HARTSBURG, Mo. - Callaway County officials joined others from nearby counties to watch an equipment demonstration earlier this week.
FAE, a company that designs and manufactures land clearing and road machinery, showed attendees a machine that acts as a rock shredder, stone crusher, soil stabilizer and asphalt grinder.
"We're just testing this machine out; it's got various uses," Callaway County highway administrator Paul Winkelmann said. "We have some asphalt reclamation to do. It's just a product out there that we could have the need for, depending on how it performs."
He said the county would be making a decision soon on purchasing the new technology.
Boone County Public Works District Superintendent Darren Kimbrel saw some benefits of the machine immediately.
"There's so many asphalt roads that need to be reincorporated, torn back up and re-laid again. Instead of paying a higher amount to hire it out each year, you can just have something like this and save the taxpayers' money," Kimbrel said. "You'll have it on hand when you do need it, because there are certain times of year where you have to use it. If you hire anything out like this, you have to make sure it's on the schedule, make sure it's on the budget for next year; this can be set up quick."
Kimbrel also noticed the machine was able to recycle material.
"Normally if you have to layer asphalt again, you'll have to tear this (layer) off and haul it away," he said. "This you can re-use, and it's right there and ready to go."
Allen Tennis, Midwest territory manager for FAE, said this unit provides more mobility.
"You can turn that around in this narrow road without having to go to the end of a crossroad," Tennis said. "The other thing is that you can invest in our attachment without investing in the power unit itself. So when the machine is not being used, your overhead is only in the cost of the attachment and not the entire unit."
Following the demonstration, Winkelmann gave some positive thoughts.
"It seems to be working real well, as far as what we would need it to do," he said.