Earlier this year, Jessica Palmer, executive director of the South Carolina Aggregates Association, shared an association LinkedIn post, simply titling it “Mustard Seeds.” The post highlights the importance of engaging the next generation and exposing them to the opportunities that exist in the trades. It noted that “change starts with us, and often times, making the greatest impact is as…
Read MoreAuthor: Therese Dunphy
Developing the Next Generation
At ARPA, Future Leaders Program Participants Learn The Importance Of Community Relations. By Therese Dunphy The Arizona Rock Products Association (ARPA) is cultivating the next generation of industry leadership through a year-long training program called Future Leaders. It began in 2017 and allows participants to learn skills they need to succeed in the industry and as individuals. “The purpose of…
Read MoreThe Gift of Giving
Luck Companies Celebrates Its Centennial By Empowering Associates To Contribute To The Charity Of Their Choice. By Therese Dunphy In 2023, Luck Companies marked 100 years in business by reflecting on its core values and traditions and celebrating them throughout a year-long campaign that included 34 events. From the time it was founded by Charles Luck Jr., Luck has been…
Read MoreCreating Happy Holidays
The Michigan Aggregates Association And Its Members Team Up For Toys For Tots Drive. By Therese Dunphy As the holidays approach, members of the Michigan Aggregates Association (MAA) are once again gearing up for their partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and the Toys for Tots campaign. In its fifth year as MAA’s holiday charity, the toy drive delivers…
Read MoreCreating a Living Legacy
The Bruce W. Woolpert Algebra Academy Honors Its Namesake’s Mission To Foster Math Skills In Its Local Community. In 2010, Bruce Woolpert, then president and CEO of Watsonville, Calif.-based Graniterock, became intrigued by a program Professor Hongde Hu ran at California State University Monterey Bay. The boot-camp style program was for incoming freshmen to provide a jumpstart in their math…
Read MoreThe Vulcan Way
Reflecting Its Cultural Values, Vulcan Joins Alabama Oyster Habitat Rehabilitation Effort. By Therese Dunphy Material donations are a fairly frequent occurrence for many aggregate producers, but the nation’s largest aggregates producer fielded a fairly unique request earlier this year. The Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) reached out to Vulcan Materials Co. for material to improve the oyster habitat in Mobile Bay.…
Read MoreThe Dolese Effect
Roger Dolese’s Legacy Is Expanding The Number Of Engineer Graduates, Ensuring More Young People Are Prepared To Help Build The Nation’s Future. by Therese Dunphy As his tenure at Dolese Bros. Co. drew to an end, Roger Dolese carefully considered what to do with the business. Mark Helm, president and CEO, said Dolese wanted a way to keep the company…
Read MoreSand Box Saturday
Morgan Sand & Gravel Encourages Kids To Spend Time Outdoors With An Annual Event That Fills Their Sand Boxes And Supports Community Organizations. By Therese Dunphy For more than 40 years, a small sand and gravel operation in Fort Morgan, Colo., has been encouraging area kids to spend time outside through its Sand Box Saturday program. The program was created…
Read MoreKerr County Goes Big on BMPs
Operators, Community Activists And The Local Government Are Working Together To Create A More Collaborative Environment Through A Focus On Voluntary Best Management Practices. By Therese Dunphy In Texas Hill Country, where there had been an acrimonious relationship between aggregate producers and local residents, the two groups came together – along with local government officials and business people – to…
Read MoreDigging Deep for Education
Martin Stone Quarries Gives Its Local Education Foundation Its Largest Donation Ever As It Supports STEM Programs And Workforce Development. By Therese Dunphy Earlier this year, the Foundation for Boyertown Education recently received a $75,000 donation; its single largest contribution ever. The generous donation came from long-time contributor Bechtelsville, Pa.-based Martin Stone Quarries Inc. It is but one in a…
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