Conewago Makes Sustainable Concrete a Reality for its Pennsylvania Community

Welcome to Hanover, Pennsylvania, the next stop on our Around the World with CarbonCure series. This small town is home to Conewago Manufacturing, a regional ready mix producer bringing sustainable concrete to its community. 

Conewago is a family-owned construction and ready mix concrete company serving clients throughout the mid-Atlantic region. 

Founded in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1956 under the name Conewago Contractors, Conewago has grown and diversified over time. Over the past few decades, the company has grown its offerings to include a ready mix operation, mobile concrete ready mix, precast, steel fabrication, and steel and precast erection services. The growth of these services led to the establishment of the manufacturing division as a standalone company called Conewago Manufacturing.

Conewago is dedicated to helping organizations turn visions into reality. In 2020, the company took this dedication a step further by embarking on a mission to turn sustainable concrete into a reality for its community by adopting CarbonCure’s technology.

“When it comes to sustainability, we all have to think about what we’re doing and the impact that it has on the environment. It’s not about the dollars and cents. It’s about doing the right thing. With every load of concrete that leaves our plant, we’re essentially giving back to the community from a sustainability perspective,” said Jason Blase, President, Conewago Manufacturing.

By working closely with CarbonCure’s dedicated Installation and Maintenance team, the actual install was completed in just two days with no interruption to Conewago’s production process. After just a few months, the company had already implemented CarbonCure in 98.87% of its concrete mix designs to deliver low-carbon concrete to its customers.

The company’s evaluation process has confirmed that the concrete it makes with CarbonCure technology maintains the high performance it is known for, but with a reduced carbon footprint. There have been no adverse effects on fresh or hardened concrete properties and no noticeable changes in pumping, placing, and finishing.

As well as helping to fulfill its sustainability goals, CarbonCure has made good business sense for Conewago. “We didn’t embark on our CarbonCure journey for profitability reasons. However, we noted a 7.5% return on investment on our original target of just 1%,” said Jason.

Now let’s visit Conewago’s home - the quaint Pennsylvanian town of Hanover and its beautiful and historic surroundings!

Welcome to Snack Town, USA!

Get Snacking

As a hub for snack food manufacturing, Hanover lives up to its reputation as “snack capital of the world.”

Utz Quality Foods, known especially for potato chips, and Snyder’s of Hanover, one of the country’s best-selling pretzels, have their origins and headquarters in the town. Several other popular snack food brands such as Revonah Pretzels, Wege of Hanover Pretzels, and Martin’s Potato Chips also have roots in Hanover or its surrounds.

You can take a tour of many of the facilities – and enjoy a snack at the same time! There’s even an annual festival celebrating snacks – the Snack Town Street Fair, filled with crafters, street food, and entertainment.

Take a Walk

You can walk through history with the two-mile self-guided walking tour of the Civil War Battle of Hanover or walk along the Hanover Trolley Trail and follow the route of the old trolley that connected Hanover with other communities in the early 1900s.

If you’re feeling adventurous, the Appalachian Trail passes through the area but be warned: the Pennsylvania section of the Appalachian Trail is known as "the place where boots go to die" and "Bootsylvania" because of the rocky conditions that are hard on hiking boots.

Go Back in History

The Gettysburg Battlefield is just over an hour drive from Hanover. Here, you can visit the 6,000-acre battlefield that includes more than 1,300 monuments, markers and memorials showcasing the history of this important site. 

There are many different ways to experience the battlefield. You can take a tour in your car, by bus or by bicycle with a licensed guide who will give you an engaging and enlightening perspective. There are also options to tour the area on horseback, in a horse-drawn carriage or on a segway – or be your own guide and create your own tour.

Make sure you check out the film, cyclorama and exhibits at the Museum & Visitor Center to help prepare you for what you’ll see on the battlefield, and end your day with a visit to the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Visit the Capitol in the Capital

The small, historic city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital city, is also a short drive from Hanover. Located on the banks of the Susquehanna River, it's full of Victorian and neoclassical architecture and attractions for American history buffs, such as the National Civil War Museum and its 21,000 American Civil War artifacts.

On your must-see list is the impressive Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex with its ornate dome, a replica of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Inside, there are more than 475 rooms with artwork, statues and murals. Free tours are available. 

Our Next Stop

Make sure to join us next month as we travel for the first time to Latin America, visiting Polpaico BSA in Chile! You can sign up for our blog here so you don’t miss our next adventure!