Meeker Streamlines Conveyors for Customers
BY Regal Rexnord
Consistent, reliable components shore up the supply chain for OEMs and producers
In the hot-mix asphalt (HMA) industry, time is of the essence to store and transport asphalt. Meeker Equipment, a family-owned company in Belleville, Pennsylvania, offers HMA storage silos designed to provide an innovative solution to maintaining the temperature of the product.
Meeker constructs silos to have a “coffee thermos” effect for the HMA. They seal the tops and the bottoms of their silos to keep the HMA hot inside, while minimizing any air getting in. By sealing the silos, their customers can store material overnight—or however long is necessary for best production management.
Components not only have to stand up to the harsh application needs of the asphalt and aggregate industries, but stock must be readily available for Meeker to acquire.
Meeker makes most of their products in-house. When looking for a parts supplier, Meeker sought a company that not only matched its company values, but also matched the level of quality its customers have come to expect. High-quality products and quick delivery are crucial for success in the asphalt and aggregate industries, so these components would not only have to stand up to the harsh application needs, but the supplier would also need stock readily available for Meeker to acquire.
This brought Meeker to Regal Rexnord Corporation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The broad Regal Rexnord portfolio provides a “one stop shop” for customers to have a single source supplier for their components. Kyle Zimmerman pointed out Regal Rexnord now offers chain, bearings, Planetgear reducers, as well as Omega couplings to Meeker, constituting a significant portion of the slat drag conveyor. Photos courtesy of Regal Rexnord
“Meeker provides a quality product to the asphalt industry thus [we] want to partner with similar manufacturers who offer high quality products, as well have a good name in the industry,” Kyle Zimmerman said. He’s the inside sales supervisor/business development for Meeker. “Regal Rexnord is certainly a company that fills those requirements.”
The partnership between Meeker and Regal Rexnord began with engineered steel chain for their drag slat conveyor for the asphalt silos. Meeker had used other chain manufacturers in the past. After testing out the chain from Regal Rexnord and seeing improved performance, Meeker decided to make it a standard component on the drag slat conveyors for its customers.
For further optimization, the relationship later expanded to include additional components recommended by Regal Rexnord expert engineers. These included Rexnord® Planetgear™ speed reducers and Omega® couplings, along with Link-Belt flange bearings, for a complete powertrain solution that fit Meeker’s asphalt application needs.
Zimmerman stated: “Meeker has observed ROI by working with a manufacturer that can offer ‘one stop shopping.’ With Regal Rexnord now offering chain, bearings, Planetgear reducers, as well as Omega couplings to Meeker, this constitutes a significant portion of the slat drag conveyor. This results in saving time and offers us a cost savings when processing orders.”
Since partnering with Regal Rexnord, Meeker has seen significant returns with their drag slat conveyor applications in the asphalt silos. With components from Regal Rexnord being readily available for timely purchase and implementation, they have noticed a reduction in both maintenance and production time and allowed for strategic planning of orders for Meeker customers.
The broad Regal Rexnord portfolio provides a “one stop shop” for customers to have a single source supplier for their components. By partnering with Regal Rexnord, Meeker streamlined its purchasing. Being able to obtain a significant portion of the components needed for its drag slat conveyor from one supplier instead of four separate suppliers allowed the company to save both time and money when processing orders. Meeker has also seen uptime increases with customers’ equipment due to the high-quality components Regal Rexnord supplies.
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In addition to working with one supplier, Zimmerman said he enjoys having a close relationship with a single point of contact. Mike O’Connor, a longtime heavy industry account manager, has been Zimmerman’s point of contact at Regal Rexnord since day one.
Zimmerman said, “Meeker Equipment has always prided ourselves on building relationships with like-minded organizations and people. We consider our customers and suppliers as partnerships no matter how large or small the scale. Mike has always provided a level of communication and forwardness that creates a positive partnership between Meeker Equipment and Regal Rexnord. As we continue to grow as a company, our partnerships solidify a foundation to providing a quality product at a competitive price.”
For more information, visit Regal Rexnord Powertrain Solutions at www.regalrexnord.com or Meeker at www.meekerequipment.com.