. This year, Boral was ranked #61 on Corporate Knights magazine’s Global 100 list of the most sustainable companies in the world. www.boral.com

24 Irving Materials Inc. / Greenfield, Ind.

Supplies ready-mix in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, southwestern Ohio, southeastern Illinois, and northern Alabama. Subsidiaries include Specialties Company and E & B Paving. www.irvmat.com

25 Impulsora Tlaxcalteca / Mexico City

Focused on Mexican infrastructure development, this producer is Mexico’s leading manufacturer of precast concrete structures, construction and

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Irving Materials Inc./Lucent Photography

80% of the company’s business. Expects North America’s business to improve thanks to U.S. infrastructure projects in 2010. www.colas.com

31 Meadow Valley / Phoenix

This heavy construction contractor has been providing ready-mix to Las Vegas and Phoenix since 1980. Has been awarded three Utah Department of Transportation projects in the past eight months. www.meadowvalley.com

32 Cemstone / Mendota Heights, Minn.

Offers ready-mix, decorative concrete, high-performance concrete, aggregates, concrete block, brick, and decorative stone. Supplied decorative concrete for the Minnesota Twins’ new Target Field. www.cemstone.com

Founded in 1961. With facilities located throughout the state, LMC is a major concrete producer in Texas; owns more than 400 ready-mix and haul trucks. www.lmctx.com

34 Valmont Industries / Omaha, Neb.

Steel and spun concrete utility poles accounted for a third of Valmont’s 2009 revenue. Sales were down 13%, partly due to lower spending on transmission structures by North American utilities. www.valmont.com

35 Gate Construction Materials Group / Jacksonville, Fla. The oldest non-petroleum division of Gate Petroleum produces prestressed concrete for infrastructure, commercial, and industrial projects throughout the Southeast U.S. www.gateprecast.com

36 A&A Ready Mixed Concrete / Newport Beach, Calif.

Along with A&A Concrete Supply, the Caillier family runs Associated Ready Mixed Concrete Inc. and Cemak Trucking Inc. They also specialize in onsite, portable batch plants. www.aareadymix.com

37 New Enterprise Stone and Lime / New Enterprise, Pa.

By mid-2009, NES&L and its subsidiaries received nearly $34 million in federal stimulus projects. The group performed almost $9 million of the work during June and July. www.nesl.com

38 Concrete Supply Co. / Charlotte, N.C.

In the past decade, this producer has grown by acquisition and now has a stake in seven local ready-mix and prestress producers. Now operates more than 30 plants in the Carolinas. www.concretesupplyco.com

39 Nebco Inc. / Lincoln, Neb.

Began as the Abel Construction Co. in 1908 and expanded to make ready-mixed concrete, concrete pipe, and block. The producer now has an account on LinkedIn. www.nebcoinc.com

40 Cretex Companies / Elk River, Minn.

Cretex Concrete Products Group grew in June 2010 when it acquired Concrete Products of Wyoming, a producer of reinforced concrete pipe and precast products. www.cretexinc.com

41 Alley-Cassetty Brick & Block / Nashville, Tenn.

The concrete block producer began as a small retail coal business in the 1880s; still operates a commercial and industrial coal division, and a trucking division. www.alley-cassetty.com

42 High Concrete Group / Denver, Pa.

This precast producer promotes “more sustainable precast,” including the CarbonCast line of C-GRID carbon fiber reinforced products and ECast with weight-saving aggregates. www.highconcrete.com

43 Harper Industries / Paducah, Ky.

Operates in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas.

President Billy Harper is a professional racecar driver on the National and International Hot Rod Association circuits. www.harper1.com

44 Thomas Concrete Industries / Atlanta Has four concrete laboratories and more than 40 plants in Georgia and the Carolinas. Every employee must complete Thomas Concrete Academy, an in-house concrete “basic training.” www.thomasconcrete.com

45 Tindall Corp. / Spartanburg, S.C.

The precast/prestressed producer’s Conley, Ga., plant received a 2009 Energy Champion Award from the U.S. Department of Energy; one of only 47 plants in the U.S. to receive the recognition. www.tindallcorp.com

46 Holliday Rock / Upland, Calif.

In 2009, supplied concrete for a $165 million San Bernardino I-10 restoration project.

The producer’s rapid-set mix design allowed serviceability within four hours of placement. www.hollidayrock.com

Fabcon Inc.

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33 Lattimore Materials / McKinney, Texas

47 Ernst Enterprises / Dayton, Ohio Third-generation, family-owned ready-mix producer also sells construction materials including finishing tools, rebar and wire mesh, expansion joints, and concrete cures and sealers. www.ernstconcrete.com

48 Fabcon Inc. / Savage, Minn.

Earned a safety award in 2009 for operating an entire year without a single workday lost due to employee injury or illness in its Ohio operations.

Also has plants in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. www.fabcon-usa.com

49 Continental Materials Corp. / Chicago

Holding company operates in two industries: Construction Products and HVAC. Its Concrete, Aggregates, and Construction Supplies division includes Castle Concrete and Transit Mix Concrete in Colorado. Sold Denver-based subsidiary, Rocky Mountain Ready Mix Concrete, in July 2009.

50 Schwab Industries / Dover, Ohio Oldcastle Materials bought Schwab’s readymix, block, and aggregates facilities in 2010: Twin Cities Concrete, Quality Block and Supply, and Medina Supply in Ohio and Schwab Ready-Mix and Eastern Cement in Florida.

51 Angelle Concrete / Jennings, La.

Founded in 1947, Angelle has dry-batch plants and cement terminals in south-central Louisiana. Also operates as Delta Concrete and South Louisiana Cement. www.angelleconcrete.com $51 million to $100 million

52 Clark Pacific / West Sacramento, Calif.

The producer’s engineers and precast experts specialize in architectural precast systems, design/build parking solutions, seismic technological advances, and custom architectural finishes. www.clarkpacific.com

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53 Dolese Bros. Co. / Oklahoma City

67 Nevada Ready Mix / Las Vegas

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Began a century ago building streets, sewers, and other public projects in the Chicago area.

The producer now has ready-mix and block plants, and aggregate operations in Oklahoma and Louisiana. www.dolese.net

Largest concrete and concrete aggregate supplier in Nevada operates more than 250 trucks and nine batch plants in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. www.nevadareadymix.com

68 Spancrete Group / Waukesha, Wis.

54 Superior Ready Mix Concrete /

The Spancrete Studio, the first corporate-sponsored course of its kind, focuses on precast concrete fabrication and construction for architectural students in the U.S. www.spancrete.com

Escondido, Calif.

Supplies customers with concrete, aggregates, and asphalt from more than 20 locations. Also operates a construction supply yard with block, decorative rock, sand, tools, and building materials. www.superiorrm.com

69 Empresas Master / Spancrete Group

Toa Baja, Puerto Rico

55 R.W. Sidley Inc. / Painesville, Ohio

The ready-mix, concrete block, and structural precast producer also offers bulk aggregates, industrial minerals, and building supplies.

Subsidiary J.P. Jenks Trucking and Warehousing distributes heavy- and medium-duty trucks. www.rwsidley.com

56 Teichert Inc. / Sacramento, Calif.

Adolph Teichert, a German immigrant, founded the company in 1887. Teichert Materials produces ready-mix and precast concrete; Teichert Aggregates is one of the largest aggregate producers in the nation. www.teichert.com

57 Unistress Corp. / Pittsfield, Mass.

Precast and prestressed producer has its own onsite central mix concrete operation and Unistress Steelworks manufactures 99% of its own steel components. Unistress recently invested $1 milion in solar panels to improve energy efficiency. www.unistresscorp.com

58 Cranesville Block Co. / Amsterdam, N.Y.

One of New York’s original block and precast producers, also produces its own sand and stone. Supplied material for the new Route 17 bypass in Parksville, N.Y., in 2009. The $92.7 milion project includes 13 new precast bridges. www.cranesville.com

59 Midwest Products Group / Jefferson City, Mo.

The company’s subsidiaries, including Midwest Block & Brick and Kirchner Block, make and distribute concrete block, brick, and stone in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Recently acquired Basic Block in Springdale, Ark. www.midwestproductsgroup.com

60 Cast-Crete Corp. / Seffner, Fla.

Now the nation’s largest producer of precast and prestressed concrete U-lintels, Cast-Crete started in 1955 with five employees who produced precast sills on a 50x100-foot lot and delivered them on a trailer pulled by a station wagon. www.castcrete.com 28

61 Delta Industries / Jackson, Miss.

Subsidiaries include Jackson Ready-Mix, Gulf States Ready-Mix, and Pine Belt Ready-Mix. Since 1945, the producer has grown from a single plant to more than 30 locations. www.delta-ind.com

62 Dorsett Bros. Concrete Supply Inc. / Pasadena, Texas

Started in 1987, Master Products segment distributes and manufactures packaged concrete and related products under the Quikrete brand name. www.mastergroup-pr.com

70 Clayton Companies / Jackson, N.J.

Divisions include Clayton Concrete, Clayton Block, and Clayton Sand, in addition to 14 retail locations in New Jersey. The company started in the early 1950s. www.claytonco.com up to $50 million

In 2009, the producer worked on the Sam Houston Tollway Northeast. When completed in 2011, the 13-mile, $400 million project will complete the Sam Houston Tollway system. www.dorsettbrothers.com

71 Texas Concrete Co. / Victoria, Texas

63 Ferrara Bros. Building Materials /

72 Eucon Corp. / Spokane, Wash.

Flushing, N.Y.

Family-owned producer reduced diesel emissions in 2009 by installing CARB certified diesel particulate filters. Ferrara received a subsidy to reduce emissions from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

64 Standard Concrete Products / Columbus, Ga.

Precast/prestressed producer with a reputation for design/build projects, such as the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, S.C., and recent work to replace the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge fender system. www.standardconcrete.net

65 Boston Sand & Gravel / Boston

Received a Green Business Award from Boston’s mayor in 2009 for reducing energy consumption by 81% at a maintenance garage.

The producer installed energy-efficient lighting and the state’s first 100kW+ solar energy system on the roof. www.bostonsand.com

66 Silvi Group Co. / Fairless Hills, Pa.

This ready-mix and aggregate producer says its most important infrastructure product in 2009 was its work on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. www.silvi.com

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Prestressed producer serves metropolitan Houston from four plants. Also worked on Dallas Area Rapid Transit infrastructure project in 2009. www.texasconcrete.com Owns Spokane Rock Products and operates as Atlas Sand & Rock in Idaho. Other businesses include DeAtley Crushing and M.A. DeAtley Construction. www.spokanerock.com

73 MacLeod Construction / Denver, N.C. Began as a contract mowing and landscaping company; now involved in concrete pumping, flatwork, footings, poured walls, and curbs and gutters. www.macinc1.com

74 Grand Junction Concrete Pipe / Grand Junction, Colo.

Manufactures precast structures, concrete pipe, ready-mix, and supplies sand, gravel, and fill dirt. Serves western Colorado and eastern Utah. www.gjpipe.com

75 Sequatchie Concrete Service Inc. / South Pittsburg, Tenn.

Ready-mix and block producer says 20% of work was infrastructure in 2009; has rehired some laid off drivers in 2010. www.seqconcrete.com

76 BMC Enterprises Inc. / St. Louis

I-64 was this ready-mix producer’s big infrastructure project in 2009; such work accounted for 25% of sales last year. Expects to start rehiring in 2011. www.breckenridgematerial.com

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77 Central Concrete Supermix Inc. / Miami

Eight locations, 10 plants, 130 trucks, and 225 employees serve South Florida. Also has a concrete masonry block plant. www.supermix.com

78 Ozinga Brothers / Chicago

Company’s aviation division has leased its nine-passenger Cessna turboprop aircraft to Blatti Aviation for flights to 5000 airports in the U.S. www.ozinga.com

79 Molin Concrete Products / Lino Lakes, Minn.

Company’s new 7442-square-foot design building is certified LEED Gold, demonstrating that using precast concrete can result in a sustainable structure. www.molin.com

80 East Texas Precast / Waller, Texas

Founded in 1982, this precaster designbuilds multilevel parking garages, insulated wall panels, and architectural panel façades. www.easttexasprecast.net

81 Gulf Coast Pre-Stress Inc. / Pass Christian, Miss.

Plant has access to 2000 feet of bulkheaded dock area bordering the Industrial Seaway, which provides direct access to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway eight miles south of the plant. www.gcprestress.com

82 Jensen Precast / Sparks, Nev.

Manufactures products to meet infrastructure needs for electric, gas, water, and telecom utility

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distribution, highway construction, retaining walls, wastewater, stormwater, and sewer applications. www.jensenprecast.com

TCP100 companies whose sales increased last year. Has already started some limited hiring. www.speedfab-crete.com

83 Suhor Industries / Overland Park, Kan.

93 Greco Brothers / Ozone Park, N.Y.

SI Precast Concrete division’s 400 trucks deliver products throughout the Midwest from 40 plants; four other divisions manufacture funeral products. www.suhor.com

84 Quadrozzi Concrete Corp. / Brooklyn, N.Y.

Supplied concrete to World Trump Tower in Manhattan near the United Nations; threebedroom residences cost up to $5.9 million. www.quadrozziconcrete.com

85 Enterprise Properties / Omaha, Neb. Parent of five precast concrete divisions started in 1940; projects include high-rise buildings, parking structures, bridges, and residential applications. www.enterprise-properties.com

86 National Precast Inc. / Roseville, Mich.

Architectural and structural precast producer was founded in 1968. With subsidiary National Precast Structural, has produced columns, beams, load-bearing panels, and stadium seating for more than 800 projects in the Midwest. www.nationalprecast.com

87 Dakota Block Co. / Rapid City, S.D. A division of Pete Lien & Sons, which began in 1944 as a rock quarry near the Black Hills; a nearby air base and interstate highway system provided much early work. www.petelien.com

88 Kerkstra Precast / Grandville, Mich.

With sales off 20% in 2009, company credits lean manufacturing processes for weathering the difficult economic climate. www.kerkstra.com

89 Shelby Materials / Shelbyville, Ind. Ready-mix producer credits federal stimulus package for reducing layoffs; 40% of its sales last year were related to infrastructure projects. www.shelbymaterials.com

90 Moraine Materials / Franklin, Ohio Supplies ready-mixed concrete to southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky from 13 plants; 135 trucks include region’s largest fleet of front-discharge vehicles. www.mormat.com

Molin Concrete Products

91 McCoigh Group / Trenton, Mich.

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Donated materials to Wayne State University engineering students to build a concrete canoe for American Society of Civil Engineers’ concrete canoe competition in Michigan.

92 Speed Fab-crete / Forth Worth, Texas Structural products producer is one of the few The Concrete Producer | August 2010 | www.theconcreteproducer.com

Founded in 1958, this ready-mix producer’s two plants, 22 trucks, and one pumper can service anywhere in the New York metropolitan area. www.grecoreadymix.com

94 The Wells Group / West Liberty, Ky. Fourteen of this producer’s 16 ready-mix plants in Kentucky and one in Ohio were recognized by the Kentucky Ready Mix Concrete Association for their safety records.

95 United Precast / Mt. Vernon, Ohio This producer has five indoor production facilities, a bridge beam prestress area totaling over 1100 lineal feet of casting beds, and a fleet of more than 100 vehicles. www.unitedprecast.net

96 Schmitz Ready Mix Inc. / Milwaukee Family-owned producer of ready-mix concrete operates seven plants in southeast Wisconsin and relied heavily on highway work in 2009. www.schmitzmix.com

97 W.G. Block / Bettendorf, Iowa Established in 1884, this company has grown from a distributor of coal and ice to a manufacturer of concrete, sand, and fabricated steel products; five ready-mix plants serve the Quad Cities. www.wgblock.com

98 Nitterhouse Concrete Products Inc. / Chambersburg, Pa. Prestressed producer serving the Mid-Atlantic has started to rehire some laid off employees.

William L. Nitterhouse founded the company in 1923. www.nitterhouse.com

99 B&B Concrete Co. / Tupelo, Miss.

Thirty percent of this ready-mix producer’s business was infrastructure-related in 2009, including highway bridges and box culverts. May start rehiring this summer. www.bbconcrete.com

100 Geiger Ready-Mix / Leavenworth, Kan. Company dates back to the 1860s when Gottlieb Geiger started a small construction contracting business performing odd jobs; now serves 15 counties in Greater Kansas City. www.geigerreadymix.com *Ranked by 2009 Revenue

—Josh Krol, Shelby O. Mitchell, and Tom Bagsarian researched and wrote the company summaries.