ForConstructionPros.com

The decision to make a substantial investment in replacing a dependable plant is not an easy one for most asphalt producers/contractors, but it proved to be the right decision for Mississippi asphalt producer/contractor Dunn Roadbuilders, L.L.C.

The Cedarapids 400-tph plant Dunn Roadbuilders, a subsidiary of Dunn Investment Co. Inc., operated at its Petal, MS location provided reliable service for over 10 years, but the undersized baghouse limited production to 200 to 225 tph, and, more significantly, the asphalt producer/contractor's growth objectives.

"We spent about a year discussing how to best address the production issues, including whether or not to replace the baghouse, and finally decided that replacing the entire plant would be the best way to achieve our future growth objectives," says Rick Croy, manager of QA/QC, plant and materials.

With 67 years of cumulative asphalt production experience, Croy, along with Mike Graham, manager of plant operations, and Rusty Bradford, maintenance supervisor, were charged with the task of selecting a new plant for the company's Petal location.

Dunn Roadbuilders, which is headquarted in Laurel, MS, serves the east central and southeast Mississippi market. It has a second asphalt production facility in Laurel, and maintains a substantial inventory of mobile roadbuilding equipment capable of handling jobs of all sizes. The two asphalt plants supply the company's three paving crews, as well as other contractors and customers. Eighty-five percent of the asphalt produced at Dunn's two plants is used on DOT projects.