Over the decades, Kuhlman and Jeep have played major roles in helping build and grow Toledo. When Jeep needed a new state-of-the-art vehicle assembly facility, Kuhlman was right there during construction.

Kuhlman supplied concrete for over 800,000 square feet of flooring in the new paint shop and energy center. The concrete floors are six inches thick, and each cubic yard includes 50 pounds of steel fibers for improved tensile strength and durability. The J.S. Alberici Co., a St. Louis-based general contractor specializing in automotive plants, oversaw the projects.

“Alberici subcontracted most of the concrete work to the Colasanti Corp. of McComb Township, Michigan. Colasanti had not previously worked with Kuhlman but required a top-quality producer that would provide large quantities of concrete,” explained Tim Casey, sales manager for Kuhlman’s
concrete operations. It was a huge job. The daily demand often required 14 mixers simultaneously. Midway through the project, a change required lightweight concrete for part of the plant’s second floor. “Our quality control department engineered a very successful mix that pumped easily and met project specifications.”

“We interacted daily with Mike Jaworski, Colasanti’s job site supervisor. Mike’s needs changed day by day, but he’s a great planner. The pours went incredibly smoothly with good communication and cooperation with Kuhlman dispatchers Bill Edinger and Bryan Moore,” explains Casey.

“We can work very well with a customer when its field personnel make it clear what they need and when,” says Edinger, Kuhlman’s chief dispatcher. “Planning ahead is crucial. Mike would call me the afternoon before to request the next morning’s delivery, usually 90 cubic yards per hour for three to four hours, beginning promptly at 7 a.m..”

“It didn’t take Keith and Carey Colasanti—the brothers who run the company—long to realize that we always keep our commitments,” adds Casey. “They were impressed by our professionalism and how easy Kuhlman was to work with.”