“They built the barge in a surprisingly short time, trucked it to our site, put it in the water, and guess what — it didn’t sink,” Brugmann says with a chuckle. “What’s more, it’s exactly what we need. Barge problem solved!”

Brugmann owns and operates two wash plants.

The barge has now been in use for the better part of a year and has shown no signs of damage. “When the barge we’ve been using with our other dredge needs to be replaced, we know what to do about it,” Brugmann says.

The all-steel barge measures 35 feet long, 18 feet wide, 8 feet, 4 inches high, and weighs about 77,000 pounds. It has a load capacity of about 53,000 pounds. The deck is constructed of heavily reinforced 1-inch thick plate. When full, the barge is pushed ashore with a flat-nosed, outboard-motor-powered launch. The open-ended design facilitates easy unloading with an excavator, and the barge design is adaptable to other sizes.

Brugmann’s two clamshell dredges include a 7-yard, 250-ton-per-hour luffing jib type and a 10-yard, 350-ton-per-hour gantry type, which is used with the all-steel barge. The company operates two wash plants, as well as a 5- x 10-foot screen and screen tower with 30-ton hopper and belt feeder; a screen feed conveyor and 20-inch x 80-foot wash screen conveyor; a 5- x 14-foot, triple-deck wash sizing and rinsing screen; a 6- x 12-foot, double-deck de-watering screen with 24-inch x 70-foot stockpiling conveyor; a sand plant with 6- x 16-foot, triple-deck wet screen with hopper and belt feeder; a screen-feed conveyor; and a 30-inch x 80-foot, pit-portable conveyor.

Leaving its mark

In addition to the continuity of its family-based management team, Oscar Brugmann Sand & Gravel, Inc. boasts an excellent employee retention record. “Almost all our employees have stayed with us, too, for many years. And the company has hired a lot of people since 1929,” Brugmann says. “We’ve always tried to be fair with them, and they’ve been fair with us. Currently, we have 18 employees.”

Brugmann converts mined-out pits to scenic parks and home site areas and has received awards for reclamation achievements.

The work environment puts a high priority on its workers, including miner safety. “Safety is very, very important, of course,” Brugmann adds. “I’m proud to say that we have had no serious injuries in the entire 82 years we’ve been in business. That’s pretty amazing.”

The company also is an active corporate citizen in its local community. “Civic responsibility is another hallmark of our company. We try to be good citizens and give back to the community,” Brugmann says. “For example, we donate our loaders and operators for snow removal on roads and township properties each winter. And we have donated materials for making asphalt when no funds were available for paving township roads. We worked with an asphalt manufacturer nearby that also donated its time and materials.”

That same attitude of being a good corporate neighbor can be seen in the company’s sustainability goals. “Down through the years, we have made a concentrated effort to responsibly reclaim the land and water-filled pits, which are now being used for recreation and picturesque home sites,” Brugmann says. “In fact, the company has received awards for reclamation achievements. We’re very proud of that.”

By paying attention to customers and the community, Oscar Brugmann Sand & Gravel, Inc. is creating a legacy of family-owned excellence in operations and safety. AM

This article is courtesy of Grasan.