When Lafarge's Lockport, N.Y. quarry was owned by Frontier Stone, the quarry did all its own blasting. But since the April 1997 acquisition by Redland Quarries and the subsequent acquisition of Redland by Lafarge in June 1998, all the blasting has been contracted. And Lockport Plant Manager Tom Biamonte couldn't be happier.

“I prefer contract blasting by far,” says Biamonte, who has been with the quarry for 17 years. “These guys are experts, and they have all the latest information and equipment.” It was difficult to keep up with the latest blasting technology when it was done in house, he says.

Lockport and Lafarge's two other western New York quarries are serviced by Salt Lake City-based Dyno Nobel. Dyno Nobel has a nationwide contract with Lafarge.

One of the more noticeable results of switching to contract blasting has been an increase in rock dropped and a decrease in the number of blasts. Biamonte says the quarry used to shoot about once a day and bring down 20,000 tons of rock. Now, they only shoot about twice each week and bring down 40,000 to 80,000 tons. The contractor, which is paid on a per ton basis for rock on the ground, is motivated to drop more rock with each shot. And it is important for the quarry to get the most from each shot, because it does not get many opportunities to blast. The quarry is restricted to blasting between 11 a.m. and noon.

The reduced number of shots is keeping the neighbors happy — some live less than one mile from the quarry, Biamonte says. And Biamonte knows something about happy neighbors. Not only does he field all the complaints, he lives on the road adjacent to the quarry. “What the neighbors experience, I experience,” he says.

Biamonte says the blasting costs have been cut by nearly half since it was outsourced. Part of the savings comes from Dyno Nobel loading the holes with bulk ANFO or an emulsion blend. When the quarry was doing its own blasting it was buying more expensive bagged explosives. The reduction in blasting supply costs and in the number of workers required to carry out the blasts have saved the quarry about 30% to 40%, Biamonte estimates.

Another key advantage is that Dyno Nobel shares in both the safety liability and in the responsibility to the neighboring community.

With such a tight window to shoot, moving the blasting responsibilities outside the company could mean less flexibility in scheduling. Biamonte says this is true, and some scheduling problems will arise when weather or other unpredictable events alter the company's plans. However, he says, there has never been a major scheduling problem. That, he adds, is largely due to planning ahead.

“It's a team,” Biamonte says of the quarry's relationship with Dyno Nobel. “We work together to get production through and to keep costs down.”