P&Q Profile: Wingra Stone’s Travis Wise

After spending more than a decade in various positions at Vulcan Materials, Travis Wise transitioned in 2018 to Wingra Stone. P&Q caught up with Wise to hear about his career journey and what he’s currently up to in Wisconsin.

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Tell us a bit about Wingra Stone and how you joined the company from Vulcan Materials.

Wingra is a third-generation, family-owned business founded in 1928. We provide construction aggregates and ready-mix concrete around the Madison, Wisconsin, area. I was looking to get back into my home state of Wisconsin and was lucky enough to find an owner looking for someone with a range of experiences, which I gained through my 12 years and the variety of opportunities I was given with Vulcan.

What kinds of things do you find yourself getting into these days?

In addition to day-to-day working with the team and managing the plants, I am regularly involved with safety, quality control, the fixed and mobile equipment fleet, purchase orders, customers, pricing, vendor relationships and community relations. I have the opportunity here to play many different roles and get into a little bit of everything.

How many operations do you oversee?

Ten. Four portable crushers and three wash plants cover 10 pits and quarries.

How did you originally make your way into the aggregate industry?

I started loading trucks at 16. My father and grandfather were both equipment operators, and I grew up loving heavy machinery. From Wisconsin to Arizona and back, I’ve always been able to continue in the industry.

We bumped into you at AGG1 2019 in Indianapolis. Did you come across any interesting equipment or tech at the show?

It was a great show, and my favorite part was having the ability to network with the vendors and other people in the industry.

Are there any equipment or plant upgrades you plan to make in the near future?

We are currently renting a Kleemann MR 130 track crusher and a Liebherr dragline in hopes of purchasing if they perform as needed.

How was the start of the production season for Wingra Stone?

It has been so wet and rainy that construction has been slowed down and a big backlog of work has been created.

What are your expectations for aggregate demand in the months ahead?

Demand should be high. There are a lot of DOT and commercial projects that did not get completed due to the rain last year and into 2019.

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Five Things

BEST ADVICE RECEIVED – Be proactive versus reactive
FIRST JOB – Summer laborer for the highway department
SPORTS – Green Bay Packers and New York Rangers
HOBBIES – Golf and travel
TRAVEL SPOT – Scottsdale, Arizona