Approaching 100 Years of Innovation and Service

Mellott Company
Written by Mark Golombek

2020 will mark the hundredth anniversary of this successful company serving the aggregate (crushed stone and slag) industry. Now in its fourth generation, the family-owned Mellott Company is surging ahead with acquisitions and forward thinking that will ensure its survival and expansion.
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Mellott Company has become a vertically integrated, one-stop supplier for the aggregate industry, and has tackled the issue of skilled labor shortfalls with Mellott University, an apprenticeship program. We spoke with Executive Vice President Ramesh Patel, Chief Operating Officer Jason Talbot and Marketing Coordinator Emily Jannotta to learn more.

Back in 1920, H.B. Mellott started with a company involved in lumber, coal, and stone. In 1948 H.B. Mellott and his oldest son were victims of a plane crash, forcing his other two sons into the family business. During this time, the company transferred into being an aggregate producer. The construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike created a demand for aggregates, so the brothers purchased stone crushing quarries and ready mix plants. “During the second generation, the company became involved in a serious way with crushing and screening,” says Ramesh.

Around 1971, the third generation joined Mellott Company and created a business of contract crushing. This included supplying plants as well as an operating team of employees to customers needing supplemental or developmental crushing services on a per ton basis. This eventually led Mellott Company into equipment, parts and service sales, as well as portable and fixed plant engineering.

Around 2008, Mellott Company decided to focus on being a service provider to the aggregate industry and sold its ownership of quarries and ready mix plants.

Today, Mellott Company provides contract crushing, equipment distribution, parts and repair/rebuild services, environmental and screen media, engineering and manufacturing services.

Growth is underway at Mellott Company, including the recent acquisition of Marion Machine LLC. This will enhance Mellott Company’s repair and rebuild services by including re-machining of large crusher components. “We used to sub-contract our machining services, but with the Marion Machine LLC acquisition, we have the complete capability to repair or rebuild. Outside of Metso, we are probably the only company with this capability. Marion Machine LLC is seventy-five years old and is well established and respected in the industry,” says Jason.

“We are the equipment distributor for several manufacturers, and the largest distributor for Metso (a worldwide crushing and screening manufacturer),” says Ramesh.

“We expanded our parts business by adding Mellott Company branded parts for all makes of crushers, and customers can purchase them through the online parts store or through appointed distributors,” says Ramesh.

In the U.S., technically skilled workers are in short supply. Because a majority of Mellott Company employees are technically skilled, Mellott Company developed an apprenticeship program under the name of Mellott University. “We embarked on and designed a complete program where we take local high school students and some of our new employees and put them in training from September through May,” says Ramesh.

The students spend time in workshops and in the classroom learning required skills to be a service technician. Mellott Company has repair, welding, and fabrication shops which aid in teaching them the hands-on skills they’ll need to be successful. In the classroom they are taught subjects such as hydraulics, mechanical drawing reading, electric systems, mechanisms, basic shop math and crushing/screening.

“Our teachers are employees who are experts in their particular field here at Mellott Company. The students learn a transferable skill and are paid to come to school. Upon graduation from Mellott University, they’re offered a job at Mellott Company,” says Ramesh.

“From there, they can progress through the organization into many different ways,” says Jason. Some segments of the Mellott University courses are available to existing employees as well.

Today, Mellott University is getting involved in the company’s middle management training in conjunction with Pennsylvania State University.

The values of safety, integrity, commitment, respect and excellence are taken very seriously at Mellott Company. Safety is always of paramount importance. Each year, Mellott Company recognizes for each value an employee who exemplifies it.

Mellott Company is a privately-owned company and always focused on long term success. “We have one-on-one contact with all employees. Mellott Company has a young management team in place to take the company to new heights,” says Ramesh.

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