Pit & Quarry unveils 2017 Hall of Fame class

By |  October 31, 2016

Pit & Quarry announced the 2017 class for the Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame, which includes Bob Bartlett of the National Stone Association; Paul Detwiler Jr. of New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc.; Kim Snyder of Eastern Industries Inc.; and Mark Towe of Oldcastle Inc.

The four 2017 inductees will join the 20 current members in the Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame. The 2017 inductees will also be represented in the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum in Leadville, Colorado, joining the other Hall of Famers already represented there.

The 2017 inductees will be honored in Las Vegas at a black-tie induction ceremony and dinner Monday, March 6, 2017. The event, held at the Encore Las Vegas just ahead of ConExpo-Con/Agg 2017, is supported by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA). To purchase tickets to the black-tie induction ceremony and dinner, click here.

The inductees, detailed below in alphabetical order, were selected by a group of peers from a pool of nominees submitted by industry experts and you, our readers. This group joins 20 others in the Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame.

Bob Bartlett, National Stone Association

Bob Bartlett

Bob Bartlett

Bob Bartlett, a former Pennsylvania highway secretary, served as National Stone Association (NSA) president starting in 1986. He served through the majority of the 1990s, retiring from the position in 1997. Bartlett was praised for doubling the association’s membership during his tenure. He also created a $5 million endowment for the International Center for Aggregates Research. In addition, Bartlett was a key figure in the merger of NSA and the National Aggregates Association (NAA) into NSSGA. Says Tina Richards, a former association colleague: “When I was [at NSA], he brought the association into a fiscally responsible position. He took the helm after the merger of the two organizations. One was a little bit more profitable than the other. He managed to grow their investment reserves.” Bartlett also served as president of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and as an executive vice president for L.B. Smith Inc. in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Bartlett died in January 2016.

Paul Detwiler Jr., New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc.

Paul Detwiler Jr.

Paul Detwiler Jr.

A descendant of New Enterprise Stone & Lime (NESL) founder J.S. Detwiler and a current owner of the company, Paul Detwiler Jr. was instrumental in guiding and building NESL into a top 25 U.S. aggregate-producing company and a top 10 crushed-stone producer – one that has provided a number of families in Pennsylvania with quality jobs, and countless more with quality construction materials. Detwiler was an innovator on the technology front, bringing leading-edge ideas to his company. As an example, NESL conveyor tail pulleys were raised from the ground on columns years before a number of other companies did the same, improving cleanup and reliability. Detwiler also excelled in working to help the aggregate industry improve in the areas of operation, safety and efficiency. Over the years, he served on a number of association boards at both the national and state levels. Detwiler joins his son, Paul Detwiler III, in the Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame.

Kim Snyder, Eastern Industries Inc.

Kim Snyder

Kim Snyder

Kim Snyder’s career in the aggregate industry spans more than 40 years, having provided value to several different aggregate companies. Perhaps his greatest contribution was to Eastern Industries, which he served as president and where he devoted 16 years of his career. According to those closest to Snyder, his management style has always created well-grounded and highly committed teams that are successful within their market areas, communities or associations.  Snyder served as chairman of the board of NSA/NSSGA, as well as of the National Asphalt Pavement Association. He was instrumental in leading the efforts that led to the successful merger of NSA and NAA in 2000. In addition, Snyder had a passion for establishing grassroots efforts within his companies and the industry to achieve his goals. Today, Snyder is principal at New Normal Advisors LLC, “helping family businesses adjust to the new normal.” He is also chairman of the board at McCarthy Bush Corp., and he’s a member of the board of directors at Hilltop Basic Resources Inc. and Mellott Co.

Mark Towe, Oldcastle Inc.

Mark Towe

Mark Towe

Mark Towe, CEO of Oldcastle Inc. since 2006, joined the company as COO of the Materials Group in 1997. Towe became president of Oldcastle Materials Inc. in 2000, and he has held a number of senior management positions in the aggregate industry over the years. With more than 40 years of experience in the construction materials industry, Towe has overall responsibility for Oldcastle’s aggregate, asphalt and ready-mix concrete operations in the United States, as well as its products and distribution businesses in the Americas. Towe serves as chairman of the board of trustees for the Rocks Build America Foundation at the Smithsonian Institute. He was a recipient of NSSGA’s Barry K. Wendt Commitment Award in 2001,  when members of the NAA-NSA Merger Steering Committee were recognized.

Other members of the Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame include:

Glen Barton, Caterpillar
Eli Whitney Blake, Blake Rock Crusher Co.
J. Don Brock, Astec Industries Inc.
Emil Deister, Deister Machine Co.
Paul Detwiler III, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co.
Richard J. Feltes, Feltes Sand & Gravel Co.
Bernie Grove, National Stone Association
LeRoy Hagenbuch, Philippi-Hagenbuch
Howard Hall, Iowa Manufacturing/Cedarapids Inc.
Donald M. James, Vulcan Materials Co.
Charles W. Ireland, Vulcan Materials Co.
Chuck Lien, Pete Lien & Sons
Charles Luck Jr., Luck Stone
Samuel Calvin McLanahan, McLanahan Corp.
Paul C. Mellott Jr., Mellott Co.
Bruno Nordberg, Nordberg Manufacturing Co.
Ralph Rogers, Rogers Group
Neil Schmidgall, Superior Industries
Arthur Taggart, Columbia and Yale Universities
Stephen P. Zelnak Jr., Martin Marietta Materials Inc.

Pit & Quarry is currently accepting nominations for the 2018 class of the Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame. Nominate a worthy individual today at www.pitandquarry.com/hall-of-fame.

Kevin Yanik

About the Author:

Kevin Yanik is editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry. He can be reached at 216-706-3724 or kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.

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