CalPortland Testimonial
Benefiting from Diverse Concrete Product Lines
Making Concrete History for Over 130 Years
Founded in 1891 as California Portland Cement Company, CalPortland (CPC) provided construction materials that helped to expand early infrastructure in Los Angeles and throughout much of the southwest United States. Through persistence and innovation, CPC has grown into a large diversified cement company serving six western states and two Canadian provinces. Today, CPC products include cement, ready mix concrete, precast manholes, Pole Base precast light pole base units, Redi-Rock retaining walls, catch basins, aggregates, building materials, sand, gravel, rock, asphalt and more.
Claiming a Piece of the Pole Base Pie
Always looking to innovate and expand, the CalPortland team began considering adding the Pole Base system to their precast forming fleet in early 2018. Already an Aster Brands partner licensed to manufacture Redi-Rock, CPC wanted to learn if the company’s Pole Base line would add value to their product offerings. CPC General Sales Manager and employee since 1985, Dave Ennis attended a Pole Base summit to learn more. Soon after, while driving with an associate, Ennis and his colleague began counting both the number of manholes and pole bases they passed by. As an established supplier of precast manhole products, they were surprised to find 25 times more light pole bases than manholes in their own backyard!
As manholes were a large portion of CalPortland’s business, the company realized the value of adding another high-demand product line like precast pole bases. CPC decided to sign on as a licensee to manufacture Pole Base and has been expanding their investment in the product line ever since. In just two years, CPC tripled their investment in Pole Base forms and saw their Pole Base product sales revenue increase by 40% in year two and over an amazing 2000% in year three!
Ennis rates Pole Base forms five stars, noting that they are the most intuitive forms that his team has ever used. “The forms work. They work well and I guarantee you, we’re working them every day.” Pouring multiple times each day, CalPortland currently has the capacity to cast up to 24 bases per day.
In this video, Dave Ennis explains how CPC became invested in Pole Base and shares the company’s success story with the products in just two years.
Diversifying in a Vertical Market
CalPortland is just one of the many manufacturers who’ve realized the benefits of Pole Base over cast-in-place options. The Pole Base precast foundation system for lighting, taxiway bases, and other applications allows companies to offer higher quality fully customizable products that also simplify installation. Dave Ennis notes that when sales stagnate for other products, Pole Base demand has remained steady. On a recent Amazon Distribution Center project, Ennis explained, “They were putting in one [light pole base] every 30 minutes. I don’t think anyone else that casts them in the field can do one in 30 minutes. It saves them a ton of money.”
As one of the largest vertically integrated cement manufacturers in the United States, CPC continually strives for higher production levels at their precast facilities. Adding relevant precast products like Pole Base that can be shipped to the same project sites as their other materials has become a profitable business move for the company.
Watch the video below to learn more about how CalPortland diversified with Pole Base:
Keeping up with Pole Base Demand
CalPortland finds incredible value in the versatility of Pole Base. As almost all projects require varying specifications, the team appreciates Pole Base’s forming system allowing different bolt patterns, conduit configurations, heights, and diameters.
Not only does Pole Base allow CPC to provide custom solutions for their customers, but also offers the support tools needed for the team to optimize their work and profits. The CalPortland team has worked closely with Pole Base to supply them with forms quickly and reliably as their demand steadily increases. On securing a large government contract for Pole Base product, Ennis remarked, “I don’t think it would be possible unless we had the help from Pole Base. They came through for us, worked overtime, and built us more forms, giving us the possibility to get this job.”
Watch the video below to learn how easily Pole Base has been integrated into CPC’s product wheelhouse and the value it’s offered their customers.
If your company is interested in learning more about ways in which to diversify and pursue the growing market for precast light pole bases, request a quote for the Pole Base forming system today!