Dairyland Peach Sections Business Profile 2019 | Page 25

Dairyland Peach Business Profile 2019, Page 25
Worms Lumber and Ready Mix, a family-owned,
small town company that puts customers first
Worms Lumber and Ready Mix, with locations in
New Munich, Sauk Centre and Long Prairie, has been
family-owned since it originated nearly a century ago.
Carl Worms and his uncle, Matt Worms, trace the ori-
gins of Worms Lumber to Carl’s great-grandfather,
Mathias Worms, who worked in drain tiling, road cul-
verts, concrete block, pipe work and bridge building.
In the 1940s, Mathias began the lumberyard in New
Munich. During the depression, lumber was rationed,
which made it difficult to obtain. Lumber was logged
in northern Minnesota and brought down to New
Munich, where it was put in a kiln to dry. Bridge work
paved the path for construction jobs.
In the 1960s, Matt’s father, Ed Worms and uncle,
Ralph Worms bought Worms Lumber from Math-
ias. Ed and Ralph started the ready-mix side of the
business, and opened a satellite office in Sauk Cen-
tre in at its current location in 1968, one mile east of
Walmart. Brothers Matt and Steve Worms bought the
family business in 1983, and soon after opened a new
location at Long Prairie in 1985. At present, three of
Steve’s children have taken over Steve’s share since his
retirement in 2017. Brothers Carl Worms, chief finan-
cial officer; Brian Worms, foreman of the concrete
crew; and Aaron Worms, foreman of the construction
crew, joined Matt Worms, who took over as president/
CEO.
Much has changed in concrete work over the years.
Technology has improved the accuracy of mixing and
pouring concrete, as well as added more options for
customers. You can create a driveway or patio with
stamped concrete and incorporate many color op-
tions. Residential and commercial properties can cre-
ate a one-of-a-kind look that is durable and beautiful.
Worms Lumber and Ready Mix boasts not only of
being family-run, but also utilizing up-to-date tech-
nology for large and small jobs. “Work smarter, not
harder” said Matt. He points out much of the newer
technology reduces the number of laborers needed. A
A brand-new color mixer creates customized color
concrete.
Carl, left, and Matt Worms in front of the New Munich location of Worms Lumber and Ready Mix.
14-foot laser screed levels and compacts concrete us-
ing GPS measurements; giving better accuracy than
by hand. MPAQ Automation, a concrete-specific com-
puter software program, tracks and calculates pro-
portions of concrete mix needed and creates a batch
printout for each job.
When you call Worms Lumber, you talk to a person
at the plant in one of their locations; calls are never
outsourced as some larger companies do. If workers
are on vacation, you may see the owner/CEO of the
company delivering a load of concrete. They get the
job done with quality customer service.
On a given day, Matt describes how crews may
complete 20-30 concrete jobs and have construction
projects going at five different locations. To keep up
with the volume of work, Worms has 35 seasonal full-
time employees who work eight to nine months of the
year, and 20 ready-mix trucks that hold up to 11 yards
of concrete; the maximum road weight allowed. Of-
fice managers include Scott Thelen and Rick Lemm
in New Munich, Jim Hoppe at Sauk Centre and Kyle
Zelgert in the Long Prairie location.
Worms Lumber serves approximately a 60-mile ra-
dius. Commercial and residential jobs include schools,
milk/cheese plants, churches, agricultural jobs, sheds,
steel buildings, light commercial buildings, poured
stamped concrete, sidewalks, patios and driveways.
Matt and Carl are very excited about their brand
new addition — a concrete color machine they just
installed recently. “Hundreds of colors” in shades of
brown, tan, red, orange and yellow, can be computer
customized quickly, rather than outsourcing and wait-
ing days for it to arrive, Carl said. Carl points out that
people like to have a look that sets them apart from
the neighbors, which goes beyond the traditional gray
concrete look. Customers can use multiple color com-
binations for their concrete needs.
Stamped concrete or textured, patterned and em-
bossed, creates unique looks in the concrete’s surface,
which can appear as wood planks, brick, stone, tile,
etc. It is a nice alternative to concrete pavers, which
shift and allow weeds to grow between. To keep con-
crete looking good with bright color, Carl recom-
mends bright sealing every 5-10 years.
Worms has samples and portfolios to view the many
options available at their New Munich office. They
also offer free quotes for service. To find more infor-
mation, visit their website at www.wormsreadymix.
com, see videos of their work on their Facebook page
or call or visit one of their locations.
WORMS
Lumber & Ready Mix
Inc.
New Munich
320.837-5288 • 320-837-5288
Sauk Centre
320.352-2841
Long Prairie
320-732-6452
www.wormsreadymix.com