Astec’s “Rock-To-Road” Strategy About More Than Just New Machines

On the second morning of the CONEXPO CON/AGG tradeshow, Astec held its press conference in their massive booth in the Expo’s Central Hall. I overheard another member of the press say, to no one in particular, “Every machine you’d need to build a city is here.”

And it certainly feels that way when you’re standing amidst the towers blue and grey machines — a part of their unified branding the company’s new CEO said has been a three year process in the making.

Housed therein were a total of eight brand new, redesigned models on display, including: the RP175/195 track pavers, RX405 mill, and the 5710E grinder. And while these new machines were definitely impressive, one of the biggest highlights the company drew attention to was technology.

Astec has made great strides in recent years, aiming to shore-up its technological offerings, which includes expansion through acquisition. They estimate recent investments of at least $20-$25 million in purchasing companies like MINDS Inc.

“Connectivity and the utilization of the cloud is very important to our customers,” said Eric Baker, the newly appointed V.P. of Astec Digital. “Our technology can help customers leverage their tools in ways that previously weren’t possible.”

The acquisition of MINDS Inc., which focused primarily of asphalt plant retro fittings, is a big part of what the company sees as a future forward strategy. The tools and the way they are used have to evolve in order to remain relevant in the marketplace.