The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner
In La Harpe, Macomb's Hillyer, Inc. dba Quality Ready Mix, has opened its third concrete facility to keep up with their ever growing business.
Co-founders William and Elizabeth Hillyer began their first construction business in 1962 out of their home in Macomb initially offering landscaping and stump removal, employing two people with only one pick-up truck. In 1965 they purchased their first backhoe and grew from there.
Today, Hillyer, Inc. employ from 70 to 85 employees to run their three concrete businesses (Macomb, Bushnell, LaHarpe) and their two asphalt businesses United Asphalt (Canton-Macomb). From a pickup truck, they now own lots of semis and heavy equipment -cranes, road graders, backhoes, endloaders, and five concrete trucks.
Their corporation specializes in bridge, water, sewer, and highway projects in a 60-mile radius.
They actively bid and receive jobs from Adam County (Quincy) to Knox County (Galesburg) to Mason County (Havana) to Henderson-Hancock-Warren and McDonough counties.
The Hillyers are joined by their three sons in the running of the business.
Mike is Engineer, a graduate in Engineering from Bradley University. David is Superintendent of road and bridges and Bill is Superintendent of sewer and water, both certified superintendents.
The Hillyers saw a need for a ready-mix plant in the La Harpe area as they are currently working three bridges in the area with the nearest cement facilities in Iowa.
One bridge along highway 94 between Terre Haute and La Harpe, will be done in the next 4-6 weeks depending on the weather.
A fourth bridge was just finished in Carthage, according to Manager Ken McEntire of Colchester, the plant manager of Hillyer's three cement plants.
Elizabeth Hillyer said in a phone interview that they have been keeping crews busy all over.
"Bill is currently way ahead of schedule on a sewer and water project in Galesburg (Henderson Street), and we just received two more bridges today, one in Warren County."
Besides Galesburg and the new contracts, jobs are underway in Monmouth, Little Swan Lake, Quincy, Stark County, the other side of Jacksonville, as well as the ones locally. They just finished a foundation pouring for a home in Blandinsville and have several more smaller jobs to do, with more added daily.
McEntire explained that everything at the cement plants are monitored by the state.
"We do not take cement over a 30 mile radius," he said, explaining it can not be in the truck over one hour.
"IDOT crew certifies their material in a constant watch, and they have a lab in Macomb "that tests everything."
Wednesday, the La Harpe crew poured 150 yards of cement, and Thursday by 1 p.m., had poured 48 yards using all five trucks, he said.
He doesn't load more than 7 yards on each truck, and then a stop clock marks the ticket as it is being prepared and checked, and it is stamped again upon its return.
It took about a week for McEntire to get the site together for a cement plant operation, a place they lease from Dobson Welding.
"This plant is not temporary but a permanent site."
Of course, McEntire realizes they have to keep it busy to justify the business.
Watching the mixing of cement is more complicated than one might think, but McEntire is an excellent teacher in explaining the process.
At first, they were using water from a huge water tank, but now have city water hooked-up.
"Cement dust, rock and sand, chemicals and water is what it takes to make cement," McEntire said.
Cement dust comes from limestone that is burned and ground out, he said.
"We fill the truck with 190 gallons of water and to that, we add two chemicals - one a water reducer which makes for a stronger cement and allows us to decrease water by 50 gallon, the other is Daraoair 1400 which is a lot like Dawn soap and adds soap like bubbles to the mixture which also makes the cement stronger."
Added to the liquid is a mixture of one part state certified sand, and one part state certified gravel which are dumped together into a huge scale that weighs and funnels out the exact amount of each onto a moving conveyor belt. At the same time, cement dust is dropped from the upper silo.
To get certified sand, they must have their trucks driven tot Otter Creek Quarry, near Havana which is owned by Dave Clinard Trucking.
To get certified rock, they travel to Huntington, Missouri at Central Stone owned by Moline Consumers to get certified rock.
McEntire demonstrated how they as well as the state tests the fall in the cement.
"We send it at a 6" drop and they want it at 4 1/2 to 5" drop. By the time it arrives at the bridge site, it will be at the 4 1/2 to 5" drop."
McEntire showed the steel cone that is filled with cement, and a steel rod that measures the fall in inches.
The whole process is impressive, as is the speed in which McEntire keeps everything moving.
He makes sure the truck drivers have their trucks lined up exactly under the upper silo the holds the cement dust.
He also makes sure the mixer is turning at the proper speed to mix the cement dust, gravel and sand with the liquid, and that truckers have their time cards filled out and punched, and then he sends them on their way - cell phone in hand.
Wednesday's loads made 22 trips and a very busy day of pouring cement.
Thursday, in spite of lights and flagmen, a United Feed truck ran into one of the cement trucks and Illinois State Police were called in to handle the minor accident, which slowed down their progress.
Weather is not the only deterrent that can slow down projects, but according to Elizabeth, the company is rewarded with a bonus when they finish ahead of schedule and penalized when they go over deadline, so there is always the goal to be as efficient as possible.
Although building roads and bridges, and sewer-water projects is 60% of their work in state and county projects, Quality Ready Mix offers cement for driveways, foundations and all of your home and farm projects.
It can be as small as a sidewalk or as big as a government contracts and state highways.
It's another business in La Harpe that the community is happy to see here.
The main office for Hillyer, Inc. dba Quality Ready Mix and United Asphalt is at 1420 E. Carroll in Macomb.
Bill and Elizabeth
Hillyer started their construction business out of their home in 1962 offering
landscaping and stump removal, employing 2 people.
Today, under the corporation name of Hillyer Inc. they are a large construction firm specializing in bridge, water, sewer and highway projects employing approximate 70 to 85 people.
In 1992 they purchased Cogshael Construction Inc. specializing in asphalt along with a new paving machine and later they bought a new concrete plant.
In April 2001 they purchased Homer Ready Mix in Bushnell, their second cement plant, and this spring opened a third plant in La Harpe also doing business as Quality Ready Mix.
Having 3 plants that are IDOT certified helps them with their road, bridge, and sewer projects as well as serves local contractors and private sales.
They expanded their business office in Macomb last year by adding 4 new offices plus a training/conference room, blue print room and storage room.
Willliam and Elizabeth Hillyer have been in the construction business now for 40 years. They and their three sons are proud to be able to serve La Harpe and Hancock County through their plant manager Ken McEntire. McEntire noted that La Harpe City crews not only hooked their water up, but also made them feel welcome in La Harpe. "It's been a good relationship," he said.