Becoming a distributor for the Bagela asphalt recycler product line seemed a natural for Greensboro, N.C.-based Arrow Equipment, said Vice President/Sales Manager Gordon Johnson.
Johnson said he got to talking with a representative of the German-made equipment at an AED event last year, and his interest was piqued.
Increased material and petroleum costs as well as a growing interest in recycling make the Bagela asphalt recycler units financially appealing for both customers and the dealership, said Johnson, describing the equipment as "like a miniature asphalt plant" that uses convection heat to transform "basically throw-away material" into hot mix at a fraction of the cost of traditional plant mix.
The Bagela units seemed the perfect niche-market product for Arrow Equipment, which specializes in road-building asphalt and concrete paving equipment, he said.
The talks became serious at ConExpo in March, and Arrow Equipment signed on as distributor for the product line in North and South Carolinas, Johnson said.
Arrow Equipment's sales force got to see the BA10000 (10-ton [9 t]) model in action during a training event on Oct. 13, said Johnson.
Representatives of Bagela's North American operation, Conn.-based Pavement Recyclers LLC, conducted the demonstration and training using material from a local contractor's RAP pile, he said.
"The recycler utilizes a relatively quiet 27 horsepower engine and really produced a very nice asphalt product," Johnson said following the event.
Arrow Equipment's technicians received their specialized training on Oct. 14, he said.
While Arrow Equipment's sales representatives have been talking to contractors about the product and have already generated some interest, Johnson said they are really focusing on the municipal market.
"There is a lot of maintenance that needs to be done," Johnson said. "States and cities are looking for ways to do it inexpensively."
A truckload of millings that usually ends up stacked idle, if not outright discarded, can be put in the recycler, mixed with rejuvenator, and transformed into hot mix to lay down on streets or use in utility cuts, he said.
"In these times, it just makes sense. It can help utilize materials lying around … versus traditional plant mix, and everybody wins," said Johnson, noting the total cost of a recycled ton is less than $20.
Bagela manufactures three different sizes of asphalt recyclers: BA4000 (4-ton [3.6 t]), BA7000 (7-ton [6.3 t]) and BA10000 (10-ton [9 t]), according to Johnson.
As part of its dealer obligation, Arrow Equipment purchased a BA10000, he said.
"It's basically a tow-and-show machine," Johnson said. "You've got to have one to sell one."
Sales representatives will be able to demonstrate the machine for prospective buyers, he said.
According to product information distributed by Bagela USA, the Bagela asphalt recycler can be operated in all seasons, even in sub-zero temperatures, and is a less costly alternative to cold mix.
The line is designed to supply hot asphalt on demand using existing RAP, chunks, millings or leftover plant mix. The material is loaded into the hopper on the top of the self-contained machine, and through a patented convection heating process, is recycled into 330-degree F hot-mix asphalt.
Once the material is in the drum, it travels through the paddles and flights, breaking down to its original coated aggregate form. The patented flighted drum and recycling process keep the material from coming in contact with any flame, so output temperatures (monitored by electronic controls) are always consistent.
The equipment is simple to operate. Once the recycling process is completed, the operator reverses the drum, opens the discharge gate and discharges approximately a half-ton of recycled mix every three to three-and-a-half minutes or one ton every six minutes.
Applications include: small to medium paving jobs, airport maintenance, pothole patching, all-weather patching jobs, utility cuts, shoulder work, curbing, electrical trenching repairs, catch basin repairs, plumbing cuts, parking lots, bridge repairs, railroad crossing repairs, driveways, bike/walking path maintenance and soil remediation.
Arrow Equipment has been in business since 1959.
A full-service dealer, the company serves as a Caterpillar paving products dealer for the Carolinas, a Gomaco dealer for the Carolinas and a LeeBoy/Rosco dealer for the Carolinas.
The company sells and rents equipment, and services and provides parts for what it sells. CEG
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