Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85637
Plant upgrade opens custom crushing opportunities across the state for a Wyoming operator. by Mary Foster, Contributing Editor Grow W ith just under 533,000 people, Wyoming has the smallest population of any of the United States, although last year it ranked 14th in the nation for produc- tion of sand and gravel. In 1996, however, when brothers Bert and Bart Dale decided to purchase and permit 30 acres of land to open B&B Aggregates in Riverton, Wyo., the picture was a little different. At that time, Wyoming ranked 46th in the nation in production of sand and gravel, accord- ing to the U.S. Geological Survey. But the minerals industry in the state, known for its wide open spaces, has grown exponentially throughout the past 15 years. And so has 18 AGGREGATES MANAGER February 2012 Room to business for this enterprising custom crush- ing company. "Fifteen years ago, I was working for a construction company that was selling out," says B&B Aggregates President Bert Dale. "This site was for sale, and I had done some aggregate work in the past, so I decided to try it on my own." Bart Dale chose to pri- marily remain a silent partner. The brothers gained the required permits and began to supply local contractors with stone. Bert Dale explains that using a 1048 jaw plant and a 1145 closed-circuit cone crush- ing plant with onboard screen, B&B Aggre- gates produced stone at the Riverton pit for approximately nine years — until oil and