Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/140126
by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com VOL. 18, NO. 6 aggman.com /AggregatesManager @AggMan_editor Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Amanda Bayhi editorial@aggman.com Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Graphic Designer: Kristen Chapman Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@aggman.com Construction Media Senior VP, Construction Media: Dan Tidwell VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com 3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com Corporate Chairman/CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Process Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Administration Officer: David Wright Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Alan Sims Vice President, Audience Development: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Director of Marketing: Julie Arsenault For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com. Aggregates ManagerTM magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by RandallReilly Publishing Company copyright 2013. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Editorial_AGRM0613.indd 7 GOOD WILL A s economic and production challenges were top of mind for producers during recent years, many spent less time than normal focused on community relations. While nearly 70 percent of producers tell us community relations is not a problem for their operations, it is important to remember that the next permit expansion or greenfield site does require community support. The importance of a social license to operate cannot be underestimated and is rarely taken for granted. In our last reader interest survey, aggregates managers shared with us information about the numerous types of community relations activities in which they are they engaged. The results can be seen in Figure 1. More than two in three respondents say they are involved in local community programs such as their chambers of commerce. It's a great way to reach out to other local business owners. While generating comFigure 1: Community Relations Activities munity relations benefits, it also introduces the busiLocal community program: 69.0% ness to potential customScout/sports sponsorship: 52.4% ers. For example, Cemex's pen house: 52.4% Center Hill Mine invites the Sumter County School partnership: 50.0% Chamber of Commerce Community advisory group: 33.3% Leadership Group to its Other: 16.7% site twice a year to tour the operation and ask Community audit: 9.5% questions. The second most popu- Source: Aggregates Manager Reader Interest Survey lar engagement activity is providing sponsorships of scouting groups and sports teams. Rogers Group's Lacey Quarry takes that role to an extreme. When its local community didn't have the funds necessary to maintain the grounds at its youth sports complex, the operation stepped in to donate stone for the parking lot and even cover the grounds maintenance costs. One in two operators has a school partnership, and nowhere is this more likely to be the case than at Vulcan Materials Co. operations. Although schools have cut back on field trips as they experience shrinking budgets, Vulcan's East Region interacts with nearly 12,000 students each year through its Adopt-a-School programs. But it's not just the big companies that are out there doing good work. Representatives from Martin Stone Quarries have visited four schools and talked to 280 students so far this spring. And Spencer, Mass.-based Bond Construction Corp. hosted two tours of high school students from the local technical high school earlier this year (see the story on page 33). Whether it's as simple as hosting a pack of Boy Scouts to fish at your site or as involved as organizing a 5K run at your site to benefit a local charity, consider how your operation can reach out and demonstrate its value to the community. The goodwill generated by such positive interactions is always worth the effort. EDITORIAL • 7 JUNE 2013 Building 5/16/13 1:30 PM