Based in Fairport, N.Y., Villager Construction has been operating this way for over seven years. Business has been growing at a rate of 50% a year over the past several years. Villager Construction’s operations manager, Todd Hartman, estimates that they milled over 15 million sq yd of roadways in 2004.
Villager Construction’s growth is reflected in the number of machines they own, from zero to 12 in the last seven years. They are currently renting one machine and all of their fleet is booked, every single day, through the end of October.
The company is not afraid to spend money to maintain good service because they know it more than pays for itself. The machines they buy are retired from their fleet after five years to maintain high productivity. They also invest heavily in training for their employees and in getting the right supplies. Some of those supplies include Sandvik Mining and Construction’s TriSpec Road Milling Tool .
Villager Construction completed an agreement to use the TriSpec on all of their machines in 2005 and plan to do the same for 2006. The company tracks the tools replaced on each drum for each machine. Their findings reveal that a competitor’s tool provided nearly 20,000 yards of productive service while the TriSpec provided 40,000 yards. On average, the TriSpec tool lasted somewhere between two and two and a half times longer than the conventional tool.
Hartmann stated that the difference might even be greater. He noted that many of their operators change the tools on a regular basis, not according to wear. It’s a training issue that he and the company are addressing. But it’s a positive issue to deal with. Overall, Villager Construction is pleased with the results and knows TriSpec is worth the additional cost.
“Better to spend a little more and do things right than go halfway” said Hartmann. The TriSpec tool’s design features a cemented-carbide ring placed in the critical wear zone of the steel body.
