There’s a basic formula in heavy/highway construction that goes something like
this:
Quality + Production + Safety = Success.
As long as cost-estimates are fairly accurate and no
major factors affect the outcome, following this formula will usually produce
good results.
But there’s another formula
that is just as important for success, one that stands behind and supports the
first: Proper Maintenance = Better Quality + Higher Production
+ Increased Safety.
It doesn’t take Einstein in a hard hat to calculate the many
benefits of regular maintenance. Keeping equipment and facilities in
tip-top shape contributes to overall company
performance. It raises quality levels, maximizes productivity and provides
employees with a safer working environment.
That’s why the companies of the Vecellio Group make proper maintenance a regular
part of the routine.
A good example is White Rock Quarries, the group’s limestone quarry in Miami,
Florida. White Rock averages an hour of maintenance for every two hours of
production. Daily inspections occur on every phase of the operation, with needed
repairs
handled immediately to keep the quarry running at top capacity.
“It’s a lot of work, but you can’t have good production without good
maintenance,” says Joe Hernandez, Maintenance Foreman. “It’s as simple as that.”
White Rock is one of the largest single-site crushed stone quarries in the
country, and high-volume production is imperative to keep up with sales demand.
Every maintenance or repair item that is taken care of during scheduled down
time is one less potential problem during the busy production phase. It also
ensures that aggregates are properly sized and routed during production, so
customers receive the highest quality products.
Proper maintenance keeps equipment in safe operating condition, as well. Normal
wear and tear on equipment — which can be quite extreme -- is carefully
monitored. Any items needing attention are addressed during scheduled
maintenance — maximizing equipment uptime and worker safety.
“We’re very proud of our excellent production and safety records, and we
recognize how much of that goes back
to regular maintenance,” says White Rock Quarries President Jim Hurley. “We
appreciate the great work
performed by our maintenance crews, day in and day out.”
At the Group’s other operating units,
Vecellio & Grogan,
Ranger Construction
Industries, and Ranger Construction -- South,
maintenance is valued just as highly. Crews at each facility and
in the field are dedicated to keeping equipment running properly.
Service trucks continuously monitor fuel and fluid levels,
while mechanics and welders are on-the-spot to perform needed maintenance and
repairs. And while it may operate behind the scenes at times, a regular
maintenance program is a vital part of the organization.
“Our maintenance crews deserve a great, big ’thank you’ from all of us,” says
Andy Jones, President of Ranger’s North Division. “Maintenance isn’t something
that gets in the way of production. Without maintenance, we wouldn’t have
production.”
Bill Medcalf, President of Vecellio & Grogan’s Construction Division, agrees.
“Heavy equipment is subjected to extremely tough working conditions. But our
maintenance crews do a great job keeping us up and running. We appreciate all
their hard work under conditions that can be quite difficult.”
It’s true that maintenance is not the most visible aspect of the Vecellio
Group’s operations. But there’s no mistaking the value it adds. Not only does it
increase worker safety, it raises quality and production levels as high as
possible.
Together, this adds up to better overall company performance. And that’s a great
formula for success by anybody’s standard.
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