Callanan Industries is something like the “rock” of New York State. The company, founded in 1883 by Peter Callanan in South Bethlehem, NY, is a major supplier of paving materials and construction services in the Empire State, providing a complete range of aggregates, asphalt paving and ready-mix concrete products to state, federal, municipal, commercial and private customers. The company’s patriarch was a pioneer in the industry, envisioning the concept of a state highway system and, in 1895, won the first road building contract in New York.
More than a century later, not much has really changed with Callanan Industries; the Albany, NY-based company still remains a star player in construction materials and services to New York State customers — large or small.
Today, Callanan Industries is owned by Old Castle Inc., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the multi-national Dublin, Ireland-based CRH TLC.
Callanan Industries is a member of the “New York Group,” which serves a market that covers the New York/New Jersey border, northward through the Hudson River Valley to the Capital District into Warren County, and westward to the Rochester region of New York State. This group consists of the following companies:
• Callanan Industries
• Sullivan Materials
• Clemente Latham Concrete
• Maybrook Materials
• Valente Gravel,
• The Dolomite Group, and
• Ulster Paving Corp.
Old Castle is the third largest aggregate producer and the fifth largest concrete producer in North America. And Callanan places 700,000 tons of asphalt and produces 4 million tons of asphalt annually. It takes a lot of equipment to accomplish this; Callanan currently owns 13 Blaw-Knox pavers, including some PF-410s, PF-510s and PF-5510s. It also owns six Blaw-Knox road wideners and, throughout the year, it rents or leases myriad Ingersoll-Rand asphalt rollers. A11 this is supplied by Anderson Equipment, which has locations all over the northeast.
“Anderson Equipment’s locations across upstate New York from Buffalo to Albany to Watertown are strategically located so that anywhere we are working, we are able to get machines from their rental fleet and get prompt and effective service from Anderson,” said Bruce Barkevich, Callanan’s equipment manager.
Anderson has had a long, productive working relationship with Callanan Industries. For 25 years, Callanan has been using Blaw-Knox pavers and what it particularly appreciates is that Ingersoll-Rand and Anderson Equipment provide it with the ability to customize its pavers.
Barkevich likes the propane-heated screed with which Callanan equips all of its Blaw-Knox pavers. “It operates much cleaner, it’s better for the environment, and it is much more comfortable for our employees who work on and around the pavers,” he said. Blaw-Knox’s exclusive ATIC system also pleases Barkevich. “This is a system that thermostatically controls the temperature of the screed. Blaw-Knox has pioneered cutting-edge technology in pavers in the United States for many years, which has kept us loyal to them.”
Another aspect of the Blaw-Knox pavers that Barkevich is particularly committed to is the front mount extension screed — the Omni 3, which has a leading edge extension and is a universal screed. According to Barkevich, the versatility of these screeds allows Callanan to pave an interstate on one day, but still have that same paver available to pave a parking lot the next day.
“This Omni 3 reduces the number of pavers that we need to keep in our fleet because of the flexibility of the screed,” Barkevich said. “The Omni 3 also helps us meet the quality and densification specs required at our various paving jobs and it’s also a critical tool in helping us achieve the requirements for bonus dollars on DOT work.”
As with any good dealer/contractor relationship, sales representation and product support are vital and Anderson has come through for Callanan. “Steven Kenny, our sales representative, works very well with us in coordinating efforts between Anderson’s sales department and their rental fleet to make sure that we’re always equipped in a timely fashion with the Ingersoll-Rand rental equipment that we need,” Barkevich said.
“We have 13 Blaw-Knox pavers in our fleet and Anderson is our primary supplier for our Blaw-Knox parts,” he added. “Every year we rebuild each of the 13 pavers and during this period, we receive tremendous support from them in getting to us the parts we need to do these rebuilds,” explained Barkevich.
Daniel Broomhall, equipment coordinator of Callanan, handles all of the rental and lease packages that the company uses and he works very closely with all of the company’s vendors, including Anderson.
“Anderson Equipment gives us very creative and very competitive rental and lease packages,” began Broomhall, “and they back up their product with tremendous product support and service. We’ve partnered very closely with them using their service staff along with our own service staff to keep our fleet running strongly and at peak efficiency, which is critically important considering the shortness of the paving season in upstate New York.”
Callanan also uses many Ingersoll-Rand compactors, employing DD-24s and the DD-90s, as well as DD-110 asphalt rollers. Barkevich noted that whenever Callanan uses Ingersoll-Rand rollers, the company utilizes the HF (high frequency) version. “These high frequency rollers allow us to move faster and to efficiently reach our compaction requirements,” he said.
Of course, Ingersoll-Rand’s Road Development Team also works closely with Callanan. The Road Development Team comprises Scott Collins, who coordinates all equipment sales, and Larry Spring, district product support manager, who provides Callanan with its Ingersoll-Rand/Blaw-Knox product support.
“Larry has 22 years of experience specifically with these products and his expertise is priceless,” Barkevich said.
Callanan’s future in the industry appears as solid and stable as the products and services it provides to its customers. And, when factoring in its highly successful, loyal relationship with two other industry giants — Ingersoll-Rand and Anderson Equipment — Callanan just may be celebrating its bicentennial with the same reputation it now holds — the rock of the Empire State.
Craig Mongeau
Craig Mongeau has been Construction Equipment Guide’s editor in chief for the past 21-plus years. He directly manages CEG’s Northeast and Southeast editions (which includes New England, Georgia and Alabama state supplements); Superintendent’s Profile; Crane Guide; Northeast and Southeast-based anniversary magazines; and special event publications. He also oversees CEG’s Midwest and Western Editions as well as all CEG website content.
A Hofstra University graduate, Craig began his publishing career as a staff writer for local Southeast Pennsylvania newspapers. He then became an associate editor and book editor of Springhouse Corporation, a Pennsylvania-based medical publishing house and then worked as a managing editor of Rockhill Communications, based in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., where he created and managed content for a national Voluntary Hospital Association website.
Originally from Pittsfield, Mass., Craig has lived in North Wales, Pa., for the past 27 years. He has been married to his wife, Hillary, whom he met in college, since 1998 and together, they have two daughters, Jolie and Aubrie.
Read more from Craig Mongeau here.
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