Pump It Up

Brundage-Bone moves concrete like no other

“Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” Miles Davis wasn’t thinking about construction when he made that undeniable statement, but he could have been. Every player in every project works to the beat of the clock, and when it comes to handling concrete that timepiece has only about 90 minutes on it. That’s all the time that’s allowed from the time concrete is mixed to when it must be in its final placement position.

The largest concrete pumping service provider in the U.S., Concrete Pumping Holdings (NASDAQ:BBCP), has a lock on what it takes to excel in that daunting timeframe. Their flagship company, Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping, has transformed concrete handling by leveraging deep knowledge, technology, and scale to be the biggest – and best – player in their sector.

Before the creation of concrete pumps, cranes and buckets were used to move the heavy, tricky substance. The sheer labor intensity of that work, particularly on skyscrapers, underground structures, and other kinds of challenging projects strains the imagination. Early pumps substantially boosted productivity but were unreliable and prone to breakdowns and didn’t do much to make the process of moving concrete safer. Modern concrete pump technology has changed all that.

Established in 1983, Brundage-Bone serves general contractors, concrete contractors, and site developers in commercial, industrial, infrastructure, and residential construction with the most expansive and diverse fleet of specialty equipment in the industry. Their nationwide footprint, outstanding customer service, and dedication to safety and training has made them a sought-after partner to industry giants that include Baker, Mortenson, Fluor, Kiewit, and a host of others.

Neither Brundage-Bone, their affiliates, or their holding company purchases, transports or owns concrete. “We simply move the concrete from one point to another,” explained Mark Young, the company’s general manager of national operations. “The concrete arrives via a ready-mix concrete truck which deposits the concrete into the hopper of our concrete pump. The boom on the truck is positioned to where the concrete needs to be moved to, and the concrete is pumped from the hopper through the boom. We do not own the concrete materials at any point.”

They do, however, own and maintain the largest portfolio of specialty equipment such as placing booms, mobile boom pumps, truck mounted conveyors, line pumps, and hose pullers in the space. With concrete placing equipment from leading manufacturers including Putzmeister, Schwing, Alliance, Mack Trucks, Con Forms, and others, Brundage-Bone can handle any kind of concrete pour. That’s a claim the competition can’t make.

The company’s size, footprint, and agility allow them to invest in a variety of specialty equipment that competitors are typically hesitant to buy because they may not be used often enough to justify the cost. Brundage-Bone can match the right equipment to the job anywhere and at any time it’s needed. “Anyone can buy a pump, but our approach sets us apart from the rest,” Young said.

Diversity, Creativity, and Safety 

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When it comes to the ability to move swiftly with construction market pressures and shifts, the company’s geographic diversity is a considerable advantage. Working across the public, residential, and private non-residential markets give Brundage-Bone flexibility; reliable forecasting coupled with equipment that can be readily deployed coast-to-coast also helps shelter the firm from the vagaries of the economy and weather and keep revenue projections on track.

The approach has been especially helpful during the pandemic; for example, when the hospitality sector froze projects, other opportunities in commercial, residential, and civil infrastructure made up for that contraction.

As concrete experts, Brundage-Bone and Concrete Pumping Holdings are setting new standards for responsible waste management on the job site. Their Eco-Pan division manufactures a portable concrete washout waste containment, disposal, and recycling system designed to help customers comply with federal and municipal job site regulations.

They’re also a valued partner to their equipment manufacturers. As the amount of space for construction sites in metropolitan areas has become increasingly constrained, concrete pumps have become larger and longer than they once were and need a larger outrigger footprint for proper and safe setup. Brundage-Bone works with pump makers to limit that footprint while giving customers the reach they need.

The company is partnering with Geotab, a world-class fleet management software for telematics. All mobile units use the software, which integrates with dispatch and feeds critical information to fleet managers.

Safety is the main concern throughout the organization. Brundage-Bone employs about half of all the full-time concrete pumping fleet safety professionals in the country. “We have developed and utilize the most safety protection devices in the industry such as back-end transition covers, whip-resistant tip hoses, and procedures for working around power lines,” Young noted.

“There are about 7,000 boom pumps in North America,” he added. “Booms are like cranes; they lift things over people’s heads and need to be inspected at least once a year. We employ a full complement of in-house boom inspectors to take care of our pumps. Because there aren’t enough independent boom inspectors in existence it’s not even possible that all inspections are being completed every year on our competitors’ machines.”

The company’s predictive maintenance systems ensure that all items and components are in top shape, and if repairs should be needed onsite there are specialized personnel at the company’s 90 locations at the ready. Young stressed, “The maintenance programs we developed and the training we provide to operators, mechanics, and managers are all driven to maximize uptime for our customers.”

The machinery may do the heavy lifting from a mechanical standpoint, but the talent that makes up Brundage-Bone and Concrete Pumping Holdings lifts the industry standards for quality and expertise. The enterprise attracts top performers with the best employment package in the industry, offering attractive wages and full benefits as well as bonuses and discount purchasing programs.

The public company - the only concrete pumping group traded on the NASDAQ – has significant investment from management and employees, aligning their interests with outside investors. Their core values of safety, people, and reliability are evident in everything they do, and that’s a powerful magnet for construction talent as well as for their customer base. They never skip a beat.