Construction Equipment Guide
470 Maryland Drive
Fort Washington, PA 19034
800-523-2200
Mon June 25, 2007 - Northeast Edition
“You can never have too much of a good thing.” The good things at Martin Stone Quarries located in Bechtelsville, Pa., are its Terex trucks.
Martin Stone Quarries has five Terex 3309s and have served the company well. So well that one of the trucks is still going strong with 34,000 hours on it. As a result, when Martin Stone Quarries decided to add another truck to its fleet, it was another Terex, a Terex TR60 rigid haul truck.
“The TR60 was the best value for our money and we’ve had excellent service life out of Terex 3309s. It has similar components to our 3309s such as a Tier III engine and wet disc brakes. The TR60 also has updated electronics on the engine and transmission to improve the fuel efficiency of the truck,” said Travis Martin, fleet manager of Martin Stone Quarries.
The truck was purchased from Elliott & Frantz located in King of Prussia, Pa., from whom Martin Stone Quarries has been buying equipment for several years.
“Elliott & Frantz is our local Terex dealer and we have received good service from them with Steve White as our sales representative,” Martin said.
About Martin Stone Quarries
Henry Martin started his career working for his brother, Ivan, at Martin Limestone in Lancaster, Pa. After several years, Henry founded Martin Stone Quarries, which has been mining material from its Bechtelsville location since 1953 when he leased the property. Eventually, the decision was made to purchase and expand the operation.
In the late 1950s, the second generation of Martins joined the company, which included Glenn and Tom. Dave and Fred Martin are no longer with the company. Today the third generation of Martins have joined the family business. They include Glenn’s son, Rod, and Tom’s two sons, Trevor and Travis.
After more than 50 years in business, the company has grown from two employees to 65. Its customer base also has expanded to include residential homebuilders, commercial builders, blacktop plants, concrete plants, homeowner and landfills. Martin Stone Quarries produces approximately 2 million tons of product including crushed stone for construction and Martin Infield Mix for use on ball fields.
Martin Stone Quarries recently upgraded its tertiary plant with the passcard self-loading checkout system.
“We made it possible for over the road truck drivers to load the material into their own trucks without having to wait for the loader operator. After they load the material into their trucks they can go to the scale where there is an automated ticketing system that allows them to print their ticket and get on the road early,” explained Travis.
Because of the harsh environment in which employees and machinery work, Martin Stone Quarries is very safety minded and has received several awards, which include the 2007 Pennsylvania Aggregate and Concrete Association (PACA) Associates Award as well as numerous safety awards. In 2005, Glenn was presented the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) Barry K. Wendt Award and Anne Kelhart, director of safety and human resources, was named the James M. Christie Safety and Health Professional of the Year.
In addition to emphasis on safety, Martin Stone Quarries also is very concerned about the local environment around which the company works and its employees live.
Dust suppression systems have been installed on processing plants, greatly reducing the emissions and many of the vibratory screens are located in enclosed buildings to reduce noise and emissions. In addition, water quality is strictly monitored and wastewater is treated via modern water recycling system.
“Martin Stone Quarries has a vested interest in the environment. All of the owners live within a few miles of the property with two of them whose houses actually touch the quarry property. We believe that it is our job to be good stewards of the land which we own.” said Travis.
About Elliot & Frantz
Eliott & Frantz, headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa., has served the construction industry for more than 40 years. The company carries an extensive line of equipment from several manufacturers including: Indeco, Gradall, Hitachi, Kawasaki, Terex, Wirtgen, Hamm and Vogele.
In addition to its King of Prussia location, Elliott & Frantz has locations in Harrisburg, Pa.; Jessup and Hagerstown, Md.; Delmar, Del.; and Manassas, Va. CEG