CEMCO Inc., an industry leader in manufacturing portable and stationary VSI crushing systems, celebrates its 60th anniversary. The third-generation, family-owned company provides a holistic approach to mineral processing by evaluating a customer’s operation and developing solutions tailored to their specific applicational requirements. CEMCO’s expertise allows the company to assist beyond providing crushing equipment by partnering with qualified manufacturers to design full mineral processing plants. As the company celebrates this milestone, it credits its dedicated employees and customers who have helped shape CEMCO into what it is today.
New changes have taken place in CEMCO’s 60th year under Jennifer Hise-Trujillo, the company’s new president. Additionally, Hise-Trujillo’s husband, Joseph, has taken ownership of the company’s crushing school training program, accompanied by CEMCO’s Chairman of the Board and former president, Neil Hise. Neil Hise’s wife, Ty Juana Hise, remains in her role as CFO of CEMCO.
“CEMCO has been a defining part of our family for decades, and we’re proud to have reached this 60-year hallmark,” said Jennifer Hise-Trujillo. “As a family-owned business with hundreds of years of combined experience, we’ve been able to provide extraordinary solutions for customers through education, training and quality products.”
Mason R. Hise, Neil Hise’s father, made his dream of owning and growing a business a reality in 1962. That opportunity came through the purchase of Crusher Service Company, a fledgling repair service that specialized in rebuilding crusher rolls and jaw plates. Although the first year of CEMCO’s operation was difficult, with tight resources and hard work, the family remained persistent. Hise’s mother led administrative efforts and both father and son worked on the jobsite.
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In the mid-1960s, the intense amount of labor and cost of compression cutting methods made it clear that producing roadway material had to change. Mason and Neil Hise contacted Les Edminister, the owner of West Coast Alloys (WCA), to ask if he could provide new chrome crusher parts made of high-grade alloy. CEMCO and WCA cooperated to create viable wear components for CEMCO’s Vertical Shaft Impact Crusher called the Turbo Crusher. After a long process of trial and error, the development was completed in 1967. The first VSI crusher was sold in 1969 and is still in service to this day in a mine in New Mexico. The VSI Turbo Crusher is the precursor to the eight different model sizes that CEMCO currently manufactures and which are now operating in 30 nations around the world.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the past 60 years, but this is only the beginning,” said Hise-Trujillo. “As we enter this new era, I’m excited to see the expanded innovations to come and the new relationships we’ll build with operations worldwide.”
Since its start, CEMCO has established a unique corporate culture, something that is illustrated by its high employee retention rates. The company currently employs 30 individuals with a combined 300+ years of manufacturing knowledge. More than 40% of employees have been with CEMCO for 10 years. The stability and experience of the team allow them to solve problems, strengthen designs, improve quality and provide great service to customers.
CEMCO holds numerous U.S. patents and trademarks on VSI-related technologies. To keep up to date on industry standards and needs, CEMCO is a member of multiple industry and state associations, including the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.
Educational training is another defining part of CEMCO’s business structure. The company offers educational training through its crushing school to help producers maximize their operation’s ROI. This training includes lessons covering production, unit assembly, operating principles and more.
CEMCO is a company built by people who grew up in the industry and have a deep commitment to serving their customers in the mining and aggregate industries and beyond. With the leadership of Hise-Trujillo, material processing businesses that collaborate with CEMCO can effectively set up a customized system to reduce downtime and increase efficiency.
