The Frazier Quarry looks to the future

According to Baker, the new Metso Outotec C125 jaw crusher is an impressive performer.

“That thing is a horse,” Baker says. “We can dump an entire load in, and the motor amps may raise by four. The machine never quits. It just keeps crushing.”

The jaw itself isn’t the only improvement in the primary stage. Baker says the process around the crusher was addressed, as well.

“The original crusher when we first bought [the Elkton Plant] was a loader-fed jaw,” he says. “We came up, the truck would dump on the ground and then the loader would pick it back up and put it in the jaw.”

That system, however, was fraught with inefficiencies. So changes were made.

“One of the efficiencies in our upgrades was putting in a truck dump,” Baker says. “We eliminated the person and the loader, which improved efficiency up the hill and [delivered] more tons per hour. Trucks can roll in here now, dump straight into the bin and it goes to the plant.”

Notables

Says The Frazier Quarry’s Kevin Baker: “We really try to focus on our cost per ton and our cost per hour with all of our folks and try to make our decisions around those types of metrics.” Photo: The Frazier Quarry

Fortunately for The Frazier Quarry, its growth is not limited to the North and Elkton Plants. The company is now crushing rock at the Thorndale Plant, opening up the site in 2022 with a Powerscreen unit before eventually transitioning to a stationary setup.

“We’ve owned the property for several years,” Baker says. “But we’re really diving in all the way now with the plant and a full-time crew.”

At the Elkton Plant, the Frazier Quarry is also proud of the aglime it produces. Baker says the company’s aglime is utilized all over Virginia, with roughly 100,000 tons put out each year. 

“We go all the way to the coast and hit some of the bigger farmers who have thousands of acres,” he says. “We’ve really grown the aglime market in the last five years.” 

The Frazier Quarry’s North Plant, meanwhile, plays a unique role in the company’s outreach to the Harrisonburg community. A 5K takes place there each year, drawing upward of 250 runners. 

The North Plant hosted its first 5K in 2016, and it put on another one this spring after COVID forced race cancellations in 2020 and 2021. Proceeds from the annual race are directed to local nonprofit organizations, Baker says.

“The Frazier family is really focused on helping the local community as much as they can,” he says. “That’s a main focus for the third and fourth generation. They grew up here. They want to see their home and community do better. I’m fortunate that I’m able to work for a company that does give back.”

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