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Friend of the Family: Jimmy Chiu
Posted by Terry Tuggey on Mar 18, 2015
Since the mid- 1990s, Jimmy Chiu, infrastructure program director at San Francisco International Airport, has played an important role in the airport’s unique partnership with Graniterock’s Construction Division. “Right from the beginning, we worked on a way to solve problems in a non-adversarial way,” Jimmy said. For example, if mix designs developed in a lab environment did not perform on site, the airport team worked with Graniterock to find a solution.
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Keeping It Green - Local Sourcing of Rock, Sand and Gravel
Posted by Keith Severson on Mar 18, 2015
People worldwide are rediscovering the benefits of “buying local.” Chefs have found that food from local gardens and farmers’ markets is not only fresher, tastier and more nutritious; it is also good for our economy - buying directly from family farmers helps keep them in business. They realize the adverse environmental impact of importing foodstuffs instead of obtaining them locally, and know that if we neglect our local sources they are in danger of disappearing.
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Up Close: Katlin Johnston
Posted by Rose Ann Woolpert on Mar 18, 2015
“There is no typical day. It never ends up the way I have planned it, and the day continuously changes– it is impossible to become bored. I love to be busy, and I have interaction with people all day long. If someone calls with a problem, you solve it, and it makes them happy,” Katlin said.
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Friends of the Family: Sean Venables and Mark Petersen of Duran and Venables, Inc.
Posted by Robert Ellenwood on Mar 18, 2015
CEO Sean Venables and his partner Mark Petersen recently described the company’s behavior-based safety program. “It was slow getting this approach started, but what we’ve seen is a change in attitude about safety among people in the field. Their concern for each other’s well-being, where everyone is looking out for each other, has made a big, big difference.
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Up Close: Jim Holmquist
Posted by Jim West on Mar 18, 2015
A native Californian, Jim’s family moved from the San Joaquin Valley to Santa Cruz when he was in sixth-grade. He graduated from Soquel High School in 1968 and the University of the Pacific in 1972, where he played football with Pete Carroll and was on the golf team as well. After graduation he received his teaching credential from University of the Pacific.
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A Snapshot of Graniterock History
Posted by Rose Ann Woolpert on Mar 18, 2015
100 years ago In 1914, Graniterock expanded its quarry operations with the purchase of 151 acres from Henry F. Blohm. The property, a section of the Jesse D. Carr subdivision, was once a part of the Mexican land grant Rancho Los Aromitas y Agua Caliente, which was owned by Policronio Estolastico de Guadalupe Anzar. This is where the A.R. Wilson Quarry crushing plants, offices and shops are now located.
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Are We Paying Attention?
Posted by Henry Ramirez on Mar 18, 2015
Many of us spend our lives listening to a seemingly endless stream of information from radio, television, the internet and social media outlets, from our co-workers and significant others – so much so that it becomes a challenge to focus on what is really important. I am guilty of letting my mind wander as my kids relate some mundane (in my mind anyway) event that has happened to them at school. I usually pay the price later on when the subject comes up again and I’m asked if I remember. No such luck, I can’t remember a thing, because I wasn’t paying attention.
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Tony Ruiz of A. Ruiz Construction
Posted by John Wilshire on Mar 18, 2015
Tony Ruiz was born to be a builder. As a teenager, Tony recalls, “I didn’t like school and I always wanted to get into construction. When I was 15 or 16, I would go down to the laborers' hall before school, trying to get onto a job. Finally, when I was 17, I was hired one day to strip stem walls during the building of the 280 freeway. I worked 10 hours straight that day, until the foreman made me stop.” That was the beginning of Tony’s construction career, and he has never looked back.
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Attentive Customer Service is Worth Millions
Posted by Bruce W. Woolpert on Mar 18, 2015
On those days when things go badly at work and a customer is left dissatisfied, you might respond with, “Well, there’s always tomorrow.” This way of thinking is commonly accepted in many, if not most workplaces, but it is terribly misleading because it ignores the lifetime value of a customer. “Lifetime value” is the accumulated projected sales to a customer, based on the assumption that the business is retained each year for a lifetime. Repeat business has immense importance – it has lower overall cost and is the best indicator of long-term business viability.
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Santana Noble of Santana Paving and Grading, Inc.
Posted by Jason Sanchez on Mar 18, 2015
Pavement maintenance is the company's core business, but along the way if a customer needs another project done, Santana's goal is to fulfill the request and delight his customers in the process. He does this by supporting his employees to get specialized training, such as installation techniques for permeable pavers and pervious concrete, or he will find someone who has the skills to deliver the best results. He takes pride in every job and strives for perfection. Anything from ADA installations and Allen block walls to tennis court resurfacing or underground work, Santana Paving and Grading is ready to tackle the job.
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