J/K Excavation Boosts Output 40% With Four Powerscreen Machines

J/K Excavation recently upgraded four machines in its crushing and screening spread. The gain was not only measured in tons. The new Powerscreen machines, supplied by Powerscreen of California, brought an unexpected benefit. The team began hitting its production goals in less time. As a result, J/K cut back on weekend work and gave its people more time with their families.

A Family Business Built on Site Preparation

J/K Excavation & Grading Company Inc. is based in San Bernardino, California. The family business is one of Southern California’s leading providers of commercial, industrial and heavy civil construction services. Janine and Ken Williams Jr. founded it more than 30 years ago, and it has offered site preparation, excavation and grading since 1992. Consequently, a focus on customer service and family values has seen the company go from strength to strength.

Since 1992, the founders have established themselves as major players in site preparation. Over the years they have taken on several high-level projects. The list includes Disneyland, the City of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. It also covers Orange County Fire Authority, Los Angeles Unified School District and the City of Rialto.

Now their son Brian Williams, Vice President, is following in that legacy. Brian will soon become President and driving force of the organization. Meanwhile Ken has set his eyes on a much-deserved retirement within the coming years.

A Solid Foundation at Highland

J/K Excavation already prepares land for construction projects across the five counties of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. In addition, it works in six further counties nearby.

“Our site in Highland, California is key to our success. Its location, just below the Seven Oaks Dam, utilizes water runoff that flows through the mountain, down the valley, and into our site to enrich the soil and fill our basins to be distributed to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California,” said Ken Williams Jr., Founder and CEO of J/K Excavation.

“At over 600-acre, the site is our largest and we currently run 4 Powerscreen machines that were purchased from Powerscreen of California, Nevada, & Hawaii.”

Four Powerscreen Machines, One Crushing Train

J/K first experienced success while renting a Powerscreen 1300 Maxtrak on another of its sites. The company then decided to make the jump and buy one for Highland. One thing set Powerscreen of California, Nevada, & Hawaii apart from competitors. That was Ken’s confidence in the knowledge and support available for all things crushing and screening.

The 1300 Maxtrak purchase was only the start. J/K went on to add three more machines. Those were a Premiertrak 400X jaw crusher, a Chieftain 2100X 2-deck inclined screen and a CT80 mobile conveyor.

With those additions, J/K can crush the natural bluestone at Highland into ¾-inch clean gravel. Furthermore, it can screen down to 6-millimeter sand to meet client requirements. One of the final products has a specific job. It forms the base layer for basins on Metropolitan Water District of Southern California sites.

The Premiertrak 400X jaw crusher sits first in line at Highland. It crushes down the resilient bluestone that requires resizing, so it is essential to the site’s project demands. The 400X also carries an innovative hydraulic release system, which clears blockages with ease and therefore minimizes downtime. Its output potential reaches up to 441 US tph through a 3’6″ x 2’3″ crushing chamber.

Material then feeds directly into the Chieftain 2100X 2-deck inclined screen. That machine screens down to the 6-millimeter sill sand and #57 gravel the company needs across its projects. Altogether, J/K produces nearly 5 million tons of material a year with its Powerscreen setup.

Groundbreaking Progress

The scale of J/K’s operation demands mass volumes of highly specified products. The Chieftain 2100X inclined screener was therefore a perfect fit. It offers output potential of up to 600 US tph from a 20’ by 5’ screen box. Consequently, it processes material far faster and at a larger scale than the previous solution.

“By adding these machines to our fleet, we were able to boost productivity by 40%, which meant our weekend operating hours were significantly decreased, allowing for our staff to enjoy more time off on the weekends,” Ken said.

Enhanced Support From Powerscreen of California

“The output that we have been able to achieve with the Powerscreen machines has been phenomenal. This, with the support we have received from Tom O’Malley and the team at Powerscreen of California has been nothing short of excellent. There are no complaints on our end,” says Ken Williams Jr.

That view is shared on the dealer side. “J/K Excavation is an ever-growing company who we would love to continue to support in their success with the use of our machines. Our decades-long expertise complements their crushing and screening needs,” stated Tom O’Malley, Sales, Powerscreen of California, Nevada, & Hawaii.

“Our company has been incredibly fruitful post-purchasing the Powerscreen Chieftain 2100X, 1300 Maxtrak, Premiertrak 400X, and CT80,” Ken added. “Powerscreen of California provides robust support that enhances our excavation and grading capabilities. With the use of these machines, we can deliver top-notch results on every project.”

Read more about the Powerscreen crushing and screening range.

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