Central Ready Mixed and Ottawa Ready Mix are
Now Prairie Material

Starting February 1, 2010, when Wisconsin customers call the order boards at Central Ready Mixed and Ottawa Ready Mix, they will hear the same dispatchers answering – but with a new company name. 

The two companies have officially changed their names to Prairie Material, reflecting the growing partnership with the leading materials company they’ve been part of for the past 10 years, says Todd Schaller, general manager for Prairie’s Wisconsin operations.

“Our customers will work with the same great team in all the same locations as before,” says Schaller.  “But they’ll have access to a broader range of top-quality materials to keep them on the leading edge of the construction business.” 

Schaller says the expanded product lineup will include:

• StormHandler®, a pervious concrete that manages runoff while reducing costs
• Redi-Fill®, a flowable, self-compacting backfill material that saves time and labor
• Prairie Green®, a mix that meets many requirements for sustainable construction

Even better, “Our customers will have access to all of Prairie’s labs and technical expertise – tools that will place Wisconsin at the cutting edge of concrete technology and constructability,” says Schaller.

Customers with questions are encouraged to contact Todd Schaller directly at 414-479-7200 or Sales Manager Mike Fiorita at 414-479-2290.  

Q&A

Why are Central and Ottawa changing their names now – after so many years as Prairie affiliates?
We have been part of Prairie Material for the past 10 years– the name change just confirms that we’re part of a larger company. We will be working closer with the labs and quality control team in Chicago to maintain and enhance the products we already offer.  

Are prices going to go up?
No. Prices will stay stable. If anything, the partnership has kept some of our costs down because we are able to get economies of scale from our suppliers. 

Are the people going to change?
There will be no changes to the staff in Wisconsin. You will be working with the same team for everything – sales, dispatch, QC, batching, delivery and customer service.

Is Prairie a Chicago company? How will that affect Wisconsin customers?
Prairie has headquarters in Chicago and operates throughout the Midwest with plants in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan as well as our Wisconsin operations. Since joining Prairie, we’ve been running our own business the same way we always have while working closely with the Chicago team for specialty projects. They realize we know our market best – and they trust us to provide the quality service our customers expect. Our local management team stays in place – but now we can offer you more products and technical support than ever before.