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Dedication
and a "Can Do" Attitude Equal Success
Midwest Block & Brick
In 1983, when Pat
Dubbert became part owner, president and chairman of the board of
Midwest Block & Brick the company operated from a single location.
Today, Midwest Products Group, Inc. acts as a holding company for six
companies: Kirchner Block & Brick, Kienstra Block & Brick,
Nattinger Materials, Mid-America Insulation, Midwest Block & Brick
and Midwest Pre-Mix. The Midwest Products Group operates nine concrete
products machines, seven of which are Besser machines. The most recent
concrete products machine installed for the Midwest Products Group, Inc.
was a V3-12 2000 Vibrapac® at the Midwest Block & Brick facility in
Kansas City, Missouri.
Pat Dubbert is the
president, co-owner and chairman of the board at Midwest Block &
Brick. He is highly recognized in the industry for the contributions to
the National Concrete Masonry Association.
Midwest Block &
Brick is a success story that is the direct result of dedication and
hard work. Pat is one of the key players behind the story. However, he
is quick to attribute the company’s success to the employees who have
provided, and continue to provide, quality products and services.
A "Can Do"
attitude is part of every day life at Midwest Block & Brick. An
employee created Mission Statement does a great job of focusing on the
customer. Pat emphasized, "We go the extra mile in working with our
customers. We do whatever we can to help them do their jobs."
Pat is highly
involved with the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), which
keeps him very busy. When asked how he manages his time, he stated,
"It is a definite juggling act. Every aspect is a challenge but I
enjoy it all. To have good people I can count on helps make my job
easier. When employees take ownership of their work, their pride shows
and ultimately Midwest shines." Pat relies heavily on Mike Hulen
who is vice president-general manager of the Kansas City location. Mike
has been with the company for 6-1/2 years. Joe Wiseman, block plant
manager, was hired about a year ago but is an 11-year veteran in the
industry.
Until recently, the
company simply focused on producing standard block. The production
facility contained two concrete products machines: a Bescopac which was
installed in the early 1980s and a 1978 V3-12 Vibrapac. Although the
machines were still producing quality block, demand required three
shifts to be operated daily.
Mike Hulen, vice
president-general manager of the Kansas City location (left) and Joe
Wiseman, bock plant manager (right), are credited for their efforts
within the company and for having a "Can Do" attitude.
Pat commented,
"It would be hard to survive as a stand alone block producer, which
is why we’ve been aggressive in trying to expand the company."
With an eye toward the future and a "Can Do" attitude the
company has made some changes in the past few years. The market was
demanding more landscape products and blended colored units and Midwest
was eager to address these challenges. As a result, their equipment has
been updated.
In 1997, the V3-12
Vibrapac line was updated to include a 6386 splitter. An LSC-40 rack
transport system was installed in 1998 to further assist with
production. This V3-12 is currently used for longer stock runs and for
producing gray lightweight or heavyweight 6", 8"
and 12" (150 mm, 200 mm and 300 mm) units.
A new Besser V3-12
2000 concrete products machine was installed in 2001 to replace the
Bescopac. A new hopper and metering belt were installed but arranged in
two segments because of space limitations. An S-600 splitter was added
to allow production of more architectural units. A flop gate on the
concrete products machine allows Midwest to produce blended colored
units. The main role of the V3-12 2000 is for producing special sales
orders, which takes advantage of the machine’s quick mold and height
change capability.
Besser plant layout
staff expertly arranged the new equipment to fit in the space
limitations of the existing plant. The addition of the new equipment
required changing the direction that both V3-12s faced. This allowed the
older V3-12 to retrofit to the LSC-40 and the new V3-12 2000 to fit in
the space previously occupied by the Bescopac.
The quick mold and
height change capability of the V3-12 2000 Vibrapac concrete products
machine allows Midwest staff to efficiently produce a wide range of
quality specialty products.
Midwest selected a
V3-12 2000 for many reasons:
- Considering the
plant’s space limitations, the V3-12 2000 fit in the space of
the Bescopac with minor modifications.
- The V3-12 2000
can share parts and molds with the other V3-12.
- The future
flexibility for both concrete products machines to share the
LSC-40.
- The V3-12 2000
provides a quick change height system which is an advantage for
Midwest when producing varied height products.
- The ability to
increase production by 50% and reduce labor by 50% compared with
the production of the Bescopac (similar pallet counts in half the
running time).
- The V3-12 2000
works with a fork lift operation for manual loading of kilns. This
type of handling allows Midwest to create partial orders or to
turn an order quickly.
The new equipment has
greatly reduced the need for labor. Previously, 29 plant personnel
worked three shifts to meet demand. Currently 16 employees are working
one shift, five days a week. Pat stated, "The new V3-12 2000
increased production. In addition, the cost for producing an 8" x
8" x 16" (200 mm x 200 mm x 400 mm) equivalent unit was
reduced by US $.08 a block on labor alone." He continued, "I
am pleased with Besser and their people. We had certain goals, which
have been surpassed. We analyzed our situation and felt that the new
equipment would have a five year pay off; we now think it will be more
like a three year pay off."
"Besser
equipment was chosen for the Kansas City plant because of the synergy
between both machines and because we were acquainted with Besser
personnel and felt comfortable with them," remarked Pat. The new
equipment at the Midwest Block facility has allowed the company to meet
the market demands of the Kansas City area. They are now able to
efficiently produce concrete products in different configurations in a
variety of colors.
Pat confided,
"Midwest Block & Brick’s total commitment to product
excellence and customer satisfaction continue to help us maintain our
position as an industry leader." The story of Midwest Block &
Brick teaches a lesson: Commitment, combined with a "Can Do"
attitude and the desire to meet the ever increasing demand for quality
concrete products, equals success.
Midwest Block &
Brick is one of the facilities chosen for the plant tour during Masonry
Expo being held in Kansas City, Missouri, 8-10 February 2002.
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