Old Castle Materials Ohio company, Shelly Materials, quickly realized that they had made the correct choice of dredge manufacturers in Dredging Supply Company, Inc. (DSC) when they ran into geological issues while mining with their new DSC Marlin-class dredge. From the time that the Lockbourne, Ohio facility ran into a production slowdown because of compacted aggregate and clay, DSC was at Shelly’s side to help them with the problem. When several attempts to restore production levels by installing different styles of cutting heads and edge options came to no avail, DSC stayed with Shelly Operations Manager, Jerry Mock and his team until the job was done.  | The Dredging Supply Company, Inc. is located on a 16-acre site in Reserve, Louisiana, where the company has located its manufacturing, administration, and soon, its engineering staff. |
“We're not the type of company that sells a product and walks away after the sale, with no regard to the customer's satisfaction,” said Lara Lightsey, spokesperson for DSC, Inc. “As the world's leader in portable dredges, we believe that every dredge is a work of art. We work with a company's engineering team to give our customers exactly what they are looking for.” Lightsey said that because DSC is a family-owned and operated manufacturer, they are able to respond to the difficult and specific needs of their customers. DSC customers are able to choose from a lineup of standardized dredges, or they may wish for DSC to custom-manufacture a unit to meet specific needs. In either case, the dredges can be ordered with electrical or diesel power plants. “We offer dredges in four classes to meet every need,” said Lightsey. “We manufacture the Moray Class Dredge, an articulating ladder configuration with an underwater pump. Next, we have the Barracuda Class, which offers swinging ladder style dredging, with spuds, and articulating ladder.” “Our third product in the dredging line is the Shark Class Dredge,” said Lightsey. “This is typically the choice for contractors and mining operations. With their production demands, the Shark is a highly portable, durable piece of equipment.” “Finally, we offer the Marlin Class Dredge, like the one that Shelly Materials acquired,” she said. “The Marlin Class Dredge is equipped with an underwater pump that provides high rates of production at deeper depths. From our perspective, it is the top-of-the-line dredge for high volume aggregate mining.” “Whether a customer is working in construction, environmental, sand & gravel mining, or specialty jobs, we are able to specify the dredge that will give them optimum performance. We also build dredges for use on recreational, navigational, and restoration projects. Our work boats and booster systems are helpful additions to dredging operations as well.” According to Lightsey, Thomas (“Tommy”) J. Wetta, III and his sons William J. (“Bill”), II P.E. and Robert (Bob), started the company in 1992. Since then, the company has grown to become an industry leader in dredge manufacturing, worldwide. “We have a reputation for being involved with our customers,” said Lightsey. “Bill, our CEO, also heads up the Engineer Department. He is committed to the latest dredging technologies. He is continually exploring how these trends might affect our clients.” “Bob, on the other hand, serves as our corporate President. He specializes in Dredge Sales and Marketing. He also has a background in finance.” Lightsey noted that when DSC and Shelly Materials were struggling with finding a solution to the geology problem, and it seemed that nothing was resolving the problem satisfactorily, DSC proposed the successful high-pressure jet system with the understanding that it would be on a “deferred billing” or “return policy” basis. “We wanted them to use the system to see if it would actually solve their mining problem,” she said. “We actually spelled out in the proposal that they could “try” the jet package for a certain period of time, to determine if production was at levels that we agreed to, before paying for the package. That shows how willing DSC is to please their customers and meet or exceed their expectations.” To comment on this story or for additional details click on the related button above. |