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Qualities that make good leaders
What's the one thing you must have to be a leader? Is it commitment, competency or compassion? How about confidence or courage? Those are all good traits of leaders, but one can't be a leader without a follower. That was one of the messages Karl H. Watson Jr., former president of Cemex USA, delivered to those who attended the recent Young Leaders Meeting of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA). "The one thing you must have to be a leader is a follower," says Watson, whose former company's U.S. network includes 74 quarries, 46 distribution terminals, 13 cement plants and more than 350 ready-mix concrete plants. Watson's leadership concept is a simple one and, yes, it's somewhat obvious. But, as Watson dove deeper into leadership, his discussion shifted to leaders and bosses. Leaders aren't necessarily bosses, he says, and bosses aren't necessarily leaders. Leaders can be bosses and bosses can be leaders, but one isn't necessarily inherent in the other. "Leadership is earned," Watson says. "Leadership is a… Keep Reading
Quarterly volumes, pricing up at Martin Marietta
Martin Marietta released its first-quarter performance results, announcing an aggregates product-line volume increase of more than 13 percent and price increases of more than 8 percent. “We are especially pleased to report a record first quarter even as we are only in the early stage of recovery in broadly based construction activity," says Ward Nye, chairman, president and CEO of Martin Marietta. "Our ability to perform so well without the benefit of consistent macroeconomic support reflects positively on Martin Marietta’s disciplined execution against our strategic priorities. According to Martin Marietta, its Mid-America Group led the company with a 28 percent increase in aggregates product-line shipments, resulting from the start of several large, principally state-funded highway projects across North Carolina and South Carolina; and increased residential and non-residential construction activity. Aggregates product line shipments reflect growth in all end-use markets, the company adds. Shipments to the infrastructure market comprised 39 percent of quarterly volumes and increased 13 percent. Growth was driven by large projects in North Carolina and the Southeast, two areas… Keep Reading
The latest on highway funding, WOTUS and more
Hal Williford, president of Memphis Stone & Gravel Co. and chairman of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) offered an update on areas of interest to the association at the recent Young Leaders Meeting in Austin, Texas. Highway funding: Although the five-year, $305-billion FAST Act is a victory of sorts for the aggregates industry, more advocacy work must be done in this area to guarantee more consistent federal funding for transportation infrastructure, according to Williford. "It's hard to build a new section of highway that's going to take three years to build if you only have six months of funding," he says. "We need to tell Congress we need a steady stream of money. We're borrowing from other programs." Williford, like many transportation advocates, is a proponent of a federal gas tax increase that would provide additional funds for the Highway Trust Fund. He realizes this is an unlikely path toward new funding, but he's optimistic about actions individual states have taken to address their transportation infrastructure needs.… Keep Reading
P&Q Hall of Fame Profile: Stephen P. Zelnak Jr.
Steve Zelnak had a vision, one that would reshape the distribution dynamics of construction materials at Martin Marietta Materials Inc. Unfortunately for Zelnak, few others, if any, initially shared his vision. “I was the only person in our company and in the industry at the time who appeared to have a global view of distribution,” says Zelnak, a former president, CEO and chairman of the board at Martin Marietta. “I had to spend a lot of time educating people in our company about the opportunities, because the opportunities weren’t intuitively obvious.” Executing a vision Zelnak, who joined the Martin Marietta Corp. in 1981 as vice president of planning and development, saw numerous opportunities for growth. Specifically, Zelnak saw viable markets along U.S. coastlines and 30 miles inland where populations were increasing and construction materials were lacking. “If you consider the coastline from North Carolina all the way around to the Mexican border and look at a geology map, there’s very little aggregate and, in most cases, no aggregate in those… Keep Reading
P&Q Hall of Fame Profile: Donald M. James
A number of great leaders have guided Vulcan Materials Co. over the years. Leaders such as Charles Ireland, John Lambert, Barney Monaghan, Houston Blount and Herb Skelnar. Count Don James, a longtime Vulcan chairman and CEO, among that group of company greats. “Don led Vulcan Materials as the largest aggregates supplier in the U.S. for 18 years, significantly expanding its operations throughout the nation,” says James Prokopanko, Vulcan’s lead director. “During that time, he guided Vulcan through periods of strong growth, as well as difficult market downturns, always with a keen eye on customer service, creating opportunities for employees and building sustainable, long-term value for shareholders. James did indeed take Vulcan to new financial heights. Under his leadership, first as president and then as CEO, Vulcan’s enterprise value grew from $2 billion to about $10 billion. Plus, the aggregates facilities the company operates increased from 122 to more than 325. “We had tremendous growth at Vulcan, and I am very proud of that growth,” James says. “I’m proud of our… Keep Reading
New Martin Marietta quarry represents record investment
Martin Marietta held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a $158 million, rail-connected limestone quarry in Hondo, Texas. According to Martin Marietta, the site, known as Medina Rock & Rail, is the company’s largest capital investment to date. Before opening the grounds for an inaugural tour, Ward Nye, chairman, president and CEO, praised those involved in the project for maintaining Martin Marietta's commitment to safety. "We started this project with the view that no one was going to get hurt, and we ended this project with the view that no one was going to get hurt," Nye says. "We worked to control behaviors and made sure ours were not empty words. When we talk about safety, we mean it and we live it." Larry Roberts, Southwest Division president, says he was excited to see an idea conceived more than a decade ago come to fruition. “Medina Quarry not only provides the stone required today, it establishes a strong growth foundation for our future business,” he says. According to the company, more than 14,000 cu. yd. of concrete… Keep Reading
Blasting, explosives safety training course available
RAM Inc. plans to host its annual Blasting and Explosives Safety Training (BEST) Course Sept. 7-9 at the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, S.D. According to RAM, the 20 continuing education-hours course will include an instructional tour of the Crazy Horse Memorial and sightseeing tours of Deadwood, S.D., and Mount Rushmore. "Today, there is a growing recognition and culture of thinking and acting safely at work so employees go home to their families every night uninjured,” says Robert McClure, president of RAM and a BEST course facilitator and instructor. “Our enhanced BEST Course is a great opportunity for companies to improve the recognition of hazardous situations and advance the safe use of explosives.” The BEST Course, developed for all experience levels, is taught by instructors with decades of practical experience in their respective fields, educating attendees on explosives safety and application, hazard recognition, accident prevention, regulations and new product introductions related to explosives and face profiling, the company says. Those who complete the 2016 BEST Course receive… Keep Reading
Perspective: James, Zelnak were industry ‘titans’
Gus Edwards, who devoted 16 years of his career to the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA), spent considerable time around Vulcan Materials Co.'s Don James and Martin Marietta Materials Inc.'s Steve Zelnak during his tenure. To Edwards, James and Zelnak were "titans of the industry" who commanded respect from everyone around them. "They were both such dynamic and different guys," Edwards says. "Their styles were different, but both turned out to be excellent [NSSGA] chairmen. Both cared so deeply about the association, about the industry and about the future of the industry. They were towering figures. I can't talk about one without the other." James, who served NSSGA as chairman in 2006, and Zelnak, who held the same post two years earlier, had a friendly rivalry, according to Edwards. Both prioritized the industry's advancement, though. Through NSSGA and other organizations, James and Zelnak were regular proponents for passage of comprehensive long-term highway bills. They also both prioritized safety, according to Edwards. "It was a top priority for both… Keep Reading
OSHA issues final rule on respirable silica dust
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) announced a final rule to improve protections for workers exposed to respirable silica dust. According to OSHA, the final rule will improve worker protection by reducing the permissible exposure limit for crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an eight-hour shift. The rule will also require employers to use engineering controls, such as water or ventilation, and work practices to limit worker exposure. Employers will also be required to provide respiratory protection when controls are not able to limit exposures to the permissible level; limit access to high exposure areas; train workers; and provide medical exams to highly exposed workers. The rule will also provide greater certainty and ease of compliance to construction employers, OSHA says, including many small employers, by including a table of specified controls they can follow to be in compliance, without having to monitor exposures. Compliance dates will be staggered to ensure employers have sufficient time to meet the requirements,… Keep Reading
