Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/581365
37 AGGREGATES MANAGER October 2015 COMMUNITY RELATIONS or growth. This usually took between 15 and 20 minutes. We then spent the rest of the time listening to our neighbors' concerns. There have been many lessons learned from these meetings, in- cluding the following: 1) Always be honest and open when answering questions. A corollary to that rule is to always be positive about our terrific in- dustry and the wonderful people that make up its workforce. 2) Be responsive to neighborhood concerns. 3) Listen and respond in a non- confrontational way during the meetings. Basic neighbor concerns included vibrations due to blasts, dust when the wind blew, and truck traffic, es- pecially at night. The most frequent- ly mentioned concern was vibrations that may have cracked the plaster on the walls of neighbor's homes. We would listen to the neighbors' concerns during the meeting. The next day, we would call to set up an appointment to meet the home- owner at his home, assess his concerns, and have a more detailed discussion about his home and the importance of our business. If the damage was small, we set up a date for a local contractor, usually one of our small customers, to fix the crack at our cost. We never admitted fault, but stated that we were making the repair because we wanted to be a good neighbor, and we also appreci- ated their efforts at being a good neighbor. When planning for an improve- ment or expansion, we would at- tempt to get the information to our neighborhood group six to 12 months before we went to public hearing. This allowed the neighbors time to talk with one another and come back with their thoughts. We listened to them and, in several cases, made minor adjustments to the plan. The results were very gratifying. During the time the neighborhood council has been in place, we have permitted and built a rail siding and permitted and built a new production plant without any community opposition. And the news keeps getting better. When Bluegrass Materials bought Maryland Materials, it had already started a more formalized and im- proved community relations program at its Churchville Quarry, about 20 miles south of MMI. And they have hired a terrific consultant (yours truly) to act as its director of public affairs. We hope to build upon past successes and improve an already good pro- gram. We want the communities that we serve to think of us as pillars of that community. We are on our way to doing just that. AM Evoco Partners was established in late 2014 to help business owners successfully manage the o en complex process of acquisitions and divestitures. With over 20 years of M&A experience, including more than 10 years for one of the largest construction materials companies in the U.S., we understand what it takes to help buyers and sellers execute their growth and exit strategies. Evoco Partners is passionate about honesty, integrity, and personalized service. We act as trusted advisors and business partners to help our clients successfully meet their goals. Please contact us to discuss how we can be come a valued business partner for you. Evoco Partners, LLC Closes First Transaction Contact: Nathan Green Managing Partner 979-595-6811 nathan.green@evocopartners.com Evoco Partners acted as a financial advisor to Lewis and Lewis in its sale to Summit Materials acquired by EvocoPartners_AGRM0915.indd 1 8/17/15 3:19 PM Do you have a community relations strategy you'd like to share? Please email Editor-in-Chief Therese Dunphy at tdunphy@randallreilly.com. Dave Thomey is a industry veteran and well respected leader. He has served in both operation and association management positions.tdunphy@randallreilly.com.