The 12-story blue tower at the corner of Hancock Street and the Muskogee Turnpike stores the raw materials that could build schools, hospitals and other structures in five states.

The tower has been the “what is that” landmark for Central Mortar and Grout, which opened 21 months ago in Muskogee.

“It’s easy to see in that location,” said Dave Ross, Central’s vice president.

The tower, which bears the company’s blue-star logo, stores 2,000 tons of raw materials, including aggregate, sand and dry cement, Ross said.

Central Mortar and Grout has experienced tremendous growth since the tower went up on the 29.4-acre site. The industry received the Business Startup of the Year Award at the 2008 Business and Industry Fall Banquet, sponsored by Muskogee Development, Muskogee Chamber of Commerce and Indian Capital Technology Center.

“In 21 months, we have grown from zero to a lot,” Ross said. “Our growth is on a revised target, given the current economy.”

Still, Ross said he feels very confident that the business will grow.

“Oklahoma’s economy has been sheltered from the downturn that’s hit the coasts,” he said. “Fortunately, our communities and municipalities are investing in schools and hospitals. We supplied products for the new Muskogee Community Hospital.”

He said the mortar and grout plant serves a 200-mile radius, serving Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, as well as Oklahoma.

“We have customers in Wichita, Joplin, Springdale-Fayetteville, down to Little Rock. We just started a job in Cooper, Texas,” he said. “We’re doing several jobs in Oklahoma City. Being the only supplier in the state, it’s going to keep money in the state. You don’t need universities going to out-of-state suppliers for their projects.”

He the University of Arkansas or similar institutions can be an exception.

“We’ve got projects going at University of Oklahoma. We did work at NSU, University of Central Oklahoma, Durant. We did remodeling at University of Tulsa’s Skelly Stadium, Tulsa Technology Center.”

Ross said Central Grout and Mortar offers “a full line of mortar and grout for the masonry industry.”

“We are a one-stop shop for mortar and grout,” he said. “We are the only full-service manufacturer of this product in the state.”

Mortar is not just mortar. Ross said builders need different strengths depending on what they’re building.