Riv/Crete on Being a Market Leader with Sustainable Concrete in Milwaukee

Welcome to our latest stop on our Around the World tour! This month we are visiting Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home to concrete producer Riv/Crete Ready Mix — a recent adopter of CarbonCure Ready Mix and a sustainable leader in their market. 

Riv/Crete was started five years ago by Nicholas Rivecca and his brother Mike Rivecca after they bought out their father and a former business partner. This combination of an innovative new company with decades of experience in the concrete and construction industry has set the business up for success. 

This union-based company focuses on commercial work although it services all segments of the construction industry.

Milwaukee is a conservative market that is not an early adopter of newer technologies, says Nicholas, but Riv/Crete recognized the growing trend towards carbon reduction and the opportunity to position their company as a market leader in sustainable concrete. “If we could be ahead of the curve, understand how the technology works and have experience with it, then when it came more to fruition, we would be prepared to deliver it,” said Nicholas. “We'd rather be a market leader than chase competition.”

Installing CarbonCure’s concrete technology into their operations took only a few days. The company then did extensive testing and mix optimizations before bringing it to market. Nicholas says that CarbonCure’s technical services team collaboration with their QC department was incredibly helpful. As well, access to CarbonCure’s sales training, marketing collateral, spec language and sustainability data has helped drive demand.

So far, Riv/Crete has used CarbonCure on two projects. They decided to start cautiously, using a 3% cementitious reduction in mixes for walls and footings to introduce the concept of sustainable concrete to customers. “That seemed like a really easy approach to getting CarbonCure comfortably accepted on projects,” said Nicholas.

Nicholas is excited to see where CarbonCure takes them in the future now that they’ve gained expertise in using sustainable concrete. “We've gotten to the point where the training wheels are off,” he said. “I feel like we're really going to have a positive big year using CarbonCure’s technology.”

Let’s see what Milwaukee, situated on the western shore of beautiful Lake Michigan, has to offer!

Join the Big Leagues

Milwaukee is known for its love of sports, which isn’t surprising considering its many home teams. Basketball lovers can root for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, while hockey fans can enjoy the Milwaukee Admirals, a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League. Baseball devotees won’t want to miss the Milwaukee Brewers at the American Family Field, where the parking lots are filled for one of the best tailgating experiences around. 

Go Wild at the Zoo

The Milwaukee County Zoo is just a short drive from downtown and is home to more than 2,200 animals representing 330 species. Meet animals from around the world, such as spotted hyenas, camels, giraffes and penguins! But it’s not only animal fun at the zoo. You can also ride the Sky Safari to get a bird’s eye view, hop on board the Safari Train or take a tree-top adventure with the Sky Adventure Ropes Courses & Zip Line!

Learn About an Icon

Milwaukee is the birthplace of the iconic motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson. You can explore the lifestyle and culture of the motorcycle community, as well as get a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s history and heritage, at the Harley-Davidson Museum. This 20-acre attraction has fun for the whole family with interactive exhibits, special events and Harley-Davidson motorcycles and memorabilia.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Travel like a local and enjoy a scoop of frozen custard in the city that boasts more frozen custard stands per capita than anywhere else in the world. If you prefer something a bit less chilly, try some tasty cheese curds, another local specialty. Wash it down with a drink at one of Milwaukee’s many pubs or craft breweries and then enjoy the many festivals and cultural attractions, such as the annual music festival Summerfest (attracting over a million people each year) or the Milwaukee Film Festival. 

Our Next Stop

Join us in April as we go "across the pond" to visit our first UK customer, Kilsaran in Ireland, for our next stop in our Around the World tour! Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!