The new plant, with two silos, means he can have the best of both worlds. “We can keep ourselves running, plus service the others who buy mix from us,” he says.

Wright Paving’s older plant - in Lewisburg, TN, about 25 miles southeast of Shelbyville - has four bins with RAP. The new plant features six bins. The new plant - capable of producing 300 tons per hour - also can run on natural gas, diesel or waste oil. “With the volatility of the fuel market, you need all the options,” Wright explains.

The plant features a 300 Ultradrum and 59,000-cfm Ultraflo baghouse. The counterflow drum and baghouse also are more environmentally friendly, Wright says.

But the biggest difference with the new plant might be the technology. “The controls set it apart,” Wright states. “It’s user-friendly, whether you’ve done it before or not. Overall, I think the technology - particularly the up-to-date controls - is the biggest improvement we’ve seen from the new plant. Of course the lack of maintenance also is a big change, but that’s to be expected with a new plant.”