CalPortland has received the 2016-2017 Community Excellence Award from Arizona Rock Products Association (ARPA) for its contributions to local communities made over the past year.
Special consideration for the judges this year was the team effort made by the CalPortland Diablo Sand and Gravel plant near Coolidge, Ariz. The project that provided extra momentum for this year’s competition was the Burrowing Owl Relocation Operation, which took place over a period of eight months.
There were many other events that were helpful to CalPortland’s award, like participating at the Arizona Mining Days on the Capitol lawn, Career Day for 2,300 high school students who are curious about careers in mining and construction, and the Gold Status Award from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s VESP (Voluntary Environmental Stewardship Program). The VESP award was the result of aesthetic improvements made to the plant appearance for the community as well as for performing above and beyond the requirements for environmental sustainability.
With regard to the Burrowing Owl project, CalPortland opened the site up to anyone who wanted to pitch in and lend a hand. There were many volunteers from the community that came out on the first day and were still showing up eight months later to see the final phase when the owl tents were taken down and the birds were free to come and go.
“Projects like these demonstrate how committed CalPortland is to doing the right thing by promoting sustainable and responsible development,” the company said. “For more than 125 years, CalPortland has been a leader in the construction materials industry, driven by innovation created by its employees.”