Thorncrete Construction Ltd is the largest curb and gutter contractor in all of Ontario, Canada. Established in 1973, the company grew from a small family business with one machine to a major concrete player running five curb and gutter machines and employing 210 employees. Throughout the decades, Thorncrete relied on one manufacturer for their slip-form machines. In recent years, Thorncrete saw a need to change to become more productive and to take advantage of technological advancements in the slip-form industry. Specifically, reacting to demands of their customers, Thorncrete decided to begin pouring without a stringline.
Ross and John Ruscica, brothers, and owners of Thorncrete contacted Amaco Equipment, the local Power Curber dealer and began researching the Power Curber 5700-C equipped with Topcon Millimeter GPS and became the first Power Curber customer to pour without stringline using a Topcon system. “We chose the Power Curber 5700-C due to its compact design and ability to set up and maneuver easily on site”, said Ross Ruscica.
With start-up support from Power Curbers, Amaco, and Topcon, the first pour went smoothly. After just a few days of pouring and becoming familiar with the machine and positioning of the GPS robots, Ross Ruscica commented, “The machine preformed great, the design is well thought out. It is a great fit for Thorncrete.”
Thorncrete began pouring with the 5700-C in June 2012 and used it daily throughout the summer and fall. After six months with the machine, Ross says “The 5700-C with GPS control has elevated Thorncrete from our local competitors since going stringless.”
Making the leap into stringless technology is a big one for curb and gutter contractors. Ross has found that the accuracy of millimeter GPS is equal to a machine pouring with stringline. After more than 30 years with a competitor’s machine, Ross and John are believers in Power Curbers.
“We are extremely happy with the support that Power Curbers and Amaco have given us. We recognize the need to change and move to a new technology, and Power Curbers was there and ready. We always knew they had a good machine, and coupled with their confidence in pouring stringless, we were confident to make the move with them. We’ve been very satisfied.”
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