Silver Creek Materials: Stewards of the Earth in Texas

Wed November 13, 2024
Silver Creek Materials

From humble beginnings as a family ranch, Silver Creek Materials has established itself as a key part of the local supply chain for a range of products on some of the biggest projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The company uses equipment supplied by Powerscreen Texas to produce high-quality materials in significant quantities while committing to leaving the land preserved for future generations.

Nestled in the heart of North Texas, Silver Creek Materials has been a pillar of innovation for more than four decades. What started as a 100-acre family ranch has transformed into a 600-acre enterprise, setting local standards for sustainable mining practices.

Led by CEO Marshall Dow and his father, Robert Dow, Silver Creek is not just another mining company. The motto "Stewards of the Earth" encapsulates a commitment to the environment and the legacy they aim to leave behind.

Company founder Robert Dow had a different vision when he became the principal owner of the family ranch. After earning a degree in horticulture, he started a landscaping business, growing plants in greenhouses that once populated the property.

The turning point came in the mid-1970s when Robert Dow had concrete work done near the greenhouses. A truck driver who noticed the rich sand deposits on the land asked if he could take some. Robert Dow's answer, "Well, yes, I can sell you some sand," marked the beginning of Silver Creek Materials.

Incorporated in 1983, the company started with small-scale sand and gravel mining and has expanded into a sprawling operation with an annual tonnage of more than 1 million tons of material passing through the gates.

Despite the scale of its operations, Silver Creek remains committed to minimizing its environmental impact. Marshall Dow, who now oversees daily operations, said, "We do not want to leave a massive hole in our Earth when we are done mining here. A huge part of our business is the organic recycling, composting and land reclamation aspects."

Sustainable Mining in North Texas

One of Silver Creek's most innovative contributions to sustainable mining is its involvement in Texas' state tire recycling program.

Those tires become a key component in its land reclamation efforts, along with other recycled materials such as dirt, rock and concrete, all of which undergo a rigorous seven-day testing to ensure that neither the land nor the water is harmed.

Another sustainable practice includes the organic recycling of liquid waste.

Onsite, the company receives pallets each week containing various liquids that, for one reason or another, cannot be sold to the public. Some of these products include soda cans, beer cans and sports drink bottles — all of which are introduced to mulch piles after being extracted from their original containers.

Silver Creek not only uses the liquids as food for the microbes in its mulch stockpiles, but it recycles all the aluminum, plastic and glass containers.

Silver Creek's dedication to sustainable practices doesn't stop at land reclamation and recycling liquid waste.

Another proud contribution is a 40-acre, 190-ft. deep well that pumps millions of gallons of clean water into the city of Fort Worth's water supply. In a state often grappling with water shortages, this environmental stewardship is just as important as the mining operations.

"The land we're on has been good to us, and it's our responsibility to be good to it in return," Marshall Dow said, reflecting on the balance between business and environmental responsibility. This mindset drives every aspect of the company.

Legacy of Reliability

At the core of Silver Creek Materials' success is its relationship with Powerscreen Texas, a partnership that dates to the 1990s.

After years of struggling with unreliable screening equipment, Robert Dow met with Powerscreen Texas President Sam McNabb. The introduction was timely, as Silver Creek needed high-output screeners capable of handling the heavy volume of material its expanding operation demanded.

"We made a pros and cons list of numerous screener manufacturers that we've used onsite and, for us, we found that Powerscreen had the longest list of pros. From that point, we have stayed true to Powerscreen Texas," Marshall Dow said.

Equipment: Getting the Right Answer

Marshall Dow's initial experience with Powerscreen machinery was during a site visit hosted by Powerscreen Texas in partnership with Powerscreen of California, Nevada and Hawaii at a landfill in California. The Warrior 2400 was in operation and immediately impressed him. He was convinced to buy a Warrior 2400 after witnessing material that is clay-bound, like the material in Fort Worth, consistently being processed through the machine at high throughputs of between 700–800 tons an hour.

The company now runs a fleet of machinery from Powerscreen Texas, including three Powerscreen Warrior 2400s, two Warrior 1800s, a Titan 2300 screen, a Komptech Starscreen and the CBI 6800CT horizontal grinder.

This diverse range of machines is responsible for processing Silver Creek's primary products: sand, gravel, clay, fill dirt, recycling and compost. Its top-selling aggregate product is a 2-in. minus material, while the finest sand product is between 1-in. minus and ¾-in. minus.

"The Powerscreen Warrior line complements our top-selling products extremely well," Marshall Dow said. "They are running constantly, and we can always rely on the truth that they will produce the best products for our business."

The machines Silver Creek bought from Powerscreen Texas ensure consistent, top-quality material for a diverse range of aggregate.

The Powerscreen Warrior 2400, one of the largest scalping screens in the Warrior range, boasts a massive 20-ft. by 6-ft. screen box that is highly versatile in allowing Marshall Dow and his team to efficiently process large quantities of aggregate with minimized downtime.

"You can swap screen media in and out so easily," he said. "The ability to change the product we are making without stopping production for long is key in allowing us to meet our customers' demands."

The 2400 was favored by Silver Creek for its heavy-duty scalping, making it ideal for its gravel and clay-bound material. The large screening area combined with its aggressive throwing action allows for effective screening of the most difficult materials, such as wet or sticky clay, with minimal clogging or blockages.

The Warrior 1800 also was added to the Silver Creek fleet, as the machine is known for compact yet powerful productivity.

Slightly smaller than the 2400, the 1800 features an 11-ft. by 6-ft. screen mostly used for processing smaller volumes of sand and fill dirt onsite. Though compact, the 1800 provides the same level of reliability and ease of use as larger models but with greater transport flexibility across the 600-acre site.

On the front end of the recycling operations sits the CBI 6800CT horizontal grinder.

Silver Creek uses the 6800's high throughput and sheer power to grind a variety of materials, from wood waste to construction debris. Those materials are turned into an array of mulch and compost for customers.

The 6800CT features a 15 percent larger screening area than the 6800BT, allowing for production capacity to reach up to 200 tons per hour, a feature that greatly impacts their operations.

"The reason we purchased these machines from Powerscreen Texas is because they have always been the most reliable dealer," Marshall Dow said. "Spare parts have always been available when we need them, and the machines have always delivered reliably and with the highest throughput."

From Greenhouses to Runways

As the business has grown, so, too, has the scale of its projects.

Silver Creek is now responsible for one of its largest undertakings yet: providing the material that will form the foundation for the new runways and taxiways at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. That's a testament to the products the company produces, as materials used in an aviation application must meet the most stringent standards.

Remote Monitoring, Management

As the operation has grown in scale, maintaining product quality consistency is non-negotiable. Therefore, technology is playing an increasingly important part in managing production efficiency and identifying improvement opportunities.

Silver Creek turns to the Powerscreen Pulse Telematics platform to track equipment performance. From monitoring operating hours to tracking fuel consumption and identifying preventative maintenance needs, the technology ensures that the machinery operates efficiently and sustainably. That reduces downtime and resource waste.

In a company that processes more than 1 million tons of material annually, that operational insight allows Silver Creek to maximize its uptime and productivity.

Leaving Lasting Footprint

Though its quarry reaches depths of 190 ft., the Dows are not solely focused on what lies beneath. With a clear eye on the future, their efforts to reclaim the land and replenish natural resources are proof of a commitment to sustainability. Whether it's returning clean water to Fort Worth or recycling material into reusable products such as compost, Silver Creek is leading by example.

As stewards of the earth, Silver Creek Materials embodies the philosophy that industry and environmental responsibility can and must go hand in hand. With more than 600 acres under its care, the company continues to make strides toward a sustainable future where the land is both productive and preserved for generations to come.

This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.