How one father-son team has grown a
rock crushing business into a profitable custom crushing business.

After 35 years in the construction industry,
including four years as a consultant to heavy highway construction
companies, William “Bill” Corson realized if he wanted more from this
life, it was up to him to make it happen.

In August 2003, Corson formed Contract
Crushing/Construction Inc. Located in Cogan Station, Pa., CCI has
quickly grown by giving customers what they want, when they want it,
from recycled asphalt product and recycled concrete to a wide range of
aggregates. CCI customers include quarry operators, construction
companies, and recyclers across the Mid-Atlantic United States.

Bill has quickly built his company into the
recycling and crushing specialists with his unrelenting energy.

A
mobile crusher that “walks” — even when the machine is in idle — has
been a big plus for CCI, regardless of the
job. The company says smooth, solid control is a big deal when backing
equipment within an inch of each other.

“The driving force for me is building something for
my family’s future generations,” Bill says. “I’ve worked for other
companies all my life, but now I want to build something for my son’s
children and my daughter’s children — something of value that will get
passed down after I’m gone.”

Bill’s son, Richard “Rich” Corson, 32, joined his
father in February 2004 as vice president and COO. Together, they built
the company on the cornerstones of safety, integrity, and
professionalism. This successful father-son team talks comfortably about
their business, sometimes finishing each other’s sentences and ribbing
each other good-naturedly. The shared focus of both father and son,
however, is delivering the very best level of service to their
customers.

“Custom crushing is not an easy business,” Bill
says. “Each time you move onto a new site, you have different parameters
you’re working with. You have to adapt your offer to the needs of each
individual customer and seamlessly fit into an existing business for as
long as you’re there.”

This can be challenging, Rich says, because, “It’s
a different spec, a different raw material, and a different customer,”
he says.

Dependability translates to profitability

CCI employs 30 people with four complete equipment
spreads working across seven states. Having dependable equipment is
often the difference between profit and loss. “We can’t afford not to
have everything running,” Bill says. “If we’re down, we’re not making
money — plain and simple.”

This
user-friendly Automated Setting Regulation (ASRi) automation system gives CCI operators a continual flow
of information while constantly making adjustments for more efficient
production, such as adjusting crusher settings automatically in order to
compensate for liner wear and controlling the crusher to protect it from
damaging overloads.

When equipment isn’t up and running it reflects
poorly on the business, notes Rich. “We’re failing in the customer’s
eyes if we’re not keeping up with them, or if we’re not ahead of them,
and they’ve got customers waiting,” he says. “Yes, we are demanding of
ourselves and our business partners, but only because of what our
customers demand from us.”

When it comes to reliable equipment partners, CCI
depends on Kemper Equipment and Sandvik Mining and Construction. “With
Kemper Equipment and Sandvik, we have dependable equipment and a
dealership with which we feel we can develop a good relationship,” Bill
says. “We believe the relationship will continue to grow and be mutually
beneficial for all sides.”