Doubling production with the Chieftain 2200

A new fleet of portable plants coupled with a key partner effectively doubles production for an Alabama producer. 

When Alabama Aggregates sought to double its production, the company searched for a solution that was reliable, responsive and dependable.

Donny Raughton, president of Alabama Aggregates, owns a sand and gravel operation in Autaugaville, Alabama. After purchasing his first pit just last year, Raughton is now on his way to finalizing the purchase of his fourth.

Alabama Aggregates’ operation is set up for rock recovery through the demanding process. The speciality rock being screened in L.A abrasion, which is known for both its strength and hardness.

“We are shipping rock all over the country right now, from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast to the Northeast,” says Raughton, whose products are washed thoroughly before they’re shipped. “We are shipping by rail, by track and by barge. Demand is high right now, and we need to get it moving by whatever means necessary.”

When Raughton launched his company, he had five employees, plus himself. Within the last year, he’s grown his workforce to almost 60 people.

To help meet the growing demand for his product, Raughton aligned himself with Powerscreen Crushing & Screening, the Powerscreen equipment dealer headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, with branch locations in Birmingham, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Equipment exploration

When Raughton began to use Powerscreen equipment exclusively, he says he found two things. First, he found the Chieftain 2200 tracked screening plant and its two double-deck screen boxes produce 40 percent more than other screening plants he’d tried. Alabama Aggregates experienced a major increase in material on the ground, an added benefit for a company operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Alabama Aggregates currently has three Chieftain 2200 tracked screens on site along with a Chieftain 2100X tracked screen, a Warrior 2100 tracked scalping screen and a Chieftain 1700 three-deck screen.

By running seven days per week, Raughton also realized minimal downtime is essential.

“We found that the service provided to us from Powerscreen Crushing & Screening has enabled us to concentrate solely on increasing our production and not having to worry about downtime,” he says. “The immediate service and the availability of parts when needed has helped me tremendously in my operation”