1960's - The beginning

In a dark musty bar off the Detroit River, the dust free bulk loading spout as it's known today was sketched up on a cocktail napkin. Ron Pair, Founder of Midwest International and Hayes Jensen maintenance manager for Medusa Cement, sat together with drinks in hand and shared design concepts of what later became the MC22-EV bulk loading spout. The design was compact and flexible. It had an integral drive and would make dust free loading effortless. It would also make all other loading mechanisms and spouting obsolete. Manufactured by Midwest International (Ron Pair Enterprises) it was first implemented at Medusa Cement - Detroit Plant and later at Huron and Penn-Dixie Cement. From Detroit to Chicago and soon after coast to coast, the Midwest bulk loading spout pioneered an industry, which would ultimately resonate across the globe.

The first Midwest loading spout installed at Medusa Cement in Detroit

Ron Pair (LEFT) staging a photo shoot for an MD30-OV model spout

Vintage advertisement

Open vehicle loading of lime

Lime discharging from an MD30-OV bulk loading spout

Vintage shiploading advertisement

Midwest's first manufacturing facility in St. Clair Shores, Michigan

Ron Pair (MIDDLE) inspecting an MI96 flexible outer spout while sporting some fashionable slacks.

MD30-EV loading into an enclosed truck

Ron Pair posing in front of an MI96-OV coal stacker for Detroit Stoker