Concrete Materials changes name to Knife River

SIOUX FALLS –Three and a half years after joining the Knife River family of companies, Sioux Falls-based Concrete Materials Co. has changed its name to Knife River.

The name on the letterhead, business cards and truck doors are changing, but the employees, products and services are all the same.

“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. Unlike some Knife River markets, 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,” said Clark Meyer, president of Knife River in Sioux Falls and longtime Concrete Materials executive. “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, N.D.-based Knife River. Knife River is the construction materials subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE: MDU).

To learn more about Knife River or Concrete Materials, visit the companies’ websites at www.kniferiver.com or www.concretematerialscompany.com.