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You Don’t Start With the Dredge. You Start With the System

  You Don’t Start With the Dredge. You Start With the System The biggest mistake in dredging isn’t mechanical. It’s how the entire job is approached. In almost every other industry that moves material through a pipeline, the process is clear: You don’t buy a pump first and then figure out the system. You design the system… then select the pump that can actually move material through it. Length of pipe. •Elevation changes. •Material type. •Flow rate. •Discharge distance. All of it is calculated before a single piece of equipment is chosen. But in dredging? Too many operations do the exact opposite. The Problem: One Dredge, Every Job A dredge gets purchased, usually based on availability, familiarity, or a spec sheet, and then it gets forced into every job that comes along. Short run? Use the same dredge. Long discharge? Same dredge. Different material? Still the same dredge. And when it struggles? The blame goes everywhere else: “The material is too heavy” “T...
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Way Back When Article November 16, 1989 - VMI is "Going Great" Here

 VMI is "going great" here

By Joe Shimko, Cushing Daily Citizen
Thursday, November 16, 1989

With the ever growing awareness of the environment both nationally and internationally, firms dealing with that issue are benefitting.  VMI, on of the newest firms in Cushing, has felt the increased concern about the cleaning up of the environment.

"We're going great," said VMI owner Gene Maitlen.

He indicated the cirm, which builds dredges, has "more orders now since we moved here."  That doesn't necessarily relate directly to their presence here, but factors such as numerous "clean water acts" being enforced in the United States and overseas have meant more activity such as the cleaning up of waterways.

This has meant more work than ever before for the 15 employees at the firm's site at 1125 N. Fleetwood.  If the steady stream of work continues, Maitlen expects to see more employees hired, to possibly 20 in the future.

VMI, which had its plans for coming to Cushing announced in 1988, saw construction on its two buildings started in April of last year.  By August, the company was ready to start with production commencing in October.

Recently Maitlen and others in the company were pleased when the first dredge, built entirely in Cushing, was sold to the City of Harrisonville, Kansas.

The dredge, which was viewed and climbed by citizens who attended an open house-ribbon cutting for VMI Tuesday, is the MDE415-HS.  The efficiency of both the company and president of the firm are symbolized by the newest piece of equipment.

Ribbon cutting at the Open House held at VMI while they and other local chamber officials stand on top of the first ever dredge built at the new company.

GENE MAITLEN (fourth from left) and his wife Peggy cut the ribbon at the Open House held at VMI while they and other local chamber officials stand on top of the first ever dredge built at the new company. (Staff Photo)

Recalling an Andy Rooney television commentary on the many items that are given names or identities without any significance, Maitlen outlined what each letter and number means.

"The 'M' stands for mini-dredge and the 'E' for the economy," said the owner.

The numbers also have meaning to VMI and its potential customers.

"The 'f' stands for a four-inch pump that can go 15 feet deep which the '15' stands for," he added.

the 'H' and the 'S' are also significant standing for hydro solids.

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Location: 1125 N Maitlen Dr, Cushing, OK 74023, USA

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