by Diana Barnum
When it comes to recycling wood-based products for
profit and helping the environment, no one does it better than Koetter and
Smith, Inc.
The Borden, Indiana-company recycles and reuses as many
wood-based by-products as possible to save landfill space. They grind up
debris from tree limbs, cabinet shops, dimension mills and veneer
clippings. Everything comes into their facility; there is no onsite
service. But there is one thing that is top priority with their equipment.
And that is dealer support.
“We run 24 hours a day,” said Bill Miller,
manager at Koetter and Smith. “So we rely heavily on dealer support.
Having a large inventory of parts and long service hours are important to
us.”
Machines kept in top shape round-the-clock include Caterpillar
(Cat) IT28 and IT18 loaders from Whayne Supply in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Cat IT28G Integrated Tool Carrier has a swing-out style radiator fan
that helps keep the machine cleaner and quieter. A new cab offers greater
visibility, and larger 20.5 X 25 tires offer better stability for moving
larger items. An eight-bar parallel-design linkage aids precision tasks.
And the model boasts a Cat 3116T engine with a gross 137 hp, has an
operating weight of 26,526 lb, bucket capacity of 2 cubic yards and
overall height of 10.66 feet.
Retrec K2000 and K1250 wood waste
grinders are also top priority. Koetter and Smith is a dealer for Retec
Industries, a designer and builder of size reduction equipment. Units
range from 40 hp to 200 hp and can handle from 500 to 15,000 lbs. per
hour. Screen size, materials processed and hp determine the amount and
speed material can be processed, noted Miller.
Screens of choice for
Koetter and Smith are Royer Trommel Screens, model 616, from Powerscreen
Indiana, Inc. Trommel 600 series and 830 models have rotating screen drums
and are most often used for compost, mulch, yard waste, bio solids,
concrete and demolition.
Koetter equipment enables them to concentrate
on several products - compost, wood flour, chips, shavings and mulch.
Their compost is a blend of wood chips mixed with horse, chicken and
turkey manures for potting plants and amending soil. Wood flour products
are made from a screening and kiln drying process. Chips are created in
several sizes for boiler fuels, playground material and press board.
Shavings are used for animal bedding, mainly horses in Kentucky, but also
to provide a soft base for chickens, turkeys and dairy cattle.
And
Koetter and Smith mulch is a double-processed hardwood, great for
retaining moisture, available in bulk or bagged.
“In good times and
bad, people always need animal bedding and mulch. They’ll come and get
their own,” said Miller.
Koetter and Smith serves a five-state area –
Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Tennessee.
For more information,
contact Koetter and Smith at 8991 Louis Smith Road, Borden, Indiana 47106.
Call: (812) 923-5111, or fax inquiries to: (812) 923-5843. Whayne Supply
Company can be reached at 1400 Cecil Ave., Louisville, KY 40211. Call:
(502) 774-4441, or fax inquires to: (502) 776-1970. Powerscreen Indiana
Inc. is located at 309 W. Stocker Street, Angola, IN 46703. Call: (219)
665-5816. |