The Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas Inc. (W/NP) knew they had to take immediate action after their limited warehouse space filled up with donations. With no room for additional storage, the Stevens Point, Wis. based nonprofit group was forced to request a halt on donations until they could find a solution. Executive Director, Amy Wiza put in an urgent request to County Materials Corporation for a ready-mix donation that would expand their warehouse. County Materials quickly responded to the request and was onsite pouring only four days later.

“Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners values and appreciates each and every individual, group and company that joins in our volunteer network to carry out humanitarian efforts,” said Wiza. “The ready-mix provided by County Materials Corporation was vital in expanding the storage area at our warehouse.”

W/NP’s mission is to help people in Wisconsin and Nicaragua work together in improving their quality of life by establishing sustainable hospitals, schools, businesses, fire and police departments, learning centers and civic groups both in Wisconsin in Nicaragua. Their Stevens Point warehouse plays in important role in the program by storing education supplies, sewing equipment, cookware and other goods. Volunteers from around the state collect items that will be used in Nicaragua at Learning Centers, where women and men can gain technical skills that provide them with employment, income, self-sufficiency, dignity, and empowerment.

Leading up to the donation request, volunteers spent three weeks preparing the site for expansion. The ready-mix was used to create a platform extended from the warehouse with an awning over the top. The expansion has allowed W/NP to start accepting donations again in order to continue changing lives in Nicaragua. 

DC Everest and Mosinee high school students teamed up for another year with the Wausau Habitat for Humanity to build homes for two deserving families. County Materials Corporation continued their support for the chapter’s annual builds by donating ready-mix concrete for the foundation and basement of both homes.

“Habitat for Humanity of Wausau has enjoyed a partnership with County Materials that spans more than 20 years,” said Berland Meyer, Chair for the Wausau Habitat for Humanity’s Construction Division. “County Materials’ generous donations have helped many families enjoy the experience of owning their own home and assisted us with keeping the homes we build affordable.”

County Materials poured the ready-mix on May 12, 2017 with sections of the house delivered from the schools later that day and throughout the week. The students built half of each home at their school, then the sections were transported to the construction site. These homes were the 63rd and 64th projects Wausau Habitat for Humanity has completed in the community; the high schools have been involved in more than 10 of these projects.

The annual build offers students enrolled in Technical Education classes at both schools a hands-on learning experience with the added benefit of helping the community.

How Permeable Pavers are Changing Storm Water Management

Reducing the Strain

For more than a century, municipalities have managed storm water runoff by directing it to nearby rivers and watercourses. With cities continuing to grow, mandates for retention and detention ponds are commonplace along with an increasing trend to charge storm water management fees. These methods get the job done for typical rainfall events. However, many conveyance systems cannot handle the increased frequency of extreme storm events experienced over the last few decades. Many municipalities and businesses are turning to permeable interlocking pavers as an aid, or in some cases an alternative to traditional methods.

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pdf Covering Ground May 2017 (309 KB)

County Materials Corporation received a Special Award named “Bridging the Skills Gap” at the 2017 Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award program in the Large Company Category for their work in communities and industry education. The award was presented to County Materials at the program’s 14th annual award ceremony on May 4, 2017 at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wis. County Materials was one of eight awarded out of 31 nominees.

“It is an honor for our company to be recognized among the many exceptional family businesses in the state of Wisconsin,” said Rebecca Sonnentag, Vice President of Promotions & Communications. “The Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award recognizes the many contributions made by our employees to the construction and landscape industry. This special Bridging the Gap award reflects the commitment and work County Materials strives to do in the communities where we have locations.”

During the award ceremony County Materials’ 70-year history was narrated, from its beginning in 1946 when the company used a single block-making machine, to the diverse and progressive organization it is today. That includes more than 40 locations in six states, a team of nearly 1,500 dedicated employees, and the third generation of family leadership. The “Bridging the Skills Gap” award was specifically created by the judges to note the company’s, “strong support of industry education, donations to youth facilities, and its robust youth mentoring activities.”

Through the Sonnentag Foundation, the company has donated more than half a million dollars to youth mentoring programs, education and advocacy services for domestic violence victims, housing and training for veterans and awards scholarships to graduating high school students whose parents work for the company.

County Materials Corporation donated 14 tons of concrete masonry units to this year’s masonry diploma course through the Milwaukee Area Technical College. Course instructor, Kevin Kroll requested the block from County Materials to give his students hands-on experience necessary for entrance into the masonry trade. After completion of the semester-long course, students are qualified to immediately begin brick and block laying on construction sites. In addition, the course covers job safety, along with layout, math, human relations, first aid and OSHA regulations.

“Every couple of years County Materials has donated concrete block to the program and they have continued their generosity by donating again,” said Kroll. “The block is used over and over to help teach the fundamentals in brick and block laying. The program would not be what it is today without the support of County Materials.”

As the construction industry continues to expand, the demand for workers with trade skills keeps growing. County Materials actively participates in industry training and recruitment to educate aspiring masons and help meet the workforce demand throughout the state of Wisconsin. To read more about County Materials’ involvement in industry education and training initiatives, visit https://www.countymaterials.com/en/about-us.

Fifteen students from the University of Wisconsin Stout’s Construction Management program toured County Materials Corporation’s Roberts, Wis. production facility on May 3rd, 2017. The trip was organized after Stout professor Heath Wiley contacted Tom Peterson, Regional Manager for County Materials, about the possibility. Professor Wiley wanted to take his students out of the classroom to see the manufacturing process for concrete construction products firsthand, back up the technical information from the textbook and to teach his students about the construction industry from a new perspective.

Peterson was immediately on board with the tour. “I was excited to set up the tour with Professor Wiley, this was a great opportunity for students to see the vibrant industry and learn about the complexities in manufacturing.” Peterson said. “Many young people interested in the industry do not understand how engaging the manufacturing process is.”

Peterson along with Carlos Villarreal, Location Manager; Matt Fall, Prestress Division Sales Manager; and John Kaiser, Prestress Operations Manager led the tour and explained their different roles within the organization. The students visited County Materials’ concrete block, precast pipe, ready-mix, prestress bridge girder and hollowcore production plants.

Professor Wiley was enthusiastic about what the tour offered his class. “The students gained great insight to the concrete industry from a leading concrete company,” Wiley stated. “I believe that if construction students can gain an understanding of the time and effort that is being put into high-end concrete products produced by the employees at County Materials, they will understand that they are the most valuable asset in a company.”

Peterson from County Materials said he was impressed with the students’ knowledge and their in-depth questions. “One student asked how rain affected the moisture levels in production, and what we do to manage it,” recounted Peterson. “I explained the machinery’s moisture sensors to the class, and our ability to make adjustments during production. I was really surprised by the technical questions they had.”

Many of the students already work or have experience working for construction companies, however, have not seen the production process for materials they use. Peterson commented, “The students seem ready for the industry. I am excited that there is so much young talent interested in becoming a part of construction and manufacturing.”

County Materials Corporation was awarded the Richard C. Longfellow Award at the 2016 American Concrete Pipe Association Annual Convention held March 19-21, 2017 in Hilton Head, SC. The national award is presented each year to a concrete pipe author for an article that most effectively demonstrates innovative and effective use of concrete pipe. The award is a testament to County Materials’ dedication to leadership in the industry through community engagement and industry education.

County Materials published the award-winning article in July 2015. The article titled, Reinforced Concrete Pipe: A durable Choice for Long Term Value in Storm Sewer Applications, highlights the extensive $2.9 million street reconstruction project in downtown Marshfield, WI. Inspections of underground utilities by city engineers found that 85-year-old concrete pipe storm sewer that was originally installed was still in functioning condition, but was not a large enough size to accommodate growing infrastructure needs. The article articulates the city engineer’s decision-making process for choosing to install concrete pipe again and showed how they put the old concrete pipe to other uses in the community. County Materials supplied the new construction project with 3,070 linear feet of reinforced concrete pipe.

The award-winning article can be found on County Materials’ http://bit.ly/2pyYfMg. More project profile articles covering the latest in construction news can also be found at countymaterials.com/en/news.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) recognized four projects supplied by County Materials Corporation at the Annual Contractor-Engineer Conference held in Madison, Wis. on January 26-27, 2017. A total of nine projects were presented with Excellence in Construction Awards, which recognizes contractors for their efforts in innovation, saving time and money, and overall quality.

The following projects incorporating County Materials’ products received recognition:

The Excellence in Small Structures Award went to Pheifer Brother Construction Company, Inc. of Neenah, Wis. for their work on the US 51 overpass Bearskin Trail in Oneida County. The new overpass replaces an old structure that had inadequate clearances. County Materials’ Roberts, Wis. plant supplied the project with prestressed concrete bridge girders.

Lunda Construction of Black River Falls, Wis. received the Excellence in Large Structures Award for the 766 foot US 12 Bridge between Lake Delton and Sauk City. The bridge spans two railroads and the Baraboo River. County Materials’ Roberts and Janesville, Wis. plants supplied the project with prestressed concrete bridge girders.

Lunda Construction also received a Special Merit Award, along with Michels Corporation of Brownsville, Wis.; and Edgerton Contractors of Oak Creek, Wis. for their work on the Zoo Interchange Phase I in Milwaukee County. County Materials supplied the project with 57,700 feet (over 10 miles) of reinforced concrete pipe storm sewer.

Winning a third award, Lunda Construction received the Major Project Special Recognition Award for their work on nearly five miles of I-41 between De Pere and Suamico, Wis. The massive undertaking included 19 bridges. The WisDOT noted the extra effort Lunda Construction put in this project by handling extra traffic volumes after I-43 was shut down for emergency repairs to the Leo Frigo Bridge.

County Materials is pleased to congratulate all the contractors for their recognition from the WisDOT, and is proud to be a supplier for these award winning and high profile projects.

Know the Difference Between Slabs & Pavers... and why County Materials’ Slabs offer a Better Solution

What is a Slab?

Oversize pavers, known as concrete paving slabs in the landscape industry, are trending as a popular alternative to traditional size pavers. While their predominate use is in the residential market, a growing percentage are being installed on commercial projects. As customer interest and application for slab use increases, it is important to understand what differentiates a slab from a traditional size concrete paver and even more importantly, why slabs manufactured by County Materials offer better advantages in design and application over competing products.

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pdf Covering Ground April 2017 (309 KB)

On March 8th, County Materials participated in the 2017 Business Day at the Capitol. Tom Peterson, Regional Manager and Carlos Villarreal, Location Manager represented County Materials. The annual event, sponsored by the Minnesota Utility Contractors Association (MUCA) and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, is designed for businesses to learn about key issues and give them the opportunity to support their priorities directly to their elected officials.

Peterson and Villarreal used this time to promote the concrete pipe industry with Minnesota legislators and discuss the important issues facing the industry. Peterson detailed one topic they discussed, “We met with several legislators and asked them for transportation and infrastructure funding, specifically to ensure the Clean Water and Safe drinking Water State Revolving Fund meets the required amount to receive the Federal match.”

Peterson and Villarreal also spent the day with Mark Magney of Magney Construction and Matt Brenteson of Brenteson Companies to gain a better understanding of issues contractors face and to advocate together for issues facing the construction industry.

The International Masonry Institute (IMI) of Wisconsin culminated their Apprenticeship Program with thirteen Apprentice Competitions held across the state. To support the effort, County Materials donated five pallets of concrete masonry units to the Kenosha and Milwaukee programs' competitions held at the New Berlin Training Center held on March 10^th and 17^th, 2017.

The Apprentice Competitions are designed to challenge the young masons who completed either the under 2,000 or over 2,000-hour Apprentice Course. Apprentices in the same course are pitted against each other to build the best wall. Each participant is given blueprints and is tasked with planning the build and laying the block and brick in a specified amount of time. Journeyman masons worked to judge each apprentice for the levelness, neatness, and quality of their wall.

IMI Coordinator and Trainer Don Borchert praised County Materials for their continued support of the industry, “County Materials has always been a part of our competition at some level, and is very involved with new apprentices. I am grateful for their effort in developing a new generation of masons.”

Elliot Knoke and Bran Wardall from the Kenosha program and Nick Haehle and James Fox from the Milwaukee program won at the March 10^th and 17^th regional competitions and will move on to the state competition hosted by CR Myers on May 20^th, 2017.

The innovation and beauty of County Materials’ hardscape products were recognized at the 2017 Wisconsin Masonry Alliance Excellence in Hardscape Awards. Five projects with concrete pavers, slabs and retaining walls manufactured by County Materials received awards at a February 22nd, 2017 gala, hosted at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.

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pdf Covering Ground March 2017 (800 KB)

County Materials Corporation was recognized as the ready mix supplier for five award-winning projects in the Wisconsin Ready Mix Concrete Association’s 35th Annual Concrete Design Awards . The awards recognize exceptional commercial and residential ready-mix concrete construction projects in the State of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

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pdf Concrete Perspectives March 2017 (306 KB)

The innovation and beauty of County Materials’ hardscape products were recognized at the 2017 Wisconsin Masonry Alliance Excellence in Hardscape Awards. Five projects with concrete pavers, slabs and retaining walls manufactured by County Materials received awards at a February 22nd, 2017 gala, hosted at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI.

A panel of industry judges selected winners from an entry pool of many exceptional landscape projects located in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Landscape projects were judged on their overall excellence in design, creativity, functionality, selection and quality of hardscape materials, installation techniques, craftsmanship and finished appearance. 

Three projects featuring County Materials’ pavers, slabs and retaining walls took top honors with Gold Awards in different categories.

In the category for Best Concrete Paver Commercial Application Over 2,500 sq ft, Gold went to the patio at the Church Mutual office in Mosinee, Wis. completed by CW Terramaster.

Church Mutual

Also earning the top Gold Award was the Madison, Wis. Lake Edge Apartments in the Best Structural Retaining Wall Commercial Application Over 2,500 sq ft completed by TMS Landscape Inc.

Lake Edge Apartments

Finally, the Neenah, Wis. Menasha Corp earned the Best Permeable Paver Commercial Application category, completed by Miron Construction.

Menasha Corporation

In the Best Driveway Application category, Wolfrath’s Nursery & Landscaping of Hortonville, Wis. earned the Silver Award for their Smoke Tree Pass residential driveway project in Appleton, Wis.

Smoke Tree Pass Residence

The Bronze Award was given for Best Permeable Paver Residential Application to Shawano Lawn and Stone for their work on the lakeside Emile Court residence in Gillett, Wis.

County Materials is a leading supporter of the Wisconsin Masonry Alliance and the Excellence in Hardscape Award competition, and partner with professional landscape installers and designers. We congratulate each of the winners for their excellence in the industry.

County Materials Corporation is pleased to congratulate the winners of the Wisconsin Ready Mix Concrete Association’s 35th Annual Concrete Design Awards. The awards recognize exceptional commercial and residential ready-mix concrete construction projects in the State of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

A panel of Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula construction professionals judged entries for innovative use of concrete, engineering design skill, construction technique, integration of site and materials and aesthetics. Winners were announced and honored at the WRMCA Concrete Design Award Ceremony on Thursday, January 12, 2017, at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

The following projects received the prestigious award and utilized County Materials’ ready-mix:

Thiex Construction LLC of Birnamwood, WI was recognized in the Agriculture category for the Matsche Farms expansion in Birnamwood, WI. The expansion included a 27 million gallon manure pit, two free stall barns, a feed slab and a state of the art milking parlor. The project utilized more than 14,000 cubic yards of ready mix and helped the Matsche Farm get closer to their family’s goal of adding 5,000 cows.

Lewis Construction of Schofield, WI and Miron Construction of Neenah, WI were recognized in the Decorative Commercial category in the North Central Region, for their work on the new Skyward facility in Stevens Point, WI. Ready-mix concrete was used in five unique applications for this building – a partial basement and parking garage; floor and columns; a custom designed retaining wall leading to the parking garage; an employee patio; and entryway with a heated slab. The new facility provides space for an additional 500 employees Skyward is expecting
to hire through 2021.

S.D. Ellenbecker Inc. of Athens, WI was recognized in the Industrial category for the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Knowlton, WI. The ready mix was utilized to build the facility’s walls, caissons, floor and storage tanks. The massive storage tanks were constructed with 2 feet 4-inch concrete walls and contain 151 tons of steel rebar reinforcement.

Advance Concrete received Special Merit in the Parking Lot category for the construction of the Biolife Plasma Services’ parking lot in Wausau WI. The 75,000 sq. ft. parking lot used 1,384 cubic yards of concrete. County Materials helped accommodate the project's tight timeline by making deliveries on time and effectively communicating with the job site. The pour was completed in an impressive two days.

Alchemy Concrete of Nelsonville, WI was recognized in the Decorative Commercial category for the installation of a patio break area with a walking trail at the Heartland Farms Facility in Hancock, WI. The patio and walking trail utilize red and green integral dye and come together to form Heartland Farm’s logo—a heart with a plant growing from the top.

County Materials extends its warmest congratulations to the winners and to all participants of this year’s concrete design awards.