Grand Canyon West is owned and operated by the Hualapai Indian Tribe. At Grand Canyon West, guests can explore a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, such as hiking and river and aerial tours. The West Rim that hosts the Skywalk is a desert splashed with color, while the South Rim is the center of a dense forest. As you might expect, you’ll hardly find a shortage of things to do at the Grand Canyon.

But until recently, the Skywalk visitor center and parking lot were growing overcrowded. With an ever-increasing amount of foot traffic flocking to the Skywalk every year, more space for guests was no longer optional. An upgrade was necessary.

Jarom Hatch was one of the contractors hired to revamp the Skywalk’s visitor center and parking lot. Though initially in the pre-cast business, in 2016 Hatch decided his company, Hatch Industries, would bring part of the supply chain in-house by producing its own ready mix.  

With a portable batch plant and the CB-3, concrete can be batched onsite, preserving product and conserving equipment, namely trucks. This decreased overhead costs and ensured every batch of concrete was put to use. The latter can be difficult due to the volatile nature of concrete. As soon as water is added, the hydration process begins and concrete starts to harden; concrete has to meet strict specifications, which becomes less likely after more than 90 minutes in the mixer.

Complementing its portability, this type of batching system is beneficial from an economic standpoint. Portable systems allow users to produce ready-mix anywhere in the country, and as a result, follow the economy. Onsite batching with the CB-3 also means less running of the mix truck, which helps keep overhead costs down. With all of these advantages, it’s no wonder why the CB-3 portable batching system was the best choice for the Grand Canyon Skywalk’s renovation.

With consistency so vital to the ready-mix business, it’s no wonder that in addition to time, weight is an important component of concrete batching. Mix designs need to be accurate and repeatable, particularly for government jobs. According to Hatch, the CB-3 concrete batch controller has helped batch operators at Hatch Industries achieve 0.5% accuracy. “In a 19,000-pound batch of rock, it’ll get within 10 pounds of the mix design, which is incredible,” Hatch said. Accurate batching helps operators get the most value out of their plant. If a batch strays too far from its intended specifications, it is rejected, a costly and wasteful outcome of a lot of hard work. The CB-3 proved a valuable tool for getting the most out of each batch of concrete.

The CB-3, combined with the Reliable Mix RMX 100 Portable Batch plant, proved a revolutionary system for Hatch. It was the first of its kind, so the experts at Rice Lake kept in touch, eager to hear about its performance.

When the system needed a repair, a Rice Lake service technician traveled to Hatch’s site on a weekend to get it back up and running. This meant a lot to him. “They worked all weekend so we wouldn’t be shut down on the weekdays,” he said.

With the help of the CB-3, Hatch was able to improve Grand Canyon West’s visitor center and parking lot. Batch operators were able to take advantage of the plant’s portability, keeping the concrete from expiring and fulfilling their commitment to the Hualapai tribe. 

“It was beyond what I imagined,” Hatch said. “As my business grows, the CB-3 is going to be able to keep up with it.”