RockBlog

Run by the sun, Graniterock quarry takes the lead on greener community and infrastructure

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Fri, March 5th, 2021, 2:47 pm

Photo: Site of Graniterock solar projectAROMAS – Graniterock is turning to the sun to help power its 121-year old A.R. Wilson Quarry in Aromas, becoming one of the first California mines to make a major investment in renewable energy.The company, committed to sustainable operations, is installing 15,000 photovoltaic solar panels that will supply more than half of the hard rock quarry’s energy needs.The $15 million, 5-megawatt project is another step toward Graniterock operating as a low-carbon ... Read More

• green energy
• innovation
• solar energy

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Rock and Rail: Construction career on the right track

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Wed, January 13th, 2021, 4:10 pm

AROMAS – Dan Slavin had his hands full when he switched his construction career to rail operations.In 2005, he went to the company’s late president Bruce W. Woolpert and asked to move from aggregate sales and production to managing the 300 rail cars that haul rock and sand to Graniterock concrete and asphalt plants in the San Francisco Bay Area.“I asked for the rail job,” Dan said. “I’ve always had a real interest in rail.”At the ... Read More

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Structures construction estimator sounds alarm on falsework

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Fri, November 13th, 2020, 12:03 pm

SAN JOSE – David Kennedy has skied some steep mountains, including theValle Blancheat Mont Blanc in the Alps where alpine adventurers touch France, Italy and Switzerland at the 12,600-foot top.He was a member of the UC Davis cycling team all through college.Dave’s not the type to shy away from an adrenaline rush.If you want to make this structures specialist sweat, start talking about falsework.“Falsework is considered the single most dangerous thing we do in construction,” David ... Read More

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Champion of the asphalt industry wants to spread the news

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Tue, August 11th, 2020, 1:30 pm

SACRAMENTO – Russell Snyder learned about the power of sharing information in high school.What the teen witnessed after publishing his first newspaper in the late 1970s, part of an elective class taken simply because it fit the schedule, has stuck with him today as the core of his work heading up theCalifornia Asphalt Pavement Association.“For an entire day everyone’s head was down looking at the paper,” Russell said. “Seeing people read my stuff, that’s how I ... Read More

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Chico State’s concrete graduates have strong hold on job market

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Fri, July 10th, 2020, 6:47 pm

(Left to right: Tanner Olsen, Paige Silva, Aubrey Miller, Monica Marin, Casey Cowern, Johnny Lopez and Samera Khan)CHICO – Typical of college freshmen, Paige Silva couldn’t decide on a major.The Sacramento native spent her first year at Chico State flip flopping between graphic design and biochemistry.Back and forth she went until landing on neither.Paige, 22, shifted directions entirely after learning about Chico’sconcrete industry management programthat produces graduates who are prepared for just about any career in ... Read More

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How one California university is shaping future of the concrete industry

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Wed, March 11th, 2020, 12:18 pm

CHICO – Like a project manager on a job site, Chico State Professor Mohammed Albahitti begins the carbon fiber reinforced concrete lab exercise with a pre-task plan that emphasizes safety.Before the students dash off to glue carbon fibers to concrete cylinders and beams, Mohammed warns of the power of epoxy.“This is ultra-high strength epoxy and can glue your hands shut. Do not joke around with epoxy,” he tells the group of men and women ages 18-22. ... Read More

• concrete

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Aggregate mining leader crushes records on safety, team work and tenure

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Tue, February 11th, 2020, 12:43 pm

HOLLISTER – According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. worker stays with a company about four years before moving on.Bill Damm, who oversees Graniterock’s sand and gravel production in San Benito County, has crushed that statistic 10 times over and is still going strong.Entering his 41st year atGraniterock, Bill has the energy and drive to help bridge the gap between new people joining the company and experienced veterans such as himself who ... Read More

• rock star

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Aggregate loader operators have a special knack for customer service

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Thu, January 30th, 2020, 1:00 pm

AROMAS – Loader operatorsJesse PalmerinandRuben Cardonacould write the book on great customer service for truckers hauling construction materials.Together, they load more than 350 customer trucks each day within half a ton of the targeted weight, easily handling 13,000 tons daily.Jesse and Ruben are so accurate that inall of 2019, every truck was loaded within 98.5 percent of the specified target.They rarely, if ever, tap the box with their bucket.And if they do, you’re sure to hear ... Read More

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Construction Rock Star shares how a good coach can change your life

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Wed, January 15th, 2020, 12:22 pm

SAN JOSE – As Rene Rascon will tell you, a good coach can change your life.Rene, operations manager forReed and Graham, never would have found himself playing for a Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins) minor league team if it weren’t for the baseball coach at Cabrillo College in Aptos.Rene, a star outfielder, was ready to hang up his glove after a lackluster senior year at Watsonville High School in 1992.Urged by his father to stick ... Read More

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Construction executive shares common bond with migrant children

Posted by Shanna McCord Crigger on Mon, December 23rd, 2019, 1:34 pm

WATSONVILLE – The son of Mexican immigrants who labored in the fields and canneries, Graniterock Executive Vice President Henry Ramirez is sincere when he tells Watsonville High School students, “I’m just like you.”He feels a connection with migrant children who grow up watching their parents work in agriculture, often serving as translator between English and Spanish to make life in America a little easier for their families.Henry made the most of his circumstances by embracing education ... Read More

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