Streamlining Operations & Growth with In-House Concrete

A story likely too familiar for concrete contractors: long wait times for concrete in a high-demand area and an unreliable supply chain due to unforeseen (often uncontrollable) delivery delays. A few here and there can be understandable. You figure it out. Get the work done as best as possible when possible and move on to the next job. However, a build-up of these troubles can start to squash future business growth.

This was the dilemma for PACER Award winner Phillips Sitework. Based in Kansas City, the company provides comprehensive concrete and asphalt paving services for commercial and residential projects. They tackle a wide range of services, including drainage and utility work, land preparation and maintenance, and project planning and management.

Phillips SiteworkPhillips Sitework experienced long wait times due to the high demand for concrete in the Kansas City construction markets. Meanwhile, delayed transportation from the concrete supplier’s batch plant to the jobsite through traffic congestion led to an unpredictable delivery schedule. As a result, crews were paid to stand around with no work until the concrete showed up. 

“We were waiting a long time to get concrete from other producing companies,” says Danyelle Boswell, president of Phillips Sitework. “We wanted to be more efficient with paying our own crew and not waiting for concrete." They decided to produce their own but needed to identify the right approach.

The team learned about volumetric concrete technology from a manager who had previous experience with the equipment and proved to be a perfect fit. Volumetric concrete mixers allow concrete production on demand in any quantity needed. This would eliminate wait times for the crews and enhance project flexibility. It also eliminated waste associated with estimating quantities.

“It was a huge deal for us to have concrete on demand. Our customers only pay us for what they pour, and it just made sense for us to go with a volumetric mixer,” says Boswell.Phillips Sitework uses a Cemen Tech C60 volumetric mixer truck with automated technology of the ACCU-POUR fleet management software.Phillips Sitework

Efficiencies 

Phillips Sitework started with a manual version but found it difficult to achieve consistent results. The company transitioned to a volumetric mixer truck and discovered its automated technology. Mix designs could be pre-programmed. The team could batch, mix, and pour with the push of a button.

“We had some issues with our old manual system,” says Josh Boswell, vice president of Phillips Sitework. “It wasn’t automated, and we weren’t getting the mix right." Without a digital reading, the team found that a manual mixer made it difficult to measure the output of the truck and control the consistency of the mud.

The automated system provided them a user-friendly interface on the truck as well as fleet management software to help streamline concrete production and scheduling. They started slow, on smaller projects at first but quickly introduced other work like making adjustments, cancelling pours, updating the schedule as well as tracking customers and previous orders. Able to track material in real-time, the Phillips Sitework were now able to invoice customers quickly and accurately. Up-to-the-minute reports on completed projects and materials usage help business processes run smoothly.

Having a volumetric mixer in their fleet allowed Phillips Sitework to pickup smaller concrete delivery jobs and grow the company.Phillips Sitework
Expansion

In addition to solving the internal concrete delivery challenges, volumetric concrete mixers allowed Phillips Sitework to expand into new market segments — including concrete delivery. Ready-mix companies, which often have long wait times, often refer smaller jobs to Phillips Sitework.

“Ready-mix companies are backed up two weeks, and they can’t get into small pours,” says Josh Boswell. “We’re in a niche market where anything under 20 yards is perfect for us. It’s helping us grow.”

The company stores materials at their shop in Kansas City. One of the ways they were able to save costs and be competitive with ready-mix is by trucking their own materials. For example, on larger pours, they are able to set up material on-site and do their own trucking for that. 

The flexibility also allowed them to take on a wider range of projects, including decorative concrete, street patching, and utility work.

The shift to volumetric concrete continues to open new opportunities for Phillips Sitework. The company is considering adding more volumetric mixers to the fleet to keep up with demand.

Community is key to success for Phillips Sitework. Their advice for contractors is to find the right people to provide the customer service to help with any problem you may encounter along the way — as well as connect with other volumetric companies to bounce ideas off of each other. 

Of course, "having an experienced mechanic on staff and well-trained drives is vital," they add.