FOX 14 TV Joplin and Pittsburg News Weather Sports |Rock quarry upgrades saves costs, increases production

Rock quarry upgrades saves costs, increases production

Workers at a southeast Kansas rock quarry believe they are setting an example that others should follow.

Neosho County Road and Bridge Director Charles Morse says other counties should switch to new, more efficient equipment.

When Neosho County purchased a new crusher, screen plant and conveyer, fuel costs went from a little over $3,000 two years ago down to $1,500 to $1,800 a month, producing three times the amount of rock than before.

Now, the Bourbon County Quarry has the same equipment.  Today their workers toured the Neosho County quarry and learned how to use the equipment.

"At one point we were turning trucks that were running 60 miles round trip, so by doing this and moving our quarry to four different locations around the county, we've cut that to about 20 miles round trip, which has cut our hauling costs at least 50% if not more, on wear and tear, tires, fuels, maintenance," says Morse.

"Our old equipment required four people to operate," says Allen Warren, the 1st District Commissioner for Bourbon County.  "This new equipment requires three, and so in the study to determine whether to trade equipment or not, to determine how we would finance that, we found that by eliminating that one person, that salary plus the benefits, will make the payments on the new equipment for the next ten years."

Bourbon County commissioners say that with the amount of rock they're producing and the amount of money that they're saving, other counties should follow in their lead.

"We think it's a win-win situation for Bourbon County and we're just tickled to death to be able to come down to Neosho County, see what they were doing and get some ideas," says Warren.

The equipment the Bourbon County Quarry owned was 11 years old.  The new equipment, made by Berry Tractor, should last for the next 15 years.