It all began with big blocks of ice
by Kelly Gates
One hundred years ago, a man by the name of Tony Verplank began cutting large blocks of ice from Spring Lake in western Michigan during the winter, storing the cubes in insulated storage buildings before selling them to local residents during the summer. In 1910, Verplank started peddling coal to even out the season cycle and Spring Lake Ice & Coal Co. was formed.
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On the ground, from the left: Midge Verplank, Joyce Verplank Hatton, Marc Lafleur, Samantha Verplank, Ashley Verplank-McClelland, Monica Verplank, Gary Verplank, Vicki Verplank, Ron Matthews, Marte Matthews, Paige Matthews, Tom Knight, Norna Verplank, Chris Dias, Carlos Gonzalez, Dana Gonzalez. Up top, from the left: Brooke Verplank, Kyle Verplank, Melissa Verplank (sitting on ladder), Trent Matthews, Roan Verplank, Tony Verplank and Lance Matthews.
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Coal quickly became a staple product for the company and the young entrepreneur purchased a 533 foot dock on the Grand River to accommodate the self-unloading vessels brought in to deliver the fuel.
According to Midge Verplank, third-generation family member and majority owner of Verplank Family Holding Company, the company’s dock space was moved several times over the years as it evolved into a supplier of aggregates, asphalt and other construction materials.
“We stopped selling coal in 1961 and opened our first dock in Muskegon a few years later to bring in more aggregates, which soon became the focus of the company,” said Verplank.
In 1968, Midge’s brother Gary purchased the remaining 50 percent of shares from the second generation of Verplank family members, splitting the company equally between the two. The duo moved their burgeoning business closer to Lake Michigan to Ferrysburg and ultimately bought several thousand feet of dock space at the site that houses Verplank Dock Co. and Verplank Trucking Co. today.
As aggregates became the mainstay there, the Verplank family acquired an asphalt plant in 1992 and increased their list of product offerings to include everything from limestone and slag to salt and an array of recycled materials.
“We do a lot of recycling at our two recycling yards. One is located in Muskegon and the other is in Ferrysburg,” said Ron Matthews, president and chief operations officer for both Verplank Dock Co. and Verplank Trucking Co. “We recycle spent foundry sand and slag for use in asphalt, crush concrete for use as road base on construction projects and crush broken asphalt and reuse it in the production of asphalt at our plant in Muskegon.”
The company also collects leaves from the cities of Spring Lake, Grand Haven and Ferrysburg for processing with black dirt. Harbor dredgings are tested, mixed, and blended for use in “Bottoms Up Topsoil.” And, Verplank gathers ash from local power companies to blend with aggregates for use as cement components, he added.
In order to import and store all of the products it sells, the company owns, leases and manages dock spaces in three cities along the western shore of Lake Michigan.
Its Ferrysburg dock covers 95 acres, including more than 3,200 feet of riverfront property and an operating cement terminal currently being leased to a third-party producer. Over 700,000 tons of material are moved through this location each year.
In Muskegon, Verplank Dock Co. has three connected parcels of land. One site is used to stock limestone and slag, a second is designated for salt and a third, 52-acre piece of property, is currently in the developmental stages. Because Muskegon Lake is a deep-water port-28 feet in depth-the company can bring in shipments of maximum capacity, often lightering boats to allow entry into other ports. Total annual throughput in Muskegon is over 700,000 tons.
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A loader moving in to load a semi.
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“Our third aggregate and bulk cargo dock is in Holland,” said Joe Burns, chief executive officer for Verplank Dock Co., Verplank Trucking Co., and Asphalt Paving, Inc. “It is situated on a seven-acre waterfront lot with a water depth of 21 feet and 700 feet of water front.
By using the array of strategically positioned docks in three separate ports, the company is able to supply customers throughout the region, with truckloads-using Verplank Trucking’s fleet of 20 doubles-shipped as far as 100 miles in any direction, noted Burns.
Verplank is presently the leading supplier of water borne aggregate in western Michigan. That said, the outfit also excavates some of its own materials at a 600-acre property in Ravenna and a second site in West Olive.
From big blocks of ice to a multi-faceted aggregates business, Verplank has certainly come a long way during its 100 years in operation. In June of this year, the company celebrated its 100th anniversary by hosting an elegant evening at the Spring Lake Yacht Club.
Guests included Midge, Gary and their extended families, executives and employees from the company as well as suppliers and customers from throughout the Great Lakes region. A custom-painted silver Caterpillar 980H loader adorned with a specially-designed Verplank 100th year logo greeted the 275 attendees at the entrance to the facilities-a surprise presented by Michigan CAT a few days prior.
“It was gratifying to see so many customers and suppliers show up for the centennial and recognize our service to them over the years,” said Verplank. “It was a testament to the prior generations who got us to where we are today.”
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