MARATHON, WI – Last Nov. 21, approximately 25 members of the Rib Mountain chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) participated in a presentation on the manufacturing process of concrete ready mix and concrete masonry units, and a plant tour of County Materials Corporation’s Marathon production facility. Participants represented six area manufacturing companies, and included production supervisors and improvement specialists as well as engineers. The event was initiated by the SME as one of an ongoing series of manufacturing facility tours designed to encourage cross-development of ideas and a greater understanding of construction industry practices by SME members.
After a brief orientation, tour attendees observed first-hand how concrete block are made, including the process of turning raw concrete into formed units, the curing chamber, quality control testing lab, splitting and cubing equipment, and packaging the finished block in preparation for shipping. The tour also included a look at different mix designs for concrete ready mix and their applications, including self-consolidating concrete.
“Our intent was to show them the latest technology in concrete design and manufacturing,” says Charlie Misslin, architectural sales representative at County Materials and the event speaker. “A lot of things keep changing in (the concrete industry). It’s hard to keep on top of everything that’s available. (Hosting the tour) was a great opportunity to showcase the diverse production we do as a company and to communicate current technologies and procedures that benefit the construction industry.”
Participant Bryan Voight, a manufacturing engineer at Greenheck, reports, “We were really impressed with the tour. Most of us had no idea that so much went into making concrete, or about all the options for coloring and different applications. The other thing we took away from it was just how efficient County Materials’ whole system is for delivering concrete products, from raw material to a project site. It was really interesting; everyone enjoyed it.”
County Materials Corporation is a family-owned, American-based manufacturing company and leading source for construction and landscape products. Its headquarters are in Marathon, WI, where it was founded in 1946. The company has grown into a diversified organization that supplies products for growing communities at more than 44 locations across the Midwest. For more information visit www.countymaterials.com.
Contact:
Rebecca Sonnentag, Corporate Communication & Promotions Director, 715-848-1365