CDE's First U.S. Plant Logs 40,000 Hours as Company Announces Return to ConExpo

Washing experts CDE are set to return to ConExpo-Con/AGG 2026, marking more than a decade since it delivered its first full-scale wash plant in the North American market. As the company prepares to showcase its latest innovations at the show, its team are reflecting on the customer partnerships that started it all.

"More than process material, those early plants laid the foundations for CDE's long-term growth across the region," said Darren Eastwood, CDE's business development director.

CDE's very first plant sale in the United States was one of its EvoWash sand washing systems which was sold to materials giant Martin Marietta.

"That was perhaps a sign of things to come," Darren said. "At the time we were a new player in the market, yet right out of the gates one of our flagship products was put to work for one of the United States' largest producers of construction aggregates. That was an important moment. It signalled we had arrived."

Soon after, the company designed and engineered its first full-scale washing solution for North Carolina-based GS Materials, which has now logged in excess of 40,000 hours of operation with the support of CDE's dedicated aftersales division, CustomCare.

"Our plant is running as efficiently as the day it was commissioned back in 2013," said Robert Kellam, GS Materials' plant superintendent.

He said this is testament to the proactive support offered by CDE's CustomCare team.

"Without CDE, we'd have a really hard time selling some of our product here on this site," he said. "It would be too dirty. It's not only important for us to have an effective washing solution, but an efficient one too. Our CDE plant keeps us running to schedule and our product to specification.

"That level of consistency is key and the upkeep and maintenance delivered by CDE's customer service team underscores the success of the entire operation over the years."

For more than 10 years, the plant produces 200 tons per hour of various materials including 57 stone, 1.25 in. gravel, mason sand, concrete sand and up to 110 tons per hour of golf sand which is supplied to USGA golf courses in the East Coast region, including the world renowned Pinehurst Golf Club.

CustomCare as Standard

CDE's CustomCare Manager Andrew Bunting said its approach to aftersales support is central to the long-standing relationships CDE has with its customers.

"GS Materials purchased its plant back in 2013," he said. "We have a close partnership, making sure we support the team and that it can continue to produce the premium materials needed."

Once a project is commissioned, every CDE customer is introduced to its CustomCare team which offers 24/7 service and aftersales support delivered by an in-house team of service engineers knowledgeable of the full CDE equipment range and familiar with the objectives and operation of any customer's plant. A proactive approach, it guarantees customers get the maximum performance from their CDE equipment, according to CDE.

The service includes regular preventative maintenance inspections (PMI), boots-on-the-ground support through customer site visits, the detailing of recommended parts lists, outlining time required to fully fit replacement parts to enable customers to forward plan and stocking common wearable parts locally for rapid dispatch to ensure maximum operational time.

"The main thing about CDE is once you buy the plant, we're not done. We continue to take care of the plant through its entire lifecycle," said Bunting.

In-Market Support

The GS Materials plant was a foundational moment in CDE's story and paved the way for continued market expansion and the opening of the company's North America headquarters in Cleburne, Texas, following a multi-million-dollar investment to strengthen its direct relationships with customers.

Part of this investment included the development of fully stocked and managed stores to house replacement high-wear and consumable plant components to minimize plant downtime and ensure customers' operations are running at optimum efficiency to boost return on investment.

The proactive and preventative approach to maintenance sees 1,000s of replacement parts readily available for immediate dispatch across North America.

"Everybody knows it's difficult to get parts when you need them, but CDE has its warehouse out in Texas where it keeps most of our parts in stock," Kellam said. "It gives me great reassurance that Andrew and his colleagues have my best interests in mind."

40,000 Hours of Operation

"The GS Materials team produces a lot of material and that requires constant upkeep and maintenance," Bunting said. "No matter what they need, we're here to do everything we can to increase its efficiencies to get the most out of the material and maximize return."

He said CustomCare works to the schedules of CDE's customers.

"We understand that operations don't always work a 10-hour day," he said. "In fact, some of the operations we support run 24/7. CustomCare exists to accommodate that. We're here to make sure every plant is delivering for our customers, meaning we're available any time, day or night.

"Durability and reliability are key attributes of CDE technology, and our 'Customer for Life' approach outlines our commitment to taking preventative measures to enhance productivity, maximize uptime and profitability. For customers like GS Materials, this is indispensable."

Concluding, Kellam added that he looks forward to a long partnership with CDE.

"So long as we're in business we'll always be doing business with CDE," he said. "If we're not running material, then we're not making money. Andrew and his team get this — they get us — and they have demonstrated their responsiveness and commitment to keeping us up and running time and time again. We're looking forward to building on this great partnership to see what we can do next to wash bigger and wash better."

For more information, visit cdegroup.com.