Maxon Industries, Inc.

The name Maxon has been associated with the concrete industry for over 60 years. The evolution of Maxon equipment began in the 1930s when Glen Maxon Jr. went to work for T. L. Smith Company to develop more uniform and quicker concrete mixing with tilt mixers for the Tennessee Valley Authority. In the 1940's he developed and was awarded a patent on the Plastigraff, a means of checking the slump inside a tilting central mix drum by measuring the resistance of concrete against the paddles inside the mixer. A series of lights outside the machine indicated the slump, or workability of the concrete. During the 1940s he formed his own company and designed the Dumpcrete, a non-agitated rear dump haul body. The patented unit utilized a high discharge point to allow the carrier to chute concrete. At the same time, he started Expressway Mixers, offering the first portable central mix plants. As an active member of ACI and ASCM, he submitted papers on concrete plants and concrete mixer blade designs in drums. After World War II he developed the idea of central mix concrete and hauling in non-agitating carriers. Air intrained concrete became the standard, which allowed concrete to be carried short distances without segregation. Glen Maxon Jr. was referred to as the "Father of Central Mix Concrete". because of his knowledge and development of mixing, hauling and placing central mix concrete.



Maxon Construction Company of Dayton and Tell City, IN was granted the license to manufacture the Dumpcrete by Glen Maxon Jr. Together they developed the Side Dump Maxon Spreader and a Side Dump Carrier, later referred to as the "Maxon Method of Concrete Paving". Although some jobs were successful hauling non-agitated concrete, other types of concrete were not suitable for transport over long distances. Glen Maxon Jr. received the first patent for an open top agitated concrete carrier called the Agitor. The Agitor had a conical shaped shell to allow an agitator to turn inside and keep the concrete consistent.

After attending M.I.T. and 2 years of service in the U.S.Army, Glen Maxon III joined his father to help build the first Agitor with S&M Manufacturing. The first 4 yard Agitor was sold to a concrete paver, C.F. Replogle in Circleville, OH. The 4 yard Agitor proved to be too small for mainline paving and in 1959 the first 8 yard Agitor was built. This machine went on to be the forerunner for interstate and airport paving. Many interstate projects throughout the U. S. utilized the 8 yard central mix plants & 8 yard Maxon Agitors carrying concrete to the paver.

In the 1960's, Glen Maxon Jr. and Glen Maxon III formed Maxon & Son. Included in their efforts were patents on several features for the Maxon Agitor and concrete belt placers. They also developed a unique, agitated concrete body called the 8 by 8. Having dimensions of 8 feet in all three directions, it could be mounted to dump either over the side or the end of the chassis. Used as a side dump carrier, the 8 by 8 was noted for it's rapid discharge, 8 cubic yards in 10 seconds. Maxon & Son also developed a portable 4.5 cubic yard central mix drum. The patent included unique mixing blades and a narrow frame width, making it easily portable.

When Glen Maxon Jr. retired in 1972, Glen Maxon III formed his own company, Maxon Industries, Inc. Initial projects for Maxon included development of a special truck mounted concrete carrier with a 15' belt conveyor for prestress concrete. In addition, several changes were made in the Agitor to make it work with low slump and mass aggregate concrete. In one of the last programs for the atomic power industry in the U.S., the Tennessee Valley Authority used 50 Maxon truck mounted Agitors to build 6 projects.

Maxon Industries went on to design larger Agitors including 10 & 12 cubic yard units. Recent changes to the Agitor includes a wider gate opening; direct drive agitators; and special agitator shaft to handle low slump and mass aggregate concretes. The new Agitor has been highly accepted by both concrete pavers and dam constructors because of it's dramatic increase in performance over older Agitors.