When operating at full capacity, Cherry’s new recycling center will process about 1,500 tons of recycled aggregates daily. The 10-acre facility also will recycle steel, which is extracted, bundled and sent to steel mills for further processing.

With the addition of the new recycling center, Cherry’s five recycling centers will process between 8,000 and 10,000 tons of recycled aggregates daily in the Greater Houston Area.

“We’ve now expanded our ability to reach more customers in the northern part of the city,” said Jim Mooney, Cherry’s division manager for recycled aggregates. “Cherry has always served customers in this area, but now we can do it more efficiently by operating a recycling center near them.”

For pricing and ordering, please call 713-436-0990.

CMRA is a national trade organization that promotes the safe and economically feasible recycling of the more than 325 million tons of recoverable C&D materials generated in the U.S. annually. Its 2013 Industry Awards will be presented at the C&D World Conference in Tampa, Fla., later this month.

CMRA is honoring Cherry for its contributions to the recycling industry by significantly expanding its aggregate and steel recycling operations during the last 18 months to include the recycling of asphalt, residential composition shingles and tires. Cherry upped its aggregates recycling from one million tons to two million tons, its steel recycling from 40,000 tons to 50,000 tons and increased its revenues by 33 percent during that time period.

Cherry’s other major business accomplishments included the startup of three new areas of recycled products—asphalt, residential composition shingles and tires. Asphalt recycling now totals 59,000 tons, residential composition shingle recycling is 25,000 tons and tire recycling is 3,500 tons annually. In order to achieve these results, the company expanded operations at three recycling centers and five stabilized materials plants and opened two more recycling centers and one additional stabilized materials plant.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized by your peers for making advancements in the recycling of construction and demolition materials,” said Leonard Cherry, president of Cherry. “We’re committed to an environmental business approach because recycling concrete, asphalt, steel, shingles and tires is profitable. And, it’s simply the right thing to do as a socially responsible company.”

John Adelman, president of the Board of Directors, CMRA, added, “We applaud Cherry and the other individuals and businesses that have made a commitment to the recycling industry and their communities. Because of their commitment to the environment our country is able to move toward a more sustainable future.”

From left, Mike Dokell, manager of Cherry's demolition division; Wayne Harner, vice president of engineering for Brookfield; Jay Marak, Cherry's safety director; and Travis Schultz, Cherry estimator, celebrate Cherry's APEX Award.

HOUSTON, TEXAS (Sept. 30, 2012)— Houston-based Cherry, specialists in industrial demolition, dismantling, asset recovery and recycling, has won a 2012 APEX (Award for Project Excellence) Award from the Houston chapter of Associated General Contractors (AGC) in AGC’s bi-annual award ceremony held recently.

AGC honored Cherry for its safe and efficient deconstruction of 711 Polk, a 28-story former hotel in downtown Houston in 2011. Cherry used a much slower, floor-by-floor deconstruction method in order to remove the high-rise without negatively impacting an immediately adjacent 35-story office building (Total Plaza), an across-the-street Hotel (Hyatt Regency) and cars and pedestrians on the streets below.

Project planning began in mid-November 2010, work commenced in early January 2011 and the job was completed in September 2011—on budget and well within the time frame established by its owner, Brookfield, and Houston city officials.

“We’re most pleased that AGC is recognizing our work with one of the industry’s most prestigious awards,” said Mike Dokell, manager of Cherry’s Commercial, Interior and Residential Demolition Division. “The 711 Polk project presented a complex challenge. We could not use traditional deconstruction methods to take it down because it was located right next to a 35-story office building and across the street from the Hyatt Regency hotel. And, we needed to minimize our impact to pedestrians and cars in the streets below

“Even though it took longer, we removed the building one floor at a time in order to carefully manage debris, dust and noise levels. We proved that our 45 workers could function effectively as a team and successfully coordinate our activities with our customer and a large number of city officials.”

Cherry recycled nearly 99 percent of the building’s deconstruction debris, which included approximately 3,000 tons of carbon steel, 30,000 tons of concrete, 25 tons of aluminum and four tons of copper.

]]> http://cherrycompanies.com/cherry-wins-apex-award-for-711-polk-deconstruction/feed/ 0 http://cherrycompanies.com/cherry-participates-in-houston-solar-tour/ http://cherrycompanies.com/cherry-participates-in-houston-solar-tour/#comments Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:48:38 +0000 ben http://cherrycompanies.com/?p=1418

Cherry will host a booth at the Houston Permitting Center on Oct. 20.

Sept. 24, 2012— Cherry, the Houston-based recycling and demolition company, will participate in the 9^th annual American Solar Energy Society (ASES) Houston Solar Tour to help showcase solar energy as an alternative energy source.

Cherry, as one of the largest recyclers in the Texas and the Gulf Coast, has long been an advocate for sustainable energy and responsible use of the earth’s resources. While primarily known as a demolition company, Cherry also recycles millions of tons of concrete and asphalt and thousands of tons of steel every year. In addition, the company recycles residential composition shingles and tires.

The company will host a booth at the City of Houston’s Permitting Center, 1002 Washington Ave., from 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 20. The Permitting Center is a recently restored, four-story, 85-year-old former rice warehouse with a roof-top solar system and raised floors to improve air flow and a demonstration vegetated roof garden that’s watered with harvested rainwater and condensate from the building’s HVAC system.

Organizers of the Solar Tour hope to inspire individuals to make sustainable energy choices that help lower costs, support energy independence, protect against power outages and reduce carbon emissions. Houston is one of 3,200 communities across the U.S. hosting similar open-house tours of more than 5,500 solar-powered buildings throughout the year.

Cherry began operating as a house moving company in 1952 and quickly branched out into residential and commercial demolition projects. In 1996, the company launched its concrete recycling operations primarily in order to recycle concrete removed from its demolition jobs.

More growth came in 2001 when the production of stabilized materials became part of the Cherry operation. Cherry began its concrete removal division in 2003 to remove highways, bridges and other concrete structures, thus creating another source of material to be recycled at Cherry’s recycling centers. The company purchased portable concrete crushing equipment that same year in order to recycle aggregates on customers’ job sites. Over time, Cherry began recycling asphalt, residential composition shingles and tires.

From left, Ron Marshall and Earl Jones of Enterprise Products and Johnnie Eichor of Cherry celebrate Cherry’s 60th anniversary at our Customer Appreciation event.

Aug. 30, 2012–Cherry celebrated its 60^th year of operation by inviting its customers to join in festivities that marked the business milestone.

More than 300 Cherry customers attended this year’s annual Customer Appreciation event that trumpeted Cherry’s 60 years in business. Customers enjoyed refreshments and good conversations, and more than half of them walked away with significant door prizes from numerous drawings held throughout the evening.

“It’s most fitting that our many, valued customers were on hand to help us commemorate our 60^th anniversary,” said Leonard Cherry, president of Cherry. “ We pride ourselves on having developed lasting relationships with many of our customers by handling their recurring projects over the years.

“Our loyal customers and our dedicated employees have been the keys to our success.  They’ve all become part of our Cherry family,” Cherry added.

Cherry began operating as a house moving company in 1952 and quickly branched out into residential and commercial demolition projects. In 1996, the company launched its concrete recycling operations primarily in order to recycle concrete removed from its demolition jobs.

More growth came in 2001 when the production of stabilized materials became part of the Cherry operation. Cherry began its concrete removal division in 2003 to remove highways, bridges and other concrete structures, thus creating another source of material to be recycled at Cherry’s recycling centers. The company purchased portable concrete crushing equipment that same year in order to recycle aggregates on customers’ job sites. Over time, Cherry began recycling asphalt, residential composition shingles and tires.

Today, Cherry is one of the country’s top five demolition companies and one of the largest recyclers in Texas and the Gulf Coast.

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 18, 2012)—

As Safety Manager, Nall is responsible for transportation safety involving Cherry’s five stabilized plants, four recycling centers and its portable crushing operations.

He holds a Certified Fleet Safety (CFS) certification from Texas A&M University and North Texas State University. In 2003, the Texas Motor Transportation Association named him Safety Professional of the Year in fleet safety.

Previously, he worked for 34 years as Safety Director for Dorsett Brothers Concrete in Pasadena, Texas. Today, he serves on the speaker’s bureau of the Texas Motor Transportation Association and also is treasurer and a board member of the Pasadena Citizens Police Alumni Association.

About Cherry

Cherry is a recycling and demolition company based in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1952, Cherry specializes in the removal of all types of structures—from highways and bridges, industrial plants and commercial buildings to residences through demolition and other deconstruction techniques. In addition, Cherry is one of the largest recyclers in Texas and the Gulf Coast. Recycling more than a million tons of concrete and asphalt and thousands of tons of steel every year, Cherry also recycles residential composition asphalt shingles and tires. Recycled concrete, asphalt and shingles are used primarily in road and highway projects while re-claimed steel ends up in thousands of new metal products. Recycled tires become a source for alternative fuel. Cherry produces more than a million tons of stabilized materials annually in the Greater Houston area for use in everything from parking lots and underground utilities to pipeline support and storm sewers. For more information, see www.cherrycompanies.com.

CONTACT: Ben Wheatley
ben@benwheatleypr.com
713.662.0359

Now in its 60th year of business, Houston-based Cherry continues to find ways of expanding its service offerings. For example, the recycling and demolition company recently opened its fourth Texas recycling center. Located south of Houston in Hitchcock, this new center now makes it easier for Texas businesses to recycle a growing amount of deconstruction waste.

Like Cherry’s other recycling centers, the new 12-acre Hitchcock Recycling Center accepts concrete, asphalt, residential composition asphalt shingles and tires for recycling. And like all of Cherry’s recycling centers, the new facility also pays for discarded concrete.

Hitchcock is Cherry’s second largest recycling facility and is capable of producing 600 tons of TexDot Flex/Base concrete, 400 tons of 3 x 5-in. concrete and 1,000 tons of 1 3/4-in. asphalt daily. With the addition of the Hitchcock facility, Cherry’s combined daily output at its four recycling centers is 5,000 tons of TexDot Flex/Base, 1,500 tons of 3 x 5-in. concrete and 5,000 tons of 1 3/4-in.-asphalt.

Locating a new recycling facility in Hitchcock also is a good match for new construction now underway and anticipated growth in that area of Texas, according to Don Gartman, president of Galveston County Economic Alliance.

“Post Hurricane Ike, we’ve seen significant refurbishment of existing facilities, new development and an increased number of inquiries about business expansion in Galveston County, especially in Hitchcock. Texas’ vibrant economy and favorable tax rates are helping fuel this new interest,” Gartman said. “Growth is likely to come from petrochemical, manufacturing and retail businesses. And, frequently building these new facilities mean that older facilities must be demolished in order to make way.”

Cherry Ranks High
Overall, Cherry’s recycling centers process more than a million tons of concrete and asphalt, as well as thousands of tons of steel, residential composition asphalt shingles and tires every year. With a clear focus on sustainability, the company is considered one of the biggest recyclers in the state of Texas.

The company understands that an increasing number of businesses today are green-friendly because they recognize that recycled concrete and asphalt are suitable materials for new roadways and other construction projects. An added bonus is that when contractors use recycled materials in new construction, the switch conserves natural resources by reducing the amount of virgin materials that must be mined.

Recently, Cherry expanded into processing tear-off residential composition asphalt shingles at all its recycling center. Recycled shingles are an ideal material for road surfacing and as dust suppressants for crushed concrete roads throughout Texas. According to the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), approximately 11 million tons of waste shingles are generated nationally each year. Of this total, CMRA estimates that only 1-2 million tons are being recycled for further use, with the remainder ending up in landfills.

Cherry also entered the recycled tire arena by accepting worn out tires at its recycling centers. Once considered useless, these tires are recycled and assume new value as an alternative fuel source.

Broad Community Impact
As a green company, Cherry knows that recycling has a positive impact on the wider Texas community. For example, when Cherry recycles about one million tons of concrete, this reduces about 500,000 cu. yd. of landfill. It also eliminates more than $5,500,000 in tipping fees, which are fees charged to dump trash at landfills and waste transfer stations.

With more Cherry recycling centers strategically located throughout this area of Texas, the company’s customers save time and transportation costs because deconstruction waste doesn’t have to be trucked to other remote recycling centers or landfills.

“We try to better serve customers by bringing our operations closer to them,” said Leonard Cherry, president of Cherry. “Overall, recycling preserves the natural environment by reducing the amount of concrete, asphalt, residential composition asphalt shingles and tires that are dumped in landfills and other unwanted places.”

The need for more recycling centers is evident because building-generated waste is on the rise in the United States. In 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that approximately 164,000 million tons of building-generated waste is generated in the U.S. annually, of which 9 percent is construction waste, 38 percent is renovation waste and 53 percent is demolition debris.

Moving Houses
Cherry began its business operations 60 years ago as a house-moving company and then eventually expanded into residential and commercial demolition and recycling activities. Sustainability is not just an ecological and economic concept at Cherry. It’s a way of life at the company that continues to seek out new, green markets.

On the health and safety fronts, Cherry has always observed total compliance with regulations and insists on full commitment to safety precautions at all times. “The fact that we have one of the lowest workers’ compensation modifiers in the nation testifies to the safety of our work practices,” Cherry added. “Cherry has an active safety team that educates, inspects and rewards our workforce on the most reliable safety procedures. And, we will only work with other companies willing to maintain our high standards for safe work practices.”

Cherry Family Tree
Cherry says his family-operated company has 230 employees, and it has helped keep its family atmosphere in part by hiring trusted and recommended family members to help fill its employee roster.

“We also have third-generation employees,” he adds. “We’re very proud of being a family business and our definition of family does not stop at the blood line. It includes our employees and those customers who have reciprocated with their loyalty.”

This cohesive work force positively affects customer service. He says, “We are well respected in our local community and within the demolition industry itself. We spare no effort to take care of our customers; the majority of our customers are repeat or referral customers.”

After Cherry entered the recycling business, the recycling of concrete and steel was only the beginning. Cherry soon began recycling asphalt that it removed from streets and roadways, parking lots and other similar demolition assignments. Once it’s processed, recycled asphalt is ideal for use in road surface material because of its strength and durability.

Long ago, Cherry’s management realized that recycling as much as it could from every demolition assignment was important from an environmental perspective as well as from an economical point of view. Cherry explains that his company is committed to its environmental business approach because recycling concrete, asphalt, steel, asphalt shingles and tires is profitable. “And, it’s simply the right thing to do as a socially responsible company,” he adds.

For example, Cherry knew it didn’t make sense to bury usable concrete rubble in costly landfills that occupied valuable land. After the concrete material was recycled, the resulting product was perfectly suited for road base material and for a wide range of other construction projects.

Similarly, steel rebar used to end up in landfills, along with the concrete in which it was embedded. To process it, Cherry employs powerful crushers to separate the steel from the concrete rubble in its recycling centers or onsite with its portable crushing equipment. Workers then gather and bundle the steel, which is sent to mills for recycling. Ultimately, this re-used steel becomes part of thousands of new products.

Cherry Grows Tall
Today, Cherry has grown to be a $70 million organization that provides a full range of services. Well known for its expertise in demolishing structures, Cherry is one of the largest demolition companies in the United States.

However, over the years, the company has significantly grown its recycling operations by adding recycling centers and widening the range of materials to be recycled. Underscoring Cherry’s continuing environmental shift is the fact that today about 65 percent of Cherry’s gross volume is due to recycling. Six years ago, 50 percent of its gross volume came from demolition activity.

The company’s demolition crews provide much of the concrete and asphalt feedstock for its recycling operations by demolishing industrial, commercial and residential structures and removing infrastructure, such as highways, streets, bridges and runways. Other parts of the company then transport these materials to its recycling centers for processing.

Cherry’s demolition teams use skid steers, Komatsu excavators (ranging from PC 200 to PC 600 models) with a variety of attachments, including buckets, grapples, mechanical thumbs, hydraulic hammers, universal processors, sheers and CPs (concrete processors).

The company’s five pug mill operations use Ranger Conveying equipment, which includes a hopper, conveyor, silos and the pug mill itself.

Cherry’s wide-ranging resources and financial strength helps position it to handle projects of nearly any size in more than half of the United States. And, Cherry strives to reduce the environmental impact in every aspect of its operations.

For example, the company owns and operates one of the largest fleets of specialized equipment and trucks in the demolition and recycling business in the Gulf Coast region. Over the last several years, the company replaced its transportation vehicles with TERP engine type vehicles that meet lower emission standards.

“Recycling is a growing industry – even in a down economy,” said Cherry.

“As the cost of securing virgin materials goes up, recycling becomes even more attractive.”

Adding a C&D operation onto the business plan could be lucrative addition to any aggregates plant. Just ask Cherry.

SOURCE: Rock Products