New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-01-29
CEMENT PRODUCTS
MADE IN NEW ULM
SAFFERT-CUGISB COMPANY
HAS GROWING, UP-TO-
DATE PLANT
DRAIN TILE, ROAD CULVERTS,
RIB STAVE SILOS, SOME
OF SPECIALTIES

1t is seldom that one finds SO large
variety of high-grade concrete products
as are daily made in the plant OF the
Saffert & Gugisberg Cement Construc-
ton Company right here in New Ulm.
A mere glance at the building and the
yard filled with all kinds of finished
material, convinces one of this fact We
find there in great quantities drain tile
road culverts, ribbed silo slaves and con-
crete blocks made by the Zagelmeyer
system. These are the machine" prod
ucts. Others are made 'by hand" such
as trim, including sills, lintels, posts and
ornamental work Of all kinds
Started Three Years Ago
Three years ago next, March, George
Saffert, president and manager OF the
company, came to New Ulm to look for
a site for plant Of which he had dreamed
and thought since he was Is years old.
He had seen many plant for the man
ufacture of cement products but not one
of them came up to his idea, and Tor
years it had been his ambition to put
his own plan to the test. He found
site on Third North, street and two
weeks later at the beginning of April the
work on the new plant was started.
A Great Plant
1t grew from year to year until by
the latest addition built during 1918 the
plant now is 173 feet long and 1875 feet
wide and has two stories thruout, with
the exception of one part inthe rear which
will be finished as soon as the weatherper-2
mits. ~ Pc
The building which in itself is very
we'll constructed and handsome in appear
ance, has been so made as to serve as
an illustration of the appearance of it's
products when used in construction. The
front is of plain granite-faced blocks.
In the rear and on one side, the various
building products made in the plant are
exhibited in practical construction, so
that anyone wishing to learn how GER
tain block or slab will appear in build
ing may see it in actual use. On the
other side granite faced blocks with
rock face laid up with red mortar joints
were used.
Silos A Speciality
One of the main specialties Of the
concern is the manufacture of the ribbed
silo slaves which are used in the building
of a practical farm silo. As a demon
stration of the appearance and the
durability of such cement silo Mr..
Saffert had one built in connection with
the plant, last fall. It is 40 feet high
and IA feet in diameter, and serves as
an attractive landmark in that part of
the town Anyone passing it cannot
help seeing sign on one Of it's sides
with the following warning: "Only
satisfied customers are permitted to
drive out of this yard" One of these
silos can be turned out in three days.
Drain Tile and Building Blocks
Another speciality is the manufacture
of drain tile. One machine making
them is necessarily in operation, turning
out 5000 feet in one day. Concrete
building blocks also form large part of
the products made. A crew of four men
is steadily employed to work on them.
The material for all these products is
essentially the same: pit sand and peb-
bles, but in using different proportions
for each product different mixtures are
secured.
Latest Novelty
The plant is operated during the
entire year and the demand for its
products is constantly increasing. At
present there are So men on the payroll,
an increase Of SO since the opening in
1916. Due to the policy that all work
shall be of the highest grade, products
from this plant are now being shipped to
Jobs of hundreds Of miles away. The
variety Of the output is steadily being
enlarged, one of the latest novelties
being concrete window and door frame
which is both cheap and practical.
Steam Cured
Wet concrete is used on as much Of
the work as possible, and this is invar-
iably mixed in the proportions Of 1928
Drain tile and similar work is made by
the semi-dry process All Of the products
are steam cured for not less than 49,
hours in favorable weather and up to
SO hours in winter. This curing is done
in especially built tunnels closed on both