Investing in premium aggregates equipment

The Kropf family of DINO trucking are not afraid of putting in the effort to go the extra mile for their customers. The Kropfs built their business on that principle. Starting out as a small aggregate supply business they have transformed into a highly productive material supplier for infrastructure and housing in the Kitchener and Waterloo region, southwestern Ontario. Their product focus now extends from materials for the road building sector to recycling products and granulars for road base, as well as specialty sands. The company, which was founded by Dean and Carolyn Kropf, has been supplying the local region with premium finished products since 1974. DINO’s strong foundations were set by Dean and Carolyn, and built on by their three sons – Derek, Chad and Trevor.

The company has developed a reputation for being one of the best in the local business. One business principle that they have adhered to since their grassroots beginning is that in order to produce the best, you have to work with the best. They are not the only family business in the area who deal in the aggregate business – numerous competitors exist within a small radius. Because of this, the family knew that in order to keep their business moving forward, they needed to set themselves apart from the pack.

Up until 2012, the Kropfs were relying on third party contractors to undertake their crushing work. Although the job was always done, Trevor recalled the challenges DINO faced with external workforces. “You always had to work to their schedule, so we decided it was time to look at our own equipment.” In 2012, while reviewing screener and crusher manufacturers, they came across McCloskey International based out of Keene, Ontario. Due to the recent expansion of the recycled concrete industry, it became the logical decision to invest in some premium equipment to work on their own schedule, and McCloskey International’s solid reputation met their needs.

Up until this point, DINO had been relying on an early 1990s competitive screener to segregate their materials into separate finished products. Although they got many hours of work from that dated piece of equipment, it was clear that in order to make DINO’s mark on the local marketplace, it was time for an upgrade. They followed up on their curiosity about McCloskey International by contacting the local rep, Paul King, who swiftly supplied DINO with an advanced and innovative S190 Screening Plant – a top-of-the- range screener with a 20- x 5-foot screenbox within its packed arsenal.

Fast forward four years to 2016; the Kropfs have doubled their number of employees and haven’t looked back from that first purchase. “The S190 was our bread and butter,” Chad noted, while discussing how DINO ended up investing more time and money into McCloskey than any other manufacturer. The high productivity rates of the S190 were almost too much to handle at one stage, which led to further purchases. Before long, DINO had purchased several customized stackers, the impressive heavy-duty R230 Scalping Screener, a customized J50E Jaw Crusher and an I44 Impact Crusher.

The Kropfs have also invested into an additional two worksites (making a total of three), with a reserve of 10 million tons of material to work through – enough to last the next 60 years at the current work rate. The S190 Screener merely opened the door for productivity potential for DINO, whose customer base is now comprised of both road and home building contractors.

Expanding market with aggregate from recycled concrete

Moving into the next emerging market – recycled concrete – has been a natural evolution for DINO and the J50E is pivotal to future growth. Most projects that use gravel or natural aggregate can be built with recycled concrete, and the benefit of diverting C&D waste from landfills is indisputable. With demand expanding every year, DINO’s customized J50E Jaw Crusher gets put into overtime on a regular basis. Due to the compounds of the concrete and the magnetic content, the 50-inch single-toggle jaw crusher operates in any conditions at a predictable and reliable rate. The overband magnet on the main conveyor has also proved to be a quintessential feature for the Kropfs, as they can relax in knowing that their finished products reach their customers 100 percent pure. By investing in premium equipment, productivity and quality have skyrocketed beyond estimation.

The I44 Impact Crusher (equipped with a 44-inch, horizontal impact crushing mechanism) works in sync with the heavy-duty R230 Scalping Screener and custom stackers in DINOs largest site at a phenomenal rate. As raw material is added to the crusher’s hopper via their Cat excavator, it works its way along the line of McCloskey machinery, segregating by size into numerous stockpiles. The operation runs like clockwork, offering a completely reliable productivity rate that the Kropfs can rely on, not to mention production schedules on their own terms.

The McCloskey aftersales support has also been a key factor in DINO’s investment. There was a tight schedule for a new machine to be added to the Kropf collection and Derek notes that “The machines came right off the production line and straight down the highway.” Due to the business market, a level of customization was required for several of the stackers and the J50E Jaw Crusher. This was no problem for McCloskey International as the designs of the machines were suited to meet the needs of DINO and their customers. Close partnership with Paul King allowed a firm relationship to be built between the two companies which share similar values and beliefs in customer and product excellence. This strengthens with every ton DINO produces.

When working in such a competitive business environment, there is no margin for error or bad judgment. That key decision to change to McCloskey equipment is reinforced with every quality finished product that comes off a conveyor at a DINO worksite.