Growing demand for aggregate throughout western Missouri has prompted Ray County Stone to make one of the largest equipment investments in its 25-year history.

Rather than continue renting crushing spreads to keep pace with production, the family-owned company recently commissioned a new Astec processing plant featuring an upgraded crushing circuit, dual wash plants and supporting equipment designed to improve production, increase efficiency and deliver more consistent products to customers.

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For Jeremy Greer, owner and CEO, the investment represents another milestone in a business built on perseverance, customer service and long-standing relationships with equipment suppliers.

Today, Ray County Stone produces between 600,000 and 1 million tons of crushed limestone annually from its quarry near Richmond, Mo. The operation supplies ready-mix producers, asphalt plants, municipalities, highway contractors, railroads, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and commercial customers throughout Missouri and the Kansas City metropolitan area. The company employs approximately 20 people.

From Humble Beginnings

The business traces its roots to 2000 when Greer teamed with his grandfather, Jim Green, who had founded Clay County Ready-Mix and Gravel a decade earlier. Together, they built what would become Ray County Stone.

Those early years required plenty of ingenuity.

The company's first crushing spread consisted of a well-used Universal impact crusher and a Pioneer screen. Without enough money for a complete conveyor system, Greer elevated the screen above a hillside and built chutes that allowed material to flow into stockpiles below. He then used a Bobcat skid steer and Michigan wheel loader to organize the material.

"That's what we had," Greer said. "That's what we could afford."

Although the company has grown considerably, it remains a family operation.

Greer's wife, Katy, is co-owner, while his sister, Jodi Dugan, serves as chief financial officer.

"Katy has been my angel," said Greer. "Her unwavering support, encouragement and belief in me, especially when I was ready to throw in the towel, made everything I accomplished possible. There's no way I could have done it without her."

As for his sister, Greer credits her as a key asset of the company and a vital part of the growth.

"Jodi has been a huge part of our success," he said. "She's organized, meticulous, and phenomenal at what she does, and we simply couldn't do it without her. I'm very proud of her."

His sons Conner, Ross and Tucker also have become involved in the business. Connor provides drone surveying and mapping services; Tucker helps while home from college; and Ross has assumed an increasingly important leadership role in day-to-day operations. Rounding out the family is daughter, Madilynn, age 12, who, according to Greer, is "daddy's princess."

"We're a family-managed company," Greer said. "My family is my pride and joy and the reason I've done what I've done. Everything I put myself through to build this company and make it what it is today was for my family."

Defining Moment

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While Ray County Stone steadily expanded during its first two decades, Greer points to one event that fundamentally changed the company's trajectory.

During historic flooding along the Missouri River in 2019, Norfolk Southern Railroad contacted Ray County Stone over Memorial Day weekend seeking emergency assistance. Rising water threatened rail lines near Brunswick, Mo., and the railroad urgently needed large shot rock to stabilize the riverbank.

Greer immediately agreed to help.

Within hours, truck after truck began arriving at the quarry. By midday, nearly 200 dump trucks were hauling stone from the operation to the flood site.

Ray County Stone operated around the clock for 10 consecutive days to keep material flowing. When additional blasting was needed to maintain production, Austin Powder responded during the holiday weekend to keep the quarry supplied with rock.

Greer said the effort not only helped protect the railroad but also established relationships that continue today.

"When they need help, they call us," he said.

Today, Ray County Stone continues supplying emergency material for Norfolk Southern and BNSF Railway projects throughout the region.

Investment in Future

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As development accelerated across the Kansas City region, Greer found the company renting portable crushing equipment more frequently to satisfy growing demand.

Eventually, purchasing a permanent processing system became the logical next step.

"We were renting so much crushing equipment every year that we could be buying," he said. "Demand just keeps growing."

That decision resulted in a completely redesigned processing operation centered on Astec equipment supplied through longtime dealer G.W. Van Keppel Co.

Material enters the new plant through an Astec 3055 jaw crusher, which handles blasted limestone from the quarry before feeding a scalping screen. Removing fines early in the process improves efficiency while reducing unnecessary wear on downstream equipment.

Oversized material then moves to an Astec 5260 horizontal shaft impact crusher, where it is reduced to the sizes required for concrete aggregate, asphalt stone and specialty products before entering the screening and washing circuits.

Unlike many aggregate producers, Ray County Stone places a heavy emphasis on washing finished products to maintain quality and consistency.

When the company purchased its first wash plant several years ago, Greer discovered that washing aggregate produced a more consistent product regardless of changing weather or moisture conditions.

That experience influenced the design of the new processing plant.

One of the centerpiece features of the upgraded operation is a pair of Astec wash plants operating in tandem.

Greer said the company originally invested in a wash plant after discovering it dramatically improved product consistency. Moisture conditions can affect how material performs through screening equipment, resulting in slight variations from day to day. Washing the finished product eliminated much of that variability.

When Ray County Stone designed its new plant, Greer expanded on that concept by installing a second wash plant.

One unit washes concrete aggregate while the second processes fine material into manufactured sand that otherwise could become a waste product. The result is a consistent finished product regardless of changing weather or humidity.

"No matter what the humidity is, no matter what, your products are all consistent," Greer said.

Each wash plant processes approximately 2,500 gal. of water per minute, allowing the operation to maintain high production while producing washed concrete aggregate and manufactured sand for a variety of applications.

The operation also relies on McCloskey tracked equipment, including a mobile screening unit supplied by U.S. Equipment Sales of Lemont, Ill. The dealership serves customers through locations across the Midwest and worked with Ray County Stone to provide the McCloskey equipment that complements the stationary Astec processing plant. A Terex trommel screen adds additional flexibility for processing specialty materials, including riprap and erosion-control products.

Away from the processing plant, Volvo equipment performs much of the heavy lifting throughout the operation. Wheel loaders manage stockpiles and load customer trucks while excavators work the quarry face removing overburden and loading blasted stone. Volvo articulated trucks haul material from the pit to the processing plant, maintaining a steady flow of stone through the crushing circuit.

Greer said the investment was not without challenges. Demand remained so strong that the company could not shut down production long enough to build the new plant. Instead, Ray County Stone rented an entire portable crushing spread while crews dismantled the existing system and installed the new equipment. Additional mechanical contractors were brought in to help complete the project as quickly as possible.

"I was a nervous wreck," Greer said. "We needed to get it built and get back to making rock."

Producing Quality Products

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The quarry's geology requires careful planning.

Unlike operations that mine thick, continuous limestone formations, Ray County Stone works through thinner ledges separated by shale. Operators must remove overburden, drill and blast the rock, carefully separate shale from limestone and then feed material into the crushing circuit while maintaining product quality.

Greer believes consistency is what separates Ray County Stone from many competing producers.

The company washes all concrete aggregate and manufactured sand, producing materials for ready-mix concrete, asphalt, municipalities, commercial contractors, agricultural customers, railroads and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The quarry also produces graded riprap and erosion-control stone.

Another advantage is access to barge-loading facilities on the Missouri River.

"Every rock quarry trucks rock," Greer said. "Not every rock quarry can go on a barge."

That capability allows the company to serve projects throughout the region while providing customers with another transportation option.

Building Relationships Over Time

Greer readily acknowledges that equipment specifications and production capacity are important when making purchasing decisions.

Just as important, he said, are the relationships built over decades.

Long before Ray County Stone invested in its new processing plant, G.W. Van Keppel Co. helped the company through difficult financial periods by finding practical equipment solutions that kept production moving.

Greer credited Van Keppel owner Bill Walker and Kevin Kientz, chief operating officer, with standing behind the company when times were tough.

"I was down and out," Greer recalled. "They'd always figure out a way to let me rent something and pay as we went."

Those experiences remained with him.

"Neither one of them ever turned their back on me," Greer said. "I don't forget stuff like that."

When the time came to make one of the company's largest equipment investments, Greer said the decision extended well beyond comparing machine specifications.

"I was ready to spend several million dollars, and that's who I wanted to be with," he said.

Greer also praised Van Keppel sales representative Bill Dooley, who is based in nearby Richmond, and crushing specialist Rob Franklin for their continued support.

Dooley has worked closely with Ray County Stone on its Volvo equipment needs, while Franklin has provided technical expertise on the Astec crushing and processing equipment.

Today, much of the quarry's production fleet consists of Volvo wheel loaders, articulated trucks and excavators supplied through Van Keppel.

For Greer, the relationship illustrates the value of working with people who understand both the equipment and the challenges of operating a family-owned quarry.

Looking Ahead

Greer is preparing the next generation of the family to assume larger leadership roles.

"I'm always looking for opportunities. But I also want the boys to start getting in the driver's seat and deciding where we go from here."

Looking across the quarry today, Greer sees more than a modern processing plant and an upgraded equipment fleet. He sees the result of years of perseverance, strategic investments and relationships built on trust.

From improvised rock chutes and aging equipment to an Astec processing system supported by Volvo machines and a longtime partnership with G.W. Van Keppel, Ray County Stone has continued to grow while remaining true to the family values on which it was founded.