By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Several large mechanical diggers and a crushing and screening machine are busy producing base rock at a new quarry at 290th and Zebulon Rds, 3½ miles east of Lincolnville.

The quarry is the latest of four operated in central Kansas by Bergkamp Construction of Wichita. The others are at Towanda, El Dorado, and Sun City.

The company leased the site, owned by Ronnie and Susan Carlson, about two years ago and did some testing but didn’t begin production until a few months ago.

The company is providing 1½-inch base rock for 38 miles of road for a new wind farm being constructed in northern and northwest Marion County. Ten employees are working at the quarry.

Bergkamp also recently completed work on 330th Rd. west of K-15 to the county line.

President Scott Bergkamp said the quarry also sells agricultural lime and will serve area farmers and others needing rock and dirt work.

Road rock and other grades of rock will become available as the site is developed and the contract with the wind farm is completed.

“The rock is getting better,” Bergkamp said.

Instruments on utility loaders weigh material until installation of a scale and scale house is complete.

Morris and Chase counties have received a couple of loads of rock on a test basis.

Marion County Road and Bridge Superintendent Jesse Hamm was on the site last week.

“From the little bit we’ve seen, it seems to be decent rock,” he said. “We’re waiting to find out how hard it is and get a list of prices before we commit to using it. We would probably use it in the northern part of the county.”

County trucks hauled out a couple of loads to test the rock. The county typically gets rock from Harshman quarries at Florence and Waverly and from a quarry north of Woodbine.

Bergkamp is a family-owned enterprise started in 1955 by Bob Bergkamp of Wichita and now is run by his son, Scott. Scott’s nephew, Chris Snook, is the third generation involved in the business. Scott said two of his three children might become part of the business in the future.

As a dirt contractor, Bergkamp Construction has completed large-scale heavy excavations in Kansas and surrounding states.

It has built railroad beds, roads, and U.S. Corps of Engineers projects. It prepares industrial sites and creates landfills.

Bergkamp did dirt work for the refueling wing at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita and is doing the same at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City.

Bergkamp said his company was open to hiring local workers.

“We’re always looking for new employees,” he said.

Gerald Gilkey, a former Sumner County sheriff and now safety director for the company, said he enjoyed working for the Bergkamp family.

“Scott is modest,” he said. “He doesn’t like to toot his own horn.”

Bergkamp responded: “Gerald is a good man. The feeling is mutual.”