VEMAC Lays Out 100 Panels a Day With Dusty

David Venegas has always been fascinated by the power of technology to transform construction. A second-generation CEO of a family-owned contractor, VEMAC, which operates across West Texas and New Mexico, David has been focused on driving innovation in the field of concrete, and specifically tilt-up construction, ever since he graduated from Texas University with a civil engineering degree in 2002. 

When it comes to tilt-up, David’s company is one of the best. In a fast-growing market which saw over 10,000 projects built this way last year, VEMAC’s work won it the accolade of Contractor of the Year in the Tilt-up Concrete Association 2023 Awards. At the same event, David was presented with the Association’s Tilt-up Achievement Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the sector. 

Dusty Boosts Panels per Day at VEMAC by Over 600%

To give his business a sharper edge in this crowded market, David looks for new technology to speed up layout and guarantee 100% accuracy.

To that end, he has adopted the Dusty Robotics FieldPrinter. Its accuracy and speed of layout has boosted his daily layout rates by an astonishing 600%.

“Dusty’s had a truly amazing effect on the amount of work we can do. We were previously hitting 15 panels a day with a great crew or six with a less experienced crew – and our crew sizes were between seven and ten people. We now can regularly do 100 panels a day with just one person.”

David Venegas

CEO

David continues, “That’s amazing when you compare what we’re doing against the industry average, which is anything between 10-15 panels a day. We’re really killing it! And I believe it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m convinced there’s more to come with Dusty.”

The increased speed VEMAC has with Dusty also enables higher quality finished panels, because the team can saw-cut panels before they’re fully cured in order to better control expansion and potential cracking points. 

Dusty’s FieldPrinter is a Game-Changer

The remarkable productivity boost at VEMAC since Dusty’s arrival has been noted admiringly by others across the tilt-up sector.

“My peer group thinks what we’re doing is phenomenal. They hear what we’re doing and say ‘it’s a game changer’.”

That’s certainly proving the case at VEMAC. Thanks to the speed of Dusty’s layouts, David is now able to take on more work, while using the same labor force he currently employs. With the market for talent in construction as tight as it is, that’s a real bonus.

Of course, technology breakthroughs like Dusty can make some people fearful for their jobs, but David doesn’t see it that way at all. “It’s not about us replacing people, it’s about us finding cooler jobs that people want. It’s much easier to find robotic operators for both Dusty and drones than straight manual labor, and I can pay them more per hour too.”

100% Accuracy Means More Efficient Site Work

But of course it’s not just speed that’s important to David. Dusty’s 100% accurate layouts are vital for maintaining the company’s blue-chip reputation.

“Dusty has really improved the quality and accuracy of our formwork layouts,” David says. “And because Dusty only does what you tell it to print, it’s forcing us to be more focused on the data in the office. We now work more collaboratively before we go on site so we get everything right the first time when we’re on the job.”

Dusty Helps VEMAC’s Clients Perform

VEMAC’s heightened productivity is strongly differentiating them from their competitors. And it’s creating equally positive impacts with their customers, says David, who sees them responding to the Dusty effect by raising their own game.

“It’s encouraging our customers to get their act together as we can deliver panels for them so much more quickly than before. We’re telling them ‘You’d better be ready for us!’ and that’s earned us a new level of respect. ‘These guys aren’t messing around!’ is what I’m hearing everywhere. Coordination and communication between us and our customers has now reached a new level.”

David notes too that Dusty’s impact on his business means in turn that his customers are building much faster. “And I don’t know anyone who ever says ‘No’ to going faster, with the price of money as it is. What we’re doing also lets them build in more contingency time at the back end of the project to use if they need to.”

Dusty Gives VEMAC a Competitive Edge

Dusty is now giving VEMAC an even sharper competitive edge when bidding on work. Says David: “We’re well known for delivering creative solutions—we were an early adopter of drones for concrete spraying—and Dusty is increasing our reputation for innovation in the tilt-up market.”

That reputation is also helping David attract and retain a skilled labor force. Recruiting people to work in tilt-up construction had been an issue for VEMAC in recent years, but the young engineers that David and his team have been targeting are definitely interested in being trained to work with robots on site. “It appeals far more than carrying out manual layouts while crawling about on their hands and knees,” he says. 

David concludes, “Today, there's no new standard; there's just me better than everybody else. But soon, automated layout with Dusty will become the new standard."