Since 1950, Dickinson Ready Mix & Concrete Products has been serving southwestern North Dakota. The company has continued to expand its production companies to locations including Killdeer and Beach and now Bowman.
In a press release, the Dickinson Ready Mix company announced its purchase of Bowman Ready Mix and began production starting March 1.
“We truly look forward to being part of the Bowman community and serving the region,” said Scott Olin, president and general manager of DRM.
“Scott Olin and Mike Fisher have been in talks with Jim and Josh Ridl for years about acquiring the Bowman Ready Mix company and becoming part of the Dickinson Ready Mix team,” Ben Olin, the satellite plant manager at DRM, said. “But, it just so happened that probably about 2-3 months ago the Riddle’s decided that it was time to move on and came to us and we made an agreement.”
Bowman Ready Mix was created in 1958 by Bob Ridl and Pete Cymbaluk in 1958 and was a third-generation ready mix concrete operation. Even after the DRM purchase, the Bowman company will continue to be managed by Jim and Josh Ridl.
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“If feels really good to have the opportunity to work with Jim and Josh Ridl,” Ben said. “They are staying on as part of our team.”
The Ridls are quoted as saying in the the statement:
“After 62 years, it was time [to sell]. We can’t express how much our community means to us. Thank you all for your past business. Dickinson will continue to serve our community for all your concrete needs. They are very good people.”
Even amid the coronavirus pandemic, and as the prices of oil continue to plunge globally, DRM is excited about the potential of expanding into Bowman.
“We believe Bowman is going to be a bright spot for us,” Ben said. “Down in Bowman, the economy is less reliant on oil and more reliant on agriculture, so we believe Bowman is going to be a bright spot for the company in the future.”
However, despite the season being perfect for filling potholes and other projects, construction companies have taken a hit from the shutdowns, including the factory in Bowman.
“Bowman has been a little bit slower to start than we’re used to,” Ben said. “But we are delivering down in Bowman and that hasn’t really seemed to affect even the Dickinson production as much as we thought it would, and as far as delivering throughout this pandemic, we’ve adjusted the way we do things. But we haven’t seen a lot of projects or potential projects being taken off the books.”
Dickinson Ready Mix is satisfied with their current situation and the expansion but the company is always willing to look at new opportunities.
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“We’re always looking to expand, but we don’t want to expand to where we can’t be involved with the community,” Ben said. Currently we’re not set on any particular place of expansion, but we want to go where the DRM and companies associated with us are comfortable and can be a big part of the community.”
