A need for aggregate materials leads Mike Jones Trucking owner to open Hardrock Materials, which has expanded to meet growing demand
It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention. That adage holds true for Mike Jones as a need for and inability to get aggregate for a project his excavation company, Mike Jones Trucking, was doing led to him opening Hardrock Materials in 2018 a few miles outside of Whitesboro, Texas.
“We were working on a solar field and had trouble getting rock,” recalled Mike, who owns and operates both companies. “I had been in the crushing business before and really didn’t want to get back into it, but our hand was kind of forced. We were blessed to find a place with good hard limestone that we could open to establish the pit. It’s also really nice that it’s close to home.”
Hardrock Materials gave Mike Jones Trucking what it needed to complete the solar project and has been supplying it with additional materials since. Mike said a bonus was being able to meet outside demand.
“The next thing you know, other contractors started coming, and we landed some pretty good state contracts to supply materials,” he emphasized. “That opened the possibility to expand. During the past six years, we have added considerably to our material list and are now in the process of adding a wash plant.”
Mike estimated that Hardrock Materials has, on average, produced about 220,000 tons annually since he opened the 750-acre quarry. Products range from manufactured sand to 36-inch riprap, with 1.5-inch state-specification flex base as one of its main products. In addition to a standard list of products, the company makes custom blends.
Close-knit family
A large portion of Hardrock Materials’ products continues to be used by Mike Jones Trucking, which Mike and his wife, Barbara, established in 1987 as a material hauling business with one truck and a 27-foot trailer. As they grew that company, Mike added excavation services, specializing in moving dirt. Mike Jones Trucking now offers land clearing and demolition as well.
“We do some excavation and building roads and pads for houses and buildings,” elaborated Mike. “I’m not after the massive jobs, but we do some sizable ones. Our sweet spot is 50,000 to 100,000 yards. On the material supply side, we can take on any size contract.”
Hardrock Materials recently completed a 450,000-ton order for a contractor doing a state project near Sherman.
“We are in a rural location, and we believe the fact that many customers have found us and continue to come back says a lot about the hard work and dedication we have put into making this quarry work,” said Mariaha Jones, Mike’s daughter-in-law and Hardrock Materials’ office manager.
“Almost all of our business has come from word-of-mouth referrals, which we think is a real testament too,” added Mike’s son Brent, who helps oversee the quarry operations. “Taking care of customers is what it’s all about, and we have developed a good local base that keeps us busy. We believe that the new wash plant will open some more doors too.”
In addition to Mariaha and Brent, several other members of the Jones family are associated with Hardrock Materials and Mike Jones Trucking. Mike’s brother Tim and nephews Dustin and Justin Jones work at the quarry, and two other nephews, Derek Jones and Shane Cooper, are part of the Mike Jones Trucking team.
“I think that’s been a big part of the success,” stated Mike. “We look out for each other and are really dedicated to making things work. Really, everyone who works here, related or not, is considered part of the family.”
That includes key personnel such as Quarry Superintendent Jared Chavez.
“We are a tight-knit group that’s really dedicated to producing quality materials,” said Jared. “That’s a big contributor in our ability to deliver on projects like the one near Sherman. We are all willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Dramatic increase in production
Mike emphasized that proper equipment backed by excellent service has played a key role in the quarry’s ability to mine, produce and deliver materials on time. He credits Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM), Territory Manager Matt Probey, and KSM’s Road Construction and Minerals Division, including General Manager Matt White and Crushing and Screening Sales Manager Jeff Flood, for a dramatic increase in production during the past four years.
“Our production jumped so much with equipment and service from Kirby-Smith that we were able to go from working six to seven days a week down to four or five and still meet demand,” Mike explained. “The relationship began about four years ago when we were having trouble getting parts and service for other lines of equipment we were using at the time. It was a nightmare. Matt and the other Kirby-Smith team members bent over backward to help us find what we needed, and that led to us looking to them for equipment. The thing about Kirby-Smith is that it doesn’t matter what you need — sales, rental, service, water pumps, lights, whatever — you can get ahold of them, and they are on it. I’m impressed that Kirby-Smith has representatives for its different lines, and they all work together to make sure that everything is properly sized and works together seamlessly.”
Hardrock Materials’ first piece of equipment from KSM was a Komatsu D155 dozer that is used to strip and push materials, followed by a KLEEMANN MS 19 D screening plant. Hardrock Materials makes four products with the three-deck MS 19 D, which is paired with a KLEEMANN MR 122 Zi impact crusher that is used in a secondary position.
“Once we start it up in the morning and let it warm up, we can basically walk away and leave it to do its work all day long at 1,500 rpm,” Mike commented. “It just eats up 8-inch and 10-inch rock from the primary crusher. It’s also burning about half the fuel of the crusher we replaced. Not only is our production better, but efficiency skyrocketed too.”
Hardrock Materials starts the crushing process by feeding the primary crusher with a 105,000-pound-plus Komatsu PC490LC-11 excavator equipped with a 4-yard bucket. It uses another PC490LC-11 to load HM400-5 articulated trucks that haul the raw materials to the crushing spread.
“The PC490s have the strength and weight to dig and handle a sizable amount of material, so they have sped up production too,” noted Mike. “I also decided to go with them because if I want to get into utility work later on the excavation side, they can handle deeper digs and lift big concrete pipe. They are an excellent match for the HM400s too, which are just fantastic for moving large quantities quickly.”
Mike added, “We also pair the HM400s with our WA500 loaders to move stockpiles. They are the right size. Again, they haul a lot of material, and the loaders can easily reach over the side. In addition to stockpiling, the WA500s are great for getting customers’ trucks loaded more quickly. We had some loaders in the past that took three or four passes to fill a semi. The WA500s get it done in two, and with the built-in scale, the operator knows the tonnage is accurate.”
Future considerations
The growing demand for concrete sand in North Texas prompted Hardrock Materials’ addition of a Masaba 6x20 twin 36-inch screw wash plant paired with Masaba conveyors, which is currently being set up and tested.
“When we were crushing many years ago, we had a Masaba, and it worked very well,” Mike said. “That history, along with the fact that Kirby-Smith carries and stands behind the Masaba branch, made the choice easy. Our testing shows everything is coming out perfect to meet the Texas Department of Transportation’s sand specs.”
Mike and the Hardrock Materials team are looking beyond the wash plant to future growth. Considerations include the addition of concrete batch plants.
“Despite not wanting to get back into crushing, we are definitely in it for the long haul now,” declared Mike. “There is a lot of expansion out this way, so we believe demand is going to continue to be strong.”
Mike continued, “We’re concentrating a lot on Hardrock Materials right now, but we haven’t forgotten about Mike Jones Trucking. We’re doing some excavation at the quarry, and we have plenty of work lined up. It’s long established. I’m happy with where it is in terms of what we do and the size of projects we handle.”
