The batch plant's capacity is 220 yards per hour and “it's all about producing a tight spec product at an aggressive throughput rate,” says Humphrey. Features of the Con-E-Co BatchMaster plant include a 36-inch by 1050 ton-per-hour batch transfer conveyor, water weight batcher, ready-mix truck surge hopper, and drive-through alley.

The plant's environmental performance was one goal of designers. “The plant's footprint for the water process zone needed to be compact enough to allow the plant manager to stay ahead of the site's water management responsibilities,” says Humphrey. The process water zone includes the batch plant, truck load-out and slump racks, and return truck wash-down area.

By locating the truck wash-down area between the batch plant and material bunkers, Holliday Rock was able to reduce the amount of supervision necessary to stay ahead of their process water requirements. Any water outside this zone can remain as stormwater and has different permit requirements.

With the entire yard paved and the concrete driveway perimeter raised around the batch plant area, the two different waters remain separated and manageable. The ready-mix truck washout is also a closed-loop process.

Bakersfield is just one piece of Holliday Rock's recent growth spurt. Ten of its 25 ready-mix plants have been added in just the last few years. In addition to Bakersfield, it also built a plant recently in Irwindale about 20 miles west of its Upland headquarters. The producer also bought small independent plants in Tehachapi about 50 miles east of Bakersfield and Montebello just southeast of Los Angeles.

Also, Holliday Rock purchased five plants from the former Standard Concrete. Those plants are located in the Inland Empire area, which is east of Los Angeles in the San Bernardino, Ontario, and Riverside areas.

“There are still some one-plant, mom-and-pop operators, and you have the global companies,” says the company president. “We like the independent niche we occupy and being a medium-sized company.”

The producer's size gives it geographic reach in the largest metropolitan area in the nation, yet it is “hands-on and very decisive,” Holliday adds. (The TCP100 list of largest North American producers in 2011 ranked Holliday Rock at number 49.)

The company in 2012 celebrated its 75 anniversary. John Holliday's grandfather O.N. Holliday founded the company in 1937. O.N. Holiday's son Frederick led the company in the mid-1980s until his death in 2005. John Holliday plans to keep the company independent and family-owned in an increasingly consolidating industry. His sister Amy is vice president and spends much of her time in marketing.

“My dad and grandfather had a great time working together for a number of years,” Holliday says. “I was blessed to spend so much time with my father, especially as an adult. He and my grandfather set us up well. I enjoy working with Amy and we both look forward to giving our children the option of participating in the family business.”

For more information on the producer in this story, visitwww.hollidayrock.com. To learn more about Dave Humphrey Enterprises, visit http://dhenoble.com.