The CARMIX concrete mixer is a “must-have” for Norm Maurice, president of Sudbury’s CARMIX Canada, Paramount Construction and Atlas Concrete Driveways.
Not only has he incorporated the Italian-made compact concrete mixer into his construction and driveway businesses, he will not run his companies without one.
The three standalone businesses serve the residential, commercial and industrial sectors throughout Ontario, the majority being in Northern Ontario. Atlas Concrete Driveways, the newest addition, was created this past spring due to concern over Vale’s long and drawn-out strike.
Entrepreneurial blood runs strong in Maurice’s veins, who has remained self-employed since he worked for his father as a teenager raising houses. This specialty continues to be an integral part of his foundation business.
For three years, he eyeballed the portable batch plant/cement mixer at the Las Vegas World of Concrete trade show.
Once he decided how he would use the machine in his business, he brought it to Sudbury in 2005. Heput it through its paces to make sure the product was everything it touted. Confident in the machine’s capabilities, Maurice began selling the machines in 2008.
As the only distributor in Canada, he has actively sought out companies to sell the product. To date, he has sold 10 machines and found two dealerships, one in Montreal and one in southern Ontario. He is actively seeking out more.
CARMIX is a batching plant and mixer in one portable unit, which ranges in size from one cubic metre to 5.5 cubic metres. Materials like granulars, powder and water are mixed on site.It has its own water pump and water gauge; larger units also have a scale, which measures and weighs the materials entering the drum to ensure a consistent mix. Its compact size and all-wheel drive mean it can go to sites where a larger concrete mixer cannot.
“The 5.5-cubic-metre model has poured up to 120 cubic metres in one day,” Maurice said, similar to the standard mixers.
In European countries, these machines have been used for extensive projects like large hydro dams, industrial complexes, shopping plazas and residential homes for applications such as footings, poured foundations, floors, sidewalks, driveways, curbs and pools.
Timing plays a critical role when pouring concrete. Once batched, the driver only has one hour to transport the mix. After that, the concrete begins to lose its integrity.
“Often for us, the truck would be almost an hour away from the job site,” Maurice said. But now, the CARMIX machine allows him the portability and versatility to travel all over Ontario, if necessary.
“We often do work in remote areas and it gets expensive to transport concrete over long distances.”
In August, Paramount Construction poured a concrete pad for an outdoor rink on an island near Midland. Weight restrictions and length of time for the barge to get across meant a standard concrete mixer could not go to the site, so Paramount performed the job using the CARMIX machine.
Maurice said they have also reduced scheduling stresses that accompany advanced orders, contractor readiness and potential loss of productivity if contractors are waiting for the load.
“You don’t always know when you’ll be ready (for the concrete), and orders must be placed a day in advance,” he explained. “So now we make the concrete when we need it right on site.”
Manufactured by Metalgalante for more than 30 years, the machines are built with brand-name engines like Perkins and Cummins for the larger units. Maurice said all the components are “user-friendly” and accessible not only locally, but throughout North America.
By providing this niche service, the business has actually increased about 20 per cent within the last year and a half, and has led to international sales with mining companies and businesses that wish to purchase a modified version of the unit due to safety regulatory restrictions.
“When it comes to mining, the world is open to us,” Maurice said, because he will make the changes required to meet the customer’s needs.
His willingness to make modifications permits him to sell the unit to international markets. Underground safety regulations require, for example, the installation of a secondary brake system, catalytic converter, fire suppression, filling the tires with foam, extra lighting, as well as decals and reflective material.
He said they are also considering adapting the machine for shotcrete. For the rail industry, the CARMIX machine can be put on Hy-rails, a modification that allows it to travel on rail lines.
Word of mouth continues to be Paramount Construction’s primary method of advertising, although Maurice participates in community outreach, promoting and supporting public safety associations and their messages.
