Built to last: PCM Construction Services achieves 50 percent diversion of its collected and processed construction debris.

In 1998, Miguel Guerra, along with his wife Dawnna, started PCM Construction Services after Miguel recognized a need for debris removal services in the residential construction industry in North Carolina. Though they also offered additional construction site services, the debris removal clearly presented a tremendous opportunity for their business, and they continue to capitalize on that demand to this day.

After a couple years of operating, PCM recognized the need for a C&D transfer point, not only for its materials, but for those of other haulers as well. The transfer station allowed them to consolidate their trucking by providing an intermediate dumping point for their daily collections. As the transfer station filled, the debris was then reloaded on a contracted semi for final transportation to the landfill, improving the overall efficiency of their business.

PCM, based in Raleigh, N.C., now owns three C&D transfer stations across the state and has eliminated its contracted transportation expense by investing in its own tractor trailer to complete the final leg in the process. By accepting material from other debris haulers in the state, PCM's transfer stations now take in more than 600 tons of C&D debris per day.

With ever-increasing tipping fees and its relentless drive for efficiency and profitability, PCM recognized the value of diverting the recyclable materials in its operation to lower its landfill costs and to generate the potential for new revenue streams.

Chief financial officer Sparky Cullen explains the evolution of PCM's recycling operations: "We actually began to recognize our potential for recycling through a cooperative program with the Habitat for Humanity chapter in Wake County. We started by collecting the highest quality dimensional lumber, plywood, windows, doors and other good, usable materials and delivering them to the Habitat ReUse center, where they would sell them to the public at discounted prices. The proceeds would then be used to purchase materials needed for new Habitat homes. We're quite proud of our involvement in this partnership and feel we're really able to help make a difference."

The company's philanthropy paid off by helping PCM recognize the additional opportunities for recycling that existed in its operations. The company's initial investment in two balers has aided in the recycling of cardboard material from the debris stream.

PCM then began to separate its metals and sell them to a scrap processor, and the concrete, block and brick were diverted to a crushing plant where they are crushed for reuse. In addition, the remaining wood materials that are not suitable for the Habitat partnership are being ground and sold from the facility.

"The first grinder we purchased for our wood waste was not very reliable. Ii was too small for the task and had a hard time handling the tough infeed and metal contaminants that are typical in C&D lumbar," says Cullen.

So Guerra and Cullen turned to DoppstadtUS, Haslett, Mich., and purchased an AK600 high-speed grinder to take over the task. "The Doppstadt simply did what they said it would," Guerra notes, recalling the demonstration they witnessed. "Now that we have the machine in our operation, we're really seeing all the benefits for ourselves."

Hugh Fagan, sales manager for DoppstadtUS, immediately recognized how the AK600 could benefit PCM's operations and confidently recommended it for their application. "This grinder is designed for exactly their kind of demand; a high volume of contaminated C&D lumber source material."

The final ground material PCM produces is all distributed locally, directly off the company's property. Currently, PCM's market consists solely of direct end users, but the potential to expand to wholesale is always present.

Because of the quality and consistency of the product, users are finding multiple applications for the material, including mulch, boiler fuel and additives to compost.

Cullen estimates that PCM Construction Services now recycles more than 30 percent of all the material that comes through its transfer facilities. With a one-third reduction in tipping fees and newly realized revenue streams, PCM's recycling efforts are clearly providing a good return on investment. "The local county ordinance requires us to recycle 30 percent of our material stream, so we're already ahead of that target," Cullen states.

RELATED ARTICLE: Built to order.

Both Hugh Fagan, sales manager for DoppstadtUS, Haslett, Mich., and the managers who run PCM Construction Services, Raleigh, N.C., say the Doppstadt AK600 that PCM owns is ideal for its diverse materials stream.

"Because of the machine's nitrogen accumulator, which allows the screen to break away momentarily, metal contaminants are easily passed, keeping their operations up and running continuously and efficiently," says Fagan. "And the upswing mill produces a highly consistent end product the PCM has been very satisfied with."

PCM chief financial officer Sparky Cullen adds, "We easily get 100 to 150 tons through the Doppstadt in a couple of hours running time and expect that we would have no trouble getting 500 tons per day at capacity."

The machine runs at this rate despite its mixed infeed material. "It handles the nails, screws and other metal contaminants beautifully, which we are able to collect and recycle as well." Cullen was also impressed with the speed and performance of the machine and credits its efficiency with increased profitability of their operations. "The variable-feed system on the Doppstadt keeps the mill choke fed. Because we can process this material so quickly, we're able to take our grinder around to handle the wood waste at all our transfer stations."

This article was submitted by Mark Scheer Consulting on behalf of DoppstadtUS, www.doppstadtus.com.