Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-02-13
ASPHALT MASnC Co. 5
Business Limited Only by the
Capacity Of the PIant-Ten
Tons a Day Average.
.FACT0 RY TO Be EN- LARGE D.
Seventeen Men Now Employed and the
Plant a Valuable ACQUISITION TO
Alma's Manufacturing Interests

Manager Thum of the Asphalt AIastic
Co., of this place, states that the concern
is now doing business in earnest and that
they are limited only by facilities, as they
are shipping their output as fast as it
is made.
When The concern erected their first
bu ilding in Alma il was considered quite
venture as there was only one other
concern of its kind in the United States.
which was at Bakersfield, California. The
concern at this place was complete sue
cess, owing TO climatic reasons There
was no necessity for an enclosed building,
the only requirements being an affair to
protect the workmen from sun and rain.
The air and wind could could circ ulate
freely and in this manner all explosive
gasses could be carried oway.
In building plant here the difficulties
that an enclosed building would entail,
must be overcome and experience was
the teacher. On Sept. 25th, 1906, the
company met their first drawback in the
form OF FIRE. The loss was considerable
as the whole building was DESTROYED and
1t was necessary to start all over again.
The building was repaired and when the
company's affairs were once more
prospering the fire iend made
another call. Nothing daunted and in
the face of such discouragements the
company decided that they would invest
$4,000 in a new building, which was
done. The fires had taught them much
and they made many changes in the
arrangement of the new plant
The valves were placed on the end of
the kettles. Previously they had run
from the melter back through the fire.
This was found very impractical and in
the new plant all valves are at the end of
the kettle and run through brickwork.
No fire is allowed to touch them. but
much heat is necessary as the asphalt
hardens very quickly-a half inch steam
pipe now runs through the valves and
back again.
The company has put out 400 tons of
Asphalt Mastic since the new plant
started operations. Ten tons is their
daily output. This output will be in
creased during the hot summer months
to about II tons. The reason for this in
crease is that their output is limited BY
the size of their mixer and the amount
of lime they are able to mix with the
asphalt. The hot summer sun dries their
lime very quickly, while during the
winter months they have not this help
mate. In California the climate favors
them i'll this respect. Their output is
shipped to the II. NJ. Reynolds Co., of
Grand Rapids and the National MasSic
Roofing Co. of Edwardsville, Ill. They
also ship some of their mastic to Saginaw.
The Alma Plant employs about seven /
teen men, this force includes the foremen
and cooper.
Preparations are being made to enlarge
the plant in several ways during the
coming summer. The cooling room will
have to be extended to the old plant in
order that they may have room TO accomo-
date the summer increase. The old /
will also be re-roofed as more I
room is absolutely necessary. All of the
hereafter will be of material
that is strictly fire proof to avoid a repeti-
ton of former FIRE losses