If you have driven down Beeline Highway recently, you might have seen a new sand and gravel aggregate plant site that is waiting to be operational.

Salt River Materials Group (SRMG), a Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community–owned enterprise, plans to have the site fully operational, once fully permitted.

In the meantime, SRMG is working on obtaining the necessary permits to become operational, as they work to ensure they are in compliance with the Community’s ordinances and regulations.

“We want to make sure we involve the Community in everything we do to ensure that we’re a good neighbor to the surrounding area and the individuals who live around us,” said Patrick James, assistant manager of operations for SRMG.

SRMG will be producing the same type of aggregates at this new state-of-the-art site as at the Dobson site, but the new plant will help them increase their production capacity.

“Currently we’re making around 400 tons per hour, and when we get into the new site, we’ll get to around 600 to 650 tons per hour, which means more production and revenue for the Community,” said James.

At the new location, there will be a shop, essential offices and two batch plants with room for a third one, depending on the state of the economy.

“A part of the transfer to the Beeline Plant site includes closing down our Dobson Plant site, which we’re currently operating at, and moving operations to the new site,” said SRMG Director of Corporate Affairs Ruben Guerrero.

Salt River Sand and Rock sells aggregates and materials needed to mix with cement at Phoenix Cement, a company that operates under SRMG. SRMG provides the customers the materials, and they in turn take that material and make concrete.

There are roughly over 40 employees of SRMG who are either Community members or Community member spouses.