There is no doubt CJ Ferlito Aggregates has grown from its modest residential roots into a diverse, successful enterprise. CJ Ferlito, a builder by trade, started in the residential construction business in partnership with his mother, Mary Auldin. Together, CJ and Mary built seven to eight residential homes per year. Today, their diverse business, based out of Oswego, NY, offers products and services that include screened and crushed sand, gravel, stone, topsoil, as well as providing complete site work excavation that includes everything from clearing an area and moving dirt, to the installation of fire hydrant, water and sewer lines as well as storm drainage systems.

About three years ago, CJ met John Vickery, a veteran in the aggregate and excavation business. With a mutual agreement and a firm handshake, CJ and John began their business partnership with John taking on the responsibility of running the aggregate side of the business. Today, the two are heavily involved in the day to day operations of the business and they are rarely found in their offices. Routinely, they begin their days at 6 a.m. and they will often work until 8 p.m., seven days per week. A trip to any of their job sites finds them running excavators and getting their hands dirty because they are heavily involved in most of their projects.

“We are firm believers in leading by example,” says John. “We’re not afraid to put in the time. When our company workers see that we are willing to work hard and get our hands dirty, they follow that lead. We would never be where we are today without our team of people. They are one of the most important parts of our business.”

It is because of the company’s committed workforce, their excellent marketing and the superior line of equipment that CJ Ferlito Aggregates uses on the job, that has created a growing list of satisfied customers. These include Syracuse Constructors, Rizzo Construction, Syracuse Sand & Gravel / Riccelli Enterprises and Burks Lumber Company, just to name a few.

As New York State regulations and Federal Government issues continue to shape the aggregate and construction industry, CJ and John are continually responding to these challenges by changing and adapting to meet the needs of their business.

When the company became more involved in commercial projects as part of their aggregate and construction business line, CJ and John tried out several types of equipment to assist them in improved production and quality. It was through this process that Rock and Recycling Solutions, their local McCloskey International Equipment dealer, introduced them to McCloskey International Equipment. After contacting McCloskey and having an opportunity to demo the equipment, they knew that the McCloskey spread was the answer. Since their initial purchase, they have never looked back.

“The McCloskey sales rep called and asked to come out and show us what the equipment could do,” said John. “They told us we would love it. They were so right. Whether it’s the people behind it or the product itself, it meets our needs and beyond in every way.”

Today, CJ Ferlito Aggregates has a fleet of McCloskey equipment that includes an R155 scalping screener, an R230 High Energy Durable Screener, two ST100 36X100 stackers, 3 ST80 36X80 track stackers, and an S190 high energy vibratory screener.

With diesel fuel costing four times what it did ten to twelve years ago, uptime and production are one of the most important parts of their business. Since customers always seem to want products cheaper, John emphasizes how much uptime drives down the price. With little to no downtime and the ability to meet the production demands of their clients, customers are more than satisfied. With both high production and a high quality product, CJ Ferlito Aggregates has been able to pick up larger contracts.

Currently, they are working for Riccelli Enterprises on the Onondaga Lake Cleanup Project. This project is a $1 billion cleanup project that began in 2012 and is slated to finish sometime in 2016. This project is emerging as one of the most stunning and successful lake clean-up projects in history. Approximately 2 million cubic yards of material is scheduled to be removed from Onondaga Lake. From there it will be pumped to a consolidation area. Meanwhile, approximately 3 billion gallons of water will be treated as approximately 450 acres of the lake is being capped, all to provide a new habitat layer, prevent erosion, and isolate remaining contaminants that could harm the lake.

CJ Ferlito Aggregates is one of many companies supplying sand and aggregate for the lake clean-up project. On a daily basis, several hundred trucks enter and leave the gravel pit to deliver product to the lake project. Over the next two years, surrounding pits and aggregate companies are scheduled to supply several million tons of material to the Lake Cleanup Project. For more information on McCloskey Equipment, visit their website at mccloskeyinternational.com.