This month we are pleased to feature Nitterhouse Concrete Products as part of our Meet a Precaster blog series. The following answers have been provided by Mark T. Taylor, P.E., President.
Q. Where are you located?
A. Our production plant and corporate office are located in Chambersburg, Pa., which is an ideal location because we can deliver our products to construction sites located in all of the major metropolitan areas within the mid-Atlantic region.
Q. How long have you been in business?
A. The Nitterhouse company was started nearly nine decades with a $60 block machine purchased from Sears Roebuck & Co. in 1923. From those very meager beginnings, the Nitterhouse family has built a business empire. The Nitterhouse family originally emigrated from Germany in the 1700s to work in construction. In 1934, they built their first major plant to produce concrete masonry products and expanded rapidly in 1951 when they started producing major precast/prestressed concrete products. The Nitterhouse company is now into its fifth generation and remains very much a family enterprise with the 3rd generation, William K. Nitterhouse, serving as the corporate chairman.
Q. How long have you been a member of the NPCA?
A. Cumulatively, Nitterhouse Concrete Products Inc. has been a member of NPCA for more than 30 years.
Q. What products to you produce?
A. As a single-source, precast/prestressed concrete manufacturer, Nitterhouse Concrete produces a full range of precast products and building systems, including double tees, commercial wall panels, BestWallTM basement walls, columns, beams, ConCoreFloorTM hollowcore plank, parking structure components, custom-engineered precast buildings, and architectural panels used by industrial, commercial and residential customers. Our office and plant occupy 100 acres adjacent to our main masonry facility.
Q. Have you introduced any new products lately?
A. Some of the newer products we have recently introduced to the market were developed to address the issue of using greener, more environmentally friendly building products such as our trademarked eco-Smart ConCoreFloorTM hollowcore plank for residential construction. We also introduced a larger, 16″ hollowcore plank that is capable of providing a 50-ft. clear span and handle a 100-lb. live load. Our newest product,
though, is our BestWallTM precast concrete wall for residential construction.
Q. What are the top attributes of precast concrete?
A. Precast concrete has many valuable attributes. Along with reducing on-site construction time and labor, offering quality-controlled indoor production, and plasticity in design, precast concrete is an ideal “green” building product. When evaluating sustainable design from a holistic approach, a totally precast concrete structure becomes apparent as the best building material to use. A totally precast concrete structure is one of the most affordable when coordinating all of the building elements at the initial design stage to achieve maximum energy efficiencies. In addition to an integrated design, the use of precast concrete also contributes to sustainable practices by using materials efficiently – reducing construction waste, site disturbances, noise, and project costs – and produces a building that is energy and resource efficient.
Q. What has your company done to fight off the recession?
A. The continued success of the Nitterhouse companies during financially challenging periods can be attributed to past experience, future vision, ambition, a determination to succeed, perseverance, and sound business sense and financial management, particularly during difficult economic times. Nitterhouse is structured and positioned to react quickly and adapt to changes in market conditions and product preferences within various market segments. This, combined with innovative, creative thinking and a solid financial foundation, enables it to quickly develop and introduce new products to the marketplace.
Q. What have you seen in your area as far as recovery?
A. Business is starting to show some signs of growth, which is very encouraging. In order to maintain or accelerate this growth, however, financial investors need to be willing to take some slight risks in order for the construction and housing industries to begin building again.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. Our plans for the future will be to continue to operate our businesses in much the same way as we have been. We will be looking to the future for changing trends, developing products to meet changing needs, and to continue to expand our products and expertise, capitalizing on the latest technological advancements in the concrete industry.
Please check out our past Meet a Precaster blog posts and if you’re an NPCA producer member and would like to be featured in a future Meet a Precaster post, please send an email to NPCA’s assistant director of communication, Kirk Stelsel.
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