For “Reduce, reuse, recycle” has been part of the DNA at S.G. Loewendick & Sons Inc. since long before the saying become mainstream. S.G. Loewendick started the company back in 1929 because he wanted to build a house for his family, but he couldn’t afford the materials. As a demolition contractor, he was able to find and recycle building materials for his own home.
The company continued as a building and demolition contractor into the 1950s, when company officials dropped construction to concentrate solely on demolition. Today, the contractor does everything from residential demolition to dismantling entire automobile plants. Most of the work is commercial and industrial, noted David Loewendick, president of the company, which is now run by the third generation.
Last year, the company added the capability to recycle concrete when it purchased a McCloskey J50 Jaw Crusher, R155 Screener and 36×100 Track Stacker from Columbus Equipment Company’s Environmental Division. The equipment is portable, so it can be used on a jobsite or at the Frank Road Recycling Center the company owns. Wherever it’s used, it allows the company to save landfill space and generate income by reusing or selling the crushed concrete.
The company bought the McCloskey equipment specifically for the demolition of Veterans Memorial in Columbus, Dave Loewendick said. “The McCloskey equipment was brought in for the third phase of the Vets Memorial demolition, which involved the slabs and underground foundation of the building.”
“We achieved a 100 percent recycle rate. Since the building was already gone, there was no debris, just concrete,” he said. Loewendick crews crushed 13,000 tons of concrete with the J50 and pulled out 240 tons of rebar. “We used 5,000 tons of the concrete on our own site work, and we sold the rest back to the county which will utilize it on the Veterans Memorial site. By crushing onsite and selling it back to the developer, we helped divert 2,200 truckloads off the streets, cutting wear and tear on the highways and creating a cost savings for the customer.”
Before selecting the McCloskey equipment, S.G. Loewendick & Sons tested several brands. “In the end, the McCloskey equipment delivered what we wanted—ease of use and transportability. It was the biggest crusher we could get and still move it, it delivers the product, and it has been holding up really well.”
Dealership support from Columbus Equipment Company was another important factor in the purchase. “They are local. If something goes wrong, they can get a guy right here,” Loewendick said. “We’ve been dealing with Columbus Equipment probably since its inception. They are customer oriented and deliver what they say they are going to do.”
At the Frank Road Recycling Center, the McCloskey equipment has processed more than 10,000 tons of concrete between trips to jobsites, according to Ken Pennington, operations manager. “It’s very quick to set up. The whole setup process probably takes two guys about an hour and a half.”
Pennington has been pleased with the McCloskey equipment for several reasons, including the fact that the remote-controlled crusher is very user-friendly, the equipment is fuel-efficient, and “it’s a tough machine.” While he has the option of running mostly clean loads, the J50 does well with both clean loads of concrete and rougher loads with concrete and rebar, he added.
Nearly 90 years ago, S.G. Loewendick proved the wisdom of recycling material from demolition sites. Today, McCloskey equipment is helping his descendants expand that philosophy, bringing in revenue and saving virgin materials, landfill space, and transportation costs in the process.
