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Taking
Charge of the Future
Illinois
Concrete Company, Inc.
"A company is
only as strong as its weakest link," proclaimed Lee Johnston,
president of Illinois Concrete Company, Inc. in Champaign, Illinois. Lee
was referring to the fact that he has wisely surrounded himself with
forward-thinking, energetic team players who embody the American work
ethic and continually challenge him to stay fresh. He firmly believes
that these individuals, whom he hand-picked to grow the business—along
with the company’s Besser equipment—form a chain strong enough to
compete with the area’s largest competitors.
(L to R) Lee
Johnston, president,; Scott Boma, plant manager, and Steve Behrensmeyer,
masonry sales manager are enthusiastic about the concrete products
industry.
On a 22 acre site
buzzing with activity, concrete is transformed into the products that
form the backbone of infrastructure and construction. Illinois Concrete’s
100 person staff takes care of everything from the manual processes of
wetcasting and bridge beam pouring to the automated production of block
and pipe.
Managing such a
diverse business requires a solid plan, and that’s why Illinois
Concrete hails by its mission statement: "To profitably produce and
deliver quality concrete products, provide dependable service and
provide employment opportunities to the community." The whole
company structure is built from this premise, giving employees an
organized structure and a solid plan for growth.
"[The mission
statement] gives us direction, and since it’s so precise it doesn’t
need to be changed all the time—we’re just focused on ‘getting
there’," remarked Scott Boma, the 33-year-old plant manager
responsible for production of all the company’s products.
Being future oriented
is a key factor in the success of Illinois Concrete. A "block man
at heart," Lee said that when he joined the company, the block
plant was "just around to pay the bills." Lee realized the
potential of the area’s block market and the decision was made to
invest in a new block plant so that the company would thrive, not just
survive, in this segment of the business.
In 1999 production
began in the new Besser plant which is housed in a spacious new
building. The automated production system consists of a Besser V3-12J
Vibrapac® concrete products machine, an 80 cubic foot mixer, a custom
designed bins and batching system, a Multi-Spade Besser-Matic®, an
LSC-40 rack transporter, a 6386 splitter and a cuber designed and
manufactured to their specifications. The end result? A plant that
offers flexibility and dependability and has proven to be a profit
center for the company.
Up until the new
block plant was constructed, the production of block required constant
attention and created a lot of frustration for employees. "The old
plant took up so much of my time that block was my least favorite part
of the job," shared Scott. "But now production is as
consistent as we had anticipated — the new Besser equipment has made
such a difference!"
Characterized by
consistent production and high-quality concrete masonry units, the V3-12
plant produces products running the gamut from architectural and
standard concrete masonry units to landscape units. Currently schools
are the predominant consumers of the production; in fact, the Gibson
City Middle School in Gibson City, Illinois was voted "Best on the
Block" in the 2001 Excellence in Masonry Architectural Awards
program sponsored by the Illinois Concrete Masonry Association.
As a licensed Allan
Block producer, the company markets retaining wall units from Illinois
into Indiana and Michigan. Illinois Concrete began tumbling products
just as the trend was emerging and they are now poised to take full
advantage of their popularity.
Illinois Concrete
believes in the same philosophy as Besser Company — concrete is the
perfect building material. But while Besser offers equipment, parts and
services to all concrete industries, Illinois Concrete puts Besser
equipment to use creating products that are critical to construction.
The product line is diverse and features bridge-pouring which comprises
32% of the company’s production, followed by pipe at 25%, block at
20%, precast at 12% and resale products at 11%.
A V3-12J Vibrapac
steadily produces concrete masonry units.
The concrete industry
caught hold of Lee early in his career. He began as a salesman in 1976
and fairly soon had his hands in everything. "I became the ‘go-to’
guy," Lee reminisced. When the company president became ill, Lee
stepped into his shoes. In 1991, Lee officially became general manager
and began implementing a new plan. Job descriptions, organization charts
and strategic plans were put into place. In 1995, Lee became company
president. Little by little, the company expanded its presence in the
market area and added to the product line. Now, all through the year the
staff is busy, working around the clock to produce an amazing array of
concrete products.
Lee enjoys seeing the
fruition of his goals and dreams. "I can see the results of my
work: the subdivisions being built, the infrastructure, the bridges I
drive over. Few things are as tangible. At Illinois Concrete the days go
fast and the rewards are often." He also adds that for these things
to be accomplished he needs to be able to count on others. Illinois
Concrete is run by a close knit team, which includes plant manager,
Scott Boma; corporate sales manager, Pete Tomaras; masonry sales
manager, Steve Behrensmeyer; pipe/specials sales manager, Bryan
Johnston; vice-president/controller, Sandy Thompson; and assistant plant
manager, Phillip Boma.
The
yard at Illinois Concrete stores a vast array of concrete products.
Lee also gives a
tremendous amount of credit for the plant’s success to Dan Leman,
Besser regional manager. According to Lee, "Dan makes life better
and easier." He is both proactive and responsive, providing ongoing
support that greatly assists Illinois Concrete in reaching its goals.
Scott is comfortable with the relationship with Besser. "Though it
is a rare occurrence, we know we can call someone from Besser in the
middle of the night for technical assistance if we have the need."
Lee thinks the world
of the employees, customers and vendors of Illinois Concrete. Years ago,
to thank those that make the company successful, a tradition was born:
the annual fish fry. On the last Tuesday of February, the pipe plant is
transformed into a huge restaurant that serves 500 pounds of fresh fish
and sincere camaraderie to a steady stream of appreciative
professionals. Sure, it’s a big and costly undertaking, conceded Lee,
but besides the Besser equipment it’s one of the best investments the
company makes. And it’s just another example of the way this company
values tradition at the same time it embraces change.
PRODUCTION
TIP
The
average person over fifty years of age will have spent one year looking
for lost items, according to the web site www.uselessfacts.net.
A staggering statistic like this drives home the importance of clean,
well organized work areas. The rack on wheels pictured here is a simple,
effective way to organize cores. At a glance an employee can identify
the cores that are needed and within seconds remove the cores from the
rack and begin installing them into a mold assembly.
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