Tuesday, February 9, 2010
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Concrete company plans Medford plant
By: Clare Kennedy
Posted: Monday, November 16, 2009 11:27 pm
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Concrete company plans Medford plant

Earth movers scour Wells Concrete’s new site outside of Medford. Company officials said they plan to hire on four new people after the ready mix plant is completed.
By CLARE KENNEDY

ckennedy@owatonna.com



MEDFORD — Wells Concrete is setting up an outpost in the outskirts of Medford.

The company is based out of Wells, a small town a short drive from the Iowa line. President and CEO John Rivisto said the company decided to expand into Steele County at their customers’ request. At present, Wells Concrete has a well-established presence around Blue Earth and Mankato, but lacks a facility along the Interstate 35 corridor.

“Our customers have grown and spread out and we’re growing with them,” said Steve Kloos, the general manager of the Ready Mix Division and vice president of board of directors. “We like to stay within a 30-minute haul time, but we’re getting spread out to far to service Faribault and Owatonna from our location at Wells. It’s just too far away.”

In the next few months they hope to correct that. Rivisto said the right tract of land came up at the right time. The Medford site is right next to a gravel pit and close to the Interstate, which gives the company access to Owatonna and other growing markets.

There Wells Concrete will build a Ready Mix plant, a facility where the raw materials are poured into concrete trucks. Kloos said the company has already started digging at the new site a short jog off County Road 45.

“Right now, we are working with the (Steele) County commissioners to finalize footing plans,” Kloos said. “It’s goal of mine to have it erected by the Jan. 1. It’s an aggressive schedule and, Lord willing, we’ll make it.”




Wells Concrete’s client base is comprised of a blend of residential, commercial and light industrial contractors. Though building has declined, Rivisto said the company had not shied away from expansion. A year and a half ago, the company built a multi-million dollar factory in Albany, Minn. 

“The economy has affected us a bit with layoffs and other struggles, but we look at it as an opportunity,” Rivisto said. “You have an opportunity to grow when you’re not so busy. We have tremendous customer loyalty and when they go in search of new geographic markets we go with them.”

Though Kloos said Wells Concrete would try to use many laborers they already have, there will be four new full-time positions once the Medford plant is open. 

Medford Mayor Danny Thomas said the plant is the only project underway at the moment. He added that there are several new projects on the horizon, but he can’t talk about them at this time.



Clare Kennedy can be reached at 444-2376.
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Member Opinions:
By: MNBear on 11/17/09
Mayor Thomas' statement is interesting since this "plant" isn't in Medford - the city has nothing to do with it.

As for the "several new projects on the horizon," the city is always saying that. It hardly ever pans out.

 
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