AQUAMATRIX, INC.

Texas contractor overcomes challenging start, builds two decades of success in construction, mining

Nearly 20 percent of businesses fail within the first year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Aquamatrix was dangerously close to being counted in those stats shortly after Ron Hamilton and a couple of partners opened for business in 1999.

“The first year there was a bit of doom and gloom,” recounted Ron, who is President and CEO. “One partner dropped out right away, and the other wasn’t far behind. We discussed folding completely. I decided to take on all of the debt and become the sole owner. I was blessed, because within a week of doing that, I landed some large projects for a quarry operation in the Midlothian area. Aquamatrix has been going strong ever since.”

Twenty years later, the company still has a presence inside that quarry, which supplies limestone materials for the adjacent cement plant that owns it. Under contract, Aquamatrix provides services with two distinct operations. One handles surface mining at the quarry, and the other performs general construction duties for the cement plant.

Ron’s son, Reagan, joined the business nearly five years ago and oversees the mining side as Project Manager. His youngest son, Riley, came on board about a year ago and is responsible for general construction as Project Supervisor.

“The initial projects involved earthwork, capping landfills and cleaning out sediment basins for the cement plant,” said Ron. “Then, they asked us if we could pour concrete, put in foundations, drill piers and perform other tasks. Of course, I said yes. Now, we have two or three general contracting crews running at any one time that handle a wide range of tasks, including mechanical.”

As our relationship with the cement company grew, we began to assist with mining floor rock in the quarry,” Ron continued. “Within a few months, we were asked to provide a quote to do everything, and that’s what we’ve done for quite a few years now.”

Aquamatrix provides similar services to additional customers in the state. The company maintains its original facility in Wharton, approximately one hour southwest of Houston, and it has a satellite location inside the quarry near Midlothian. Currently, Aquamatrix employs close to 50 people.

Change extends quarry life

At the quarry, Aquamatrix generally operates four days a week, 24 hours per day to meet production. When Aquamatrix assumed the mining tasks, Ron and his staff assessed operations and made some significant changes that extended the quarry’s life expectancy. One was anchoring the primary crusher to a fixed location.

“Instead of moving it around to the active section of the quarry, we stationed the crusher at the overlook belt that feeds into the cement plant,” Ron explained. “That reduced service and maintenance issues. Then, we used 100-ton trucks for hauling. It opened the whole mine, including parts that had been abandoned because it was believed that the chemistry of the remaining rock in those areas made it low quality.”

Aquamatrix analyzed those sectors and determined they could mix the rock with higher quality limestone and get a good, consistent blend of material. The procedure proved to be very successful.

“The cement plant loved it because it gave them a constant feed of consistent-quality rock,” said Ron. “It was previously determined that mining floor rock would extend the life of the mine from 27 to 50 years. Our practices added an additional seven years to that.”

Komatsu equipment keeps production high

Aquamatrix loads 100-ton trucks with a Komatsu PC490LC-11 excavator it recently purchased from Kirby-Smith Machinery with the assistance of Territory Manager Ron Weaver, who has also helped Aquamatrix acquire several other pieces of Komatsu equipment. Operators use the machine to scoop rock from piles pushed up with D375-6 and D475-5 dozers.

“We are a rip-and-push operation; there is no blasting,” Ron emphasized. “It’s important to have equipment that can stand up to the challenge. Our dozers rip on about a four-foot centerline, then push the ripped rock. A study by Komatsu Mining determined that doing these tasks on a 23-degree slope would give us the optimal blend of the different layers of limestone.”

Aquamatrix shared the production numbers it wanted to achieve and the mixture it needed with Komatsu Mining. “Their recommendation actually overproduces,” said Reagan. “We’re extremely pleased with that, as much as we are with the Komatsu equipment. The dozers work on a steep slope, and they are pushing and ripping over a distance of 150 to 200 yards at a time. The Komatsu dozers handle it all with no issues.”

Loaded trucks haul the materials to stockpiles, where Aquamatrix operators use a Komatsu WA600-8 wheel loader to feed the primary crusher, a Joy Global (a Komatsu Mining company) Stamler feeder-breaker.

“We want to move material productively, efficiently and quickly, and Komatsu equipment allows us to do that,” said Riley. “It’s fast, and it doesn’t cost us significant downtime, either. Production is crucial to our clients, so reliability is essential. Komatsu’s dependability is outstanding, and if we do have a service need, Kirby-Smith is on it right away. In fact, they take care of the routine maintenance under the Komatsu CARE program for the first 2,000 hours or three years, and we extended that service beyond the initial coverage because we know it’s on-time and done right.”

 Aquamatrix began using Komatsu equipment several years ago, but Ron’s history with it, Weaver and Kirby-Smith is even longer.

“My relationship with Kirby goes back to 1989. Prior to that, I worked with Ron (Weaver) when he was with the Komatsu dealer in the DFW area,” said Ron. “Both have always taken good care of me, and so has Komatsu. The mining study they did is an excellent example. That and services such as Komatsu CARE and KOMTRAX are great added value.”

Future prospects are bright

Throughout the past 20 years, the firm’s duties at the quarry kept expanding. Today, it is responsible for managing operations, including overseeing vendors that bring outside materials, which are often added to the limestone harvested at the quarry. During its tenure, the company has logged nearly 3 million man-hours without a loss-time incident.

“Our track record is excellent. That, and providing good service, has kept us here,” said Riley. “The prospects are good for us to stay a lot longer, too. Recently, we were awarded a contract for turnkey construction of a new facility, as well as another contract for operating it.”

Aerial surveys are loaded into AutoCAD and provide Aquamatrix with information on the quarry. A recent life-of-mine plan showed another 30 years-plus of reserves in one area and a study is underway to assess others.

“We can make 3D models based on the quality and chemistry of the rock,” said Reagan. “It helps determine how we proceed. That’s something we can offer to the other quarries we work with, too.”

Ron said he, Reagan and Riley are actively looking at other avenues to grow Aquamatrix. “We want to branch out some, possibly do more general contracting. I have a background in mechanical work and material handling, so I believe those are areas where we could find success. Reagan and Riley have taken firm hold of their roles, so I see a very good future for the company.”

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