Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85644
Churchman Sand & Gravel runs a sand, gravel, and rock recycling operation in the foothills of northern Tucson. When access to its river aggregate supply was cut off, Churchman Sand & Gravel turned to recycling material brought in by construction and landscaping companies. by Kerry Clines, Senior Editor G oing F with the Changing direction 26 AGGREGATES MANAGER April 2012 Flow red Churchman opened Churchman Sand & Gravel in Tucson in 1946. Dick Smith became a partner in 1952 and, eventually, bought the business from Churchman. "It has been a sole proprietorship since 1972," says Smith, "but we kept the name Churchman Sand & Gravel because that's how customers know the company. We're the oldest individually owned sand and gravel company in Tucson." The company initially began as a sand and gravel operation on the Rillito River in northern Tucson near the foothills. Raw material — sand, gravel, and rock — were taken from the river and processed. The supply of raw material was plentiful and business was booming until... In 1983, there was a 100-year flood. "It washed out two of our neighbors' houses," Smith says, "and they sued me, Pima County, and one other builder across the river for $12 million. They said we di- verted the water, causing it to erode their bank." The company settled the lawsuit in court two years later. The courts looked back at 30 to 40 years of river records. "Overlays showed how the river meanders and changes from year to year, proving our excavating in the river wasn't neces- sarily the reason it cut into their bank," Smith says. "We won the case." Unfortunately, winning the case didn't mean it was back to business as usual for the company. Pi- ma County decided to buy all property adjacent to the river, which meant Churchman Sand & Gravel could no longer excavate raw material. This was a big setback for the company, but it wasn't the end. The company simply changed direction. "At that point, we started importing material from exporting jobs," Smith says. "Customers bring material in and dump it, and, in some cases, we bring it here ourselves. We don't pay for the imported material, or charge for dumping, but we