Watson Gravel investing in new clamshell dredge

From left: Ron Watson, owner of Watson Gravel; Neil Hoobler, president of Supreme Manufacturing; Brian Bottoms, operation manager at Watson Gravel; and Elliot Archibald, vice president of sales and marketing at Supreme Manufacturing. Photo: Supreme Manufacturing

Watson Gravel, a multi-location sand and gravel producer serving Cincinnati, western Ohio, eastern Indiana and northern Kentucky, awarded Supreme Manufacturing a contract to build a clamshell dredge for its operation in Ross, Ohio.

The dredge will be a single 16-cu.-yd. gantry-style dredge.

With a 200-ft. standard digging depth and the latest innovation in onboard processing equipment and automation, Watson says the new dredge will greatly increase production capability its flagship location.

“This project has been a long time coming,” says Ron Watson, owner of Watson Gravel. “We have always used clamshell dredges at our facilities, but as several of them have begun to show their years, as a company we knew it was time to make an addition to our fleet. After going through our selection process, Supreme Manufacturing made the most sense – their equipment has proven itself in our region. The folks at Supreme know our operations. That, combined with their collaborative nature, has given us the confidence in knowing that they are going to truly be a long-term partner through the life of this machine.

“As a company, we try to buy American whenever possible, so aligning ourselves with Supreme was no-brainer,” Watson says. “But they aren’t just American made, their presence in our region makes us feel like they are in our backyard.”

The dredge will be the newest machine to join the Watson fleet of clamshell dredges, spread across five active locations, supplementing two machines already in service at the Ross facility.

“We are blessed to have been chosen as the supplier for this project,” says Elliot Archibald, vice president of sales and marketing at Supreme. “Ron Watson has proven for more than 40 years why clamshell dredges are the best choice for deepwater sand and gravel mining, and we are thrilled to be building the next one. A huge thanks to Ron Watson and the rest of his team for putting their trust in Supreme for this project.”