To Russia With Asphalt

From America's heartland to the heart of the former USSR, two new asphalt drum-mix plants are headed for Tula, Russia, just 30 miles south of Moscow. Both plants are portable, 220-tons-per-hour Roadbuilder units manufactured by Asphalt Drum Mixers Inc. (ADM), Huntertown, Ind.

The first plant was delivered this past August; the second is scheduled for an early spring delivery. Each of the Roadbuilder parallel-flow units purchased by the Russian Ministry are package deals that include items such as a baghouse, control room, six cold-feed bins, a recycle system and two 80-ton silos in addition to the drum mixer itself. These units will be used to help rebuild roads in and around the capital of the Russian Republic.

ADM broke new ground in the homeland of the U.S.' former Cold War nemesis in 1994, when it sold a 160-ton-per-hour unit to a Russian contractor. This sale represented the first U.S.-manufactured asphalt drum-mix plant in Russia. Many other asphalt-plant manufacturers are eyeing the Russia as a potentially lucrative market; in addition, manufacturers have mentioned China and the countries south of the U.S. border as demonstrating excellent exporting potential. Even Mexico is looking more attractive: Its infrastructure is-overall-in poor condition, and the peso has recently made a small rally.