More than 60 paver operators from across the United States, Canada and Mexico gathered for specialized training at Bid-Well’s annual pouring school, which took place at its facility in Canton, South Dakota.  

The annual training, held over two days, was hosted by the experienced Bid-Well Applications and Sales teams. The first day consisted of classroom topics covering Paver Setup and Calibration, Paving Procedures, Skewed Decks, Different Paving Scenarios, and proper use of Bid-Well paving equipment. Day two gave 65 students the opportunity to have hands-on training, using a Model 3600RC paver, the exact same machine that was taken to WOC 2024. The participants performed a set-up and calibration of the paver and paved a 29ft by 130ft concrete pad, at our next door neighbor trucking company Johnson Feed Inc. with the support of Jeff Crawford, Jon Rothwell, and Jason McCann from Bid-Well’s Applications team, with Mark Rhead, Brian Severson, and Marty Bachey from the Sales team supporting and answering questions. 

Being involved in an actual concrete pour enabled constructive interaction, sharing of expertise and knowledge, showing proper technique, how to achieve a uniform and consistent finish, as well as time-saving tips and tricks to get the most out of Bid-Well paving equipment. 

Mark Rhead, Sales Manager, Bid-Well explains, “When you buy a Bid-Well you are backed by the experience, service, and support of the industry leader. Direct interaction with operators that deal with the service and reliability of our equipment daily enables us to help with their immediate needs and questions but also drives continuous improvement going forward. Our number one priority is to ensure that our customer’s project is successful by training operators to properly set up and utilize their equipment.”

The Model 3600RC paver has a remote-control system that allows the operator to control the machine from the ground/work area offering increased safety, as well as the ability to communicate with other team members and more importantly with the concrete placer. The 3600RC—as well as its larger sister paver model 4800RC—is capable of paving bridge decks, flatwork and roads with minimal set up time and increased flexibility. 

“While paving, it is common for the operator to make minor adjustments to machine settings,” continues Mark. “Without our remote operation, he/she will either need to call down to a laborer on the ground to make the adjustment or will have to stop the paver and paving operation to make the change. Our remote control units give the operator the flexibility to move away from the platform and have greater control over machine settings.”

Since 1961, Bid-Well has been an industry leader in the development and manufacture of a complete line of versatile and specialized concrete paving machines for the bridge and highway construction market. Bid-Well pavers, manufactured in Canton, SD are not only used locally, but across the country and internationally as well.