Miller Creek Quarry is Producing Rock for Hurricane Helene Recovery, Regional Infrastructure.
By Brandon Jaynes
At Miller Creek Quarry near Rutherfordton, N.C., production hasn’t stopped since 1965 (the company has been in operation since 1949). Behind a massive granite wall face, operators navigate a fleet of heavy equipment through stockpiles of crushed stone for roads, construction sites, and most recently hurricane recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene. For Danny Seay, who has managed this operation for decades of his nearly 50-year tenure with Thompson Contractors, equipment selection directly impacts every aspect of the quarry’s output.
“Downtime is your most costly problem,” he explained, speaking from the practical experience of someone who’s witnessed equipment’s evolution from mechanical controls to digital precision. His focus remains on keeping the machines running, production flowing, and meeting the growing demands of both public infrastructure projects and private development in the Carolinas.
A Life in Stone
Seay’s history with Thompson Contractors spans nearly half a century. “I’ve worked here for nearly 50 years and started out doing much of nothing and ended up the manager.”
Thompson Contractors itself has even deeper roots that date back to the 1940s. The family-owned corporation currently operates two rock quarries: Miller Creek Quarry near Rutherfordton, N.C., and Mill Spring Quarry in Polk County, N.C. Their product lineup serves primarily state projects and includes producing for customers in private industry as well.
They’ve also helped serve unexpected needs as well, such as when Hurricane Helene washed out miles of roadways in western North Carolina this fall. Trucks were lined up outside the quarry for weeks as millions of tons of large-scale rock were hauled to recreate a structurally sound base to rebuild roads.
“We sell mostly to state projects, but there’s lots of private stuff because we make all sizes of [material],” Seay noted. “On the roads, we furnish asphalt plants and some concrete but not a lot, but gravel for the base of the roads and that type of operation.”
“The smallest thing we make is of course manufactured sand, but as far as stone, 78M, which is the stone that’s [used for] all the roads that are paved,” Seay explained. At the other end of the spectrum, “We’ve been hauling big rock for the relief effort on the hurricane, and it’ll be up to two, three-foot size stuff.”
Evolution of an Industry
The basic principles of quarry operation haven’t changed dramatically during Seay’s five decades in the business. Rock is still blasted from the quarry face, loaded, crushed, sorted, and shipped. You try to shorten cycle times. Keep machines running. Keep operators happy. And reduce the wear and tear of these machines.
In this environment, where harsh conditions meet sophisticated technology, reliability becomes essential. That’s where Thompson’s equipment choices come into play, particularly their continued use and recent acquisition of two new Hitachi wheel loaders.
Thompson recently added a Hitachi ZW550-6 and ZW370-6 HC to its fleet, each serving specific functions in the quarry’s operation. The ZW550-6 – with its 8.3 yd.³ bucket capacity, 520-hp engine, 104,880-lb. operating weight and 83,460 lbf of breakout force – tackles the heavy work.
“The ZW550-6 loads big rock out of the pit when it needs to,” Seay explained. “And then the operator that’s in it, he’s been here for 35, 40 years too. And he’ll load out of the yard also, he can load a small truck.”
The ZW370 HC features a heaped bucket capacity ranging from 8.1 yd.³ to 8.5 yd.³, 389-hp engine, operating weight ranging from 79,210 to 79,400 lb. and breakout force up to 49,280 lbf – it provides a combination of size, speed and capacity for efficiently loading out trucks.
“The 370 is a high-capacity [loader]. It actually has a little bit bigger bucket than the 550 does. And so, he’s loading out customers all the time in the yard.”
This strategic deployment maximizes efficiency, especially when it comes to loading customer trucks. The ZW370 functions as a one-pass loader capable of filling a standard tandem dump truck with a single bucket load.
“You can load just a regular tandem dump truck with one bucket full and on bigger trucks it’ll take one and a half or two according to what size truck it is, but it’s fast,” Seay said. “He can really load trucks much quicker with this loader than we could with the others.”
This capability directly impacts the operation’s bottom line by improving cycle times, getting customers in and out faster, and reducing wear and tear on the equipment itself.
“They’re a better loader than anything I’ve ever had before,” Seay stated. “They’re stout, they’re really well balanced and big enough to handle anything we’ve got.”
The durability of Hitachi wheel loaders impresses Seay given the demanding nature of quarry work. “The first 115 that I got, we didn’t rebuild anything on it engine-wise or transmission-wise until it had 40-some thousand hours on it, and we rebuilt that and it’s still an excellent machine. We still own it, run it,” he said.
This positive experience has led Thompson to standardize much of its heavy equipment around the Hitachi brand. “I’ve got Hitachi trucks, I’ve got a 1200 Hitachi shovel. We kind of went to basically all Hitachi.”
Partnership in Service
Thompson’s relationship with Hills Machinery is relatively new – Hills only recently took over the territory for Hitachi less than two years ago and has already made an impression on the bigger/heavier equipment. Kerry “Tug” Nix, their Hills Machinery sales representative, has been instrumental in the process.
“Known him for a while, bought a lot of equipment through him. He’s a good salesman, honest, not trying to tell you what you need but what you want,” Seay said of Nix.
The value of responsive service cannot be overstated in an operation where equipment downtime directly impacts production. “You can get in touch with him. I have a problem – he’ll come instantly bring me something. Whatever I need,” Seay said
Looking Forward
Thompson Contractors continues to navigate a period of significant growth in their region. “Growth in the area in the last 10 years has absolutely just… tripled, doubled, but we are covered up staying that way,” Seay said. The recent hurricane recovery efforts have only intensified demand.
Through these challenges, the company maintains its reputation as a quality employer and reliable supplier. When asked about Thompson’s legacy, Seay keeps it simple: “A nice company to work for. They take care of their employees. It’s just a good company.”
For those considering similar equipment for their operations, Seay’s recommendation is equally straightforward: “If you need a big machine, Hitachi is definitely one of the better, if not the best. And it’s just the way the loader’s made and the excavators too. We much prefer ’em.”
Brandon Jaynes is with PKA.