J&R Slaw's factor is tucked away on a quiet road in Bowmanstown, but they're making big waves in the construction business.

The precast concrete manufacturer is known as a premier provider of concrete products and is one of only three businesses between Connecticut and South Carolina to be certified in architectural, bridge and commercial/structural production by the Precast Concrete Institute."We can produce a wide variety of projects, from standard bridge beams and wall panels to architectural projects, very pretty," said Chris Slaw. "We've moved away from highway projects to more architectural projects," such as parking garages and multi-dwelling units, he said.During a recent work day, their 40,000 square feet work area was filled with the sound of dozens of workers pouring slabs for the Rockaway boardwalk in Queens, New York.With nearly 4.7 miles of boardwalk to replace, J&R Slaw expects production to continue into next year. They are currently pouring 18 slabs per day, each 6 feet wide and 30 feet long. The completed project will include 4,600 slabs.Pouring for the Rockaway boardwalk began in January, and the first phase of the boardwalk was opened earlier this year.Many of their forms are handmade using lumber. Poured into these forms is a high-performance concrete, which has a very high strength and dries overnight. One shift of workers will pour concrete, and the morning shift will remove finished projects from its forms.While normal, ready-mix concrete can withstand the stress of up to 3,000 pounds per square inch, high-performance concrete can tolerate nearly three times the weight. J&R Slaw typically works with concrete that is 8,000-10,000 psi."That allows designers to do things that they couldn't do with basic strength concrete," he said.With no stopping for poor weather conditions and the ability to quickly "build" a vertical wall or floor panel, there's also a much faster turnover for large projects compared to on-site construction. This means substantial money and time saved on larger projects."You can make a really big wall panel that's four stories high, for example. We can install more square feet of wall panels per day than a crew of masons can put up in a block or stone wall," Slaw said.Finished panels are then bolted to a metal support frame."We can also cast in any weather, and then ship when the construction company is ready for the product."Also on site recently were noise-barrier panels for the Pennsylvania turnpike. Concrete is poured into a rubber stone-patterned form and then stamped on the top surface with a matching stone pattern.Concrete is mixed at the plant using computer-automated equipment, which uses set formulas to create the correct concrete strength and moisture content for a given project. Finished projects can be sand blasted or power washed to expose aggregates.Dyes can also be added to tint the concrete or add accents. In the Rockaway boardwalk project, large blue letters visible from airplanes will spell "Rockaway," and a tint is being added to designate a biking path."We like to think of our product as hand-crafted precast. We have a lot of employees and they put a lot of care into our projects," Slaw said. "What we're doing costs money, but it shows."Due to the cost of transporting finished products, the company works primarily within a 150-mile radius. They work as far north as New York and Long Island and south of Philadelphia.Because J&R Slaw is one of the few local companies certified in multiple areas of construction, their competitors often work with them to complete large or complex projects requiring expertise in various skill sets.And sometimes a job is just too big for one company. J&R Slaw was asked to collaborate during the building the MetLife Stadium in New York, home to the New York Giants and New York Jets. They cast approximately one-quarter of the stadium's precast risers.J&R Slaw credits their diversification with helping them to survive the recent recession, which hit most construction companies hard. At a time when thousands of construction workers were out of jobs, "We all tightened our belts and kept going," Slaw said."Work right now is very busy," he said. "We're just about to the volume of work we were doing before the recession."The company hit an all-time high of 154 employees in 2007, and briefly hit this peak again this year. This year's big project, the Rockaway boardwalk, was started after the company worked to replace several sections of the Coney Island boardwalk in 2013, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy."They're replacing a lot of the wooden boardwalks with precast concrete," he said, noting that the sturdy material has a dual benefit: It's structurally durable and more able to withstand intense storms, and also protects beach areas from erosion."One draw of precast is the durability. You're pouring in controlled climates," he said. "Our products are going to last a long time. It's safe to say that a lot of what our employees are building today will outlast the people who build them."Slaw noted that multiple reasons brought the business to the area. When the business opened in 1979, its founders were attracted to both access to state highways and the availability of raw materials."Carbon County has a very good infrastructure for shipping heavy materials, and the best cement is produced right here in the Lehigh Valley," he said. "We found that the area also is home to lots of hard workers. They take pride in their workmanship."He said there are many long-term employees who have been with the company since the 1980s and '90s."We have some foremen that have been with the business since we founded the company," said Slaw. "They found a home here."J&R SlawLocation: 438 Riverview Road, LehightonNumber of employees: 145Job opportunities: Accepting applicationsWhat sets them apart: Certified in architectural, bridge, and commercial/structural production; one of only three between Connecticut and South Carolina to have this distinction.One surprising fact: Many construction and precast concrete businesses survived the recession by diversifying.