Sioux Falls business Concrete Materials Co. to change name

Sioux Falls-based Concrete Materials Co. is changing its name to Knife River after joining the Knife River family of companies more than three years ago.

The name on the letterhead, business cards and truck doors is changing, but the employees, products and services will remain the same, according to a press release from the company.

“Concrete Materials is a company that does things the right way and stands behind its work and its employees,” said John Quade, president of Knife River’s North Central Region, which includes operations in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. “They have been a great fit for us. They’re such an important part of our team and I’m happy they are officially taking on the Knife River name.”

Knife River will continue to produce construction materials – aggregates, asphalt and ready-mix concrete – for customers throughout eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota. It does not provide contracting services in Sioux Falls.

“One of the reasons we didn’t change our name right away was to assure our customers that our business model was not changing,” Clark Meyer, president of Knife River in Sioux Falls and longtime Concrete Materials executive, said. “And at the same time, we have access to the resources of a larger company that holds our same values. It has been a very good relationship.”

Concrete Materials has operated in Sioux Falls since 1930, with additional locations in Brandon, Harrisburg and Yankton. In 2018, it was purchased by Bismarck, North Dakota-based Knife River. Knife River is the construction materials subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, Inc.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls Concrete Materials Co. will change name to Knife River