Company Unveils New Facility, Asphalt Plant for U.S. Market

LANGENTHAL, Switzerland – Ammann has strengthened its presence in North America with the opening of a new facility and the introduction of a series of new continuous asphalt-mixing plants that can utilize more RAP than any competitive product on the market.

Ammann, based in Langenthal, Switzerland, has unveiled it’s North American headquarters in Davie, Florida – just outside Fort Lauderdale. The 70,000-square-foot facility houses staff, a warehouse, a training center and an outdoor area for asphalt plants and compactors.

“Our main focus is to be closer to American customers – to hear what they have to say and ensure their needs are reflected in Ammann solutions that are built into our products,” said Gilvan Pereira, Managing Director of Ammann Americas.

Ammann has a North American presence, albeit a somewhat quiet one. The company’s light and heavy compaction machines were marketed under other brand names. They are now also being sold as Ammann machines.

Ammann asphalt-mixing plants have been available in the U.S. and Canada for three years, but most of that time was spent learning about the challenges customers in this particular market face rather than selling products, Pereira said.

“When you are closer, when you open yourself to listening, you start to adapt products and services to the demands of the American customer,” Pereira said. “You ask yourself, ‘What do they really want? What do they really need?’”

A Recycling Leader

The answer was a combination of what Ammann already offers globally – high-quality mixing with advanced recycling technology and low emissions – in the form of a continuous asphalt plant, a format preferred by the North American market.

“We have launched a new product for the market, the Ammann ACP 300 ContiHRT,” Pereira said. The continuous plant utilizes Ammann’s patented High Recycling Technology (HRT) process, tried and tested at plants around the world.

“We are here to listen, but we will also offer an alternative,” said Lieven Van Broekhoven, Executive Vice President at Ammann. “We won’t be a new brand that offers the same type of product that is already on the market. We have a plant designed to meet not only the needs of North American customers, but to add value and innovation to the market.”

The ACP 300 ContiHRT can produce high-quality mix with as much as 60% RAP. A patented preheating process gently warms RAP and prevents bitumen oxidation. That process also minimizes fuel burn – and dramatically reduces the levels of CO₂ and other pollutants.

“We come with proven technology that is able to offer the highest amount of RAP utilization in the U.S. market today,” Van Broekhoven said. “The plant also addresses the emissions concerns faced by so many in the North American market.”

Learning the Market

The past three years gave Ammann an opportunity to build the infrastructure required to properly support asphalt-mixing products across North America.

The new Ammann America facility opened in phases, starting in early 2019. It is now finished and providing customers with products and services.

“We have customer support and service people in place,” Pereira said. “We have front-line people and also those behind the scenes who are required to make everything run smoothly and provide a proper experience. We have American engineers, who grew up here and are very knowledgeable about the market. We have made a significant investment in these teams.”

Pereira added, “While that infrastructure was being created, we were also learning the needs of the American businesses. Our engineers have been designing products to meet the particular needs of this market – and more.”

Waiting for development of the customer support infrastructure was a key reason the Ammann ACP 300 ContiHRT was not launched earlier. “We made a large investment in developing the training staff, technicians and other support personnel before introducing the continuous plant,” Pereira said.

The new facility provides training for customers and Dealers – and for plants and compaction equipment. It will also be a knowledge center that provides immediate responses to inquiries.

150 Years and Counting

While the Ammann name might be new to some in the North American market, it is certainly familiar in many other parts of the world. Ammann is a sixth-generation, family-owned business with a core expertise in roadbuilding and transportation infrastructure. This year, the company marks its 150^th anniversary.

“Our history is one of utilizing innovation to help customers solve problems in better ways, so their businesses succeed,” Pereira said.

Ammann innovations include development of a plant that can utilize 100% RAP-based mix. In addition, an Ammann plant in Australia produced a mix consisting of 99% recycled materials, including toner from print cartridges, tires and glass.

“Like the rest of the world, Ammann has seen a great many changes in the last 150 years,” said CEO Hans-Christian Schneider, a direct descendant of Jakob Ammann, who founded the company in 1869. “What hasn’t changed is our commitment to providing customers with products that offer solutions.”

Ammann America Open for Business

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