Up here in the frozen tundra of Northern Iowa, winter is back with us.  After a cold December and then warm January, February is here and Mother Nature is reminding us what time of year it is.  We’ve seen a great deal of concrete placed this past fall and quite a bit this winter. 

           In Oelwein, the sewer plant has finished the tanks.  Peterson Construction from Webster City is doing several smaller pours for control structures and it looks like they will finish the concrete portion of the project early this spring.  The downtown paving was brought to a halt with the colder weather in late November.  Some temporary concrete had to be placed in sidewalks to keep downtown safe.  They have finished one block and will start again this spring as soon as weather allows.   The ethanol plant has poured all winter, with two to three jobs needing concrete, sometimes on the same day.  The second pair of silos was slipped during the 2^nd week of December.  Over the

 Independence saw a few jobs continuing.  A museum that resembles a barn and a motel are being built along Highway 20.  There will also be a Movie Theater and Restaurant added to that site before it’s completed.   An assisted living complex is finishing up a half-mile away.  A new Bank Iowa is also being built along Highway 20, just a short distance east of that larger complex.  With the completion of Enterprise Drive and the grand opening of the new Wal-Mart, we have been hearing of a great deal of interest in available lots nearby.ts nearby.

Waterloo has had a busy winter batching concrete.  We’re just starting work at the new Isle of Capri Casino.  Longfellow Drilling is planning on pouring over 1500 CY in caissons in less than 10 days.  The Crossroads Theater addition with Henkel is moving along steadily with quite a bit of concrete yet to be poured.  The Lincoln School, in Cedar Falls, has slowed, but Larson will be doing all the paving this spring.  VGM has started a large addition, where Christone has done the concrete and Gardner has just started placing floor deck.  The Cedar Falls Lutheran Home is adding on and Mike Huff has been steadily placing floor on that project.  He has also done a dental office and strip mall with us in Waterloo.  Cunningham has ½ the paving left at John Deere for spring.  Webb has done several jobs with us this winter, including an addition at Hydrite Chemical and the Grundy County Welcome Center. The Logan Ave. Hy-Vee had their grand opening just a little while ago.  Cardinal has been working with us on the Laporte City Pool and the Youth Pavilion for Waterloo.

With just Waterloo and Independence being open, it’s been a busy winter.  A lot of work for the spring is being bid and it looks to be a busy year.  Waterloo’s Home Show was time well spent.  We had a lot of interest in ICF (insulated concrete forms) construction and also conventional construction.   Several contractors have contacted us for pricing on hog units.  This volume is well ahead of past years.    Paving for Waterloo could make for an excellent year.  Jesup will also have a good paving year if the projects being planned happen.

For several years, we have been putting on a contractor seminar, an idea borrowed from Larry Ford.  Our guys really enjoy the chance to see and talk to our customers.  They enjoy the breakfast, good speakers, and door prizes.  Every year, I have received thank yous from customers for putting this on.  It gives them a chance to voice concerns and get questions answered by some very knowledgeable speakers.  This year’s seminar was very well attended, with over 50 customers attending.

As I look over the list of jobs we’ve done with several different contractors, I realize how many of these jobs were brought to us by our customers.  On many jobs, we weren’t the lowest price.   I just can’t say enough about how important our loyal customers are to our business.  The camaraderie amongst our drivers, managers, and customers serves us well and makes this job worth doing.