2014 Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame class announced 


Pit & Quarry’s 2014 class of hall of fame inductees will be honored at a black-tie induction ceremony and dinner Monday, March 3, at 7 p.m. The event follows the NSSGA Chairman’s Reception at the Encore Las Vegas. The six new 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 the inaugural class in the Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame. For more information on tickets to the black-tie induction ceremony and dinner, click here.

J. Don Brock, Astec Industries Inc.
J. Don Brock, chairman and CEO at Astec Industries Inc., founded his company in 1972. Under his leadership, Astec grew into a family of 17 companies – 13 of which are located in the United States. Astec also has companies in Australia, Brazil, Canada and South Africa. Brock presently has about 100 U.S. and foreign patents on construction machinery and drying equipment to his name. Photo: Don Brock

Bernie Grove, National Stone Association
Bernie Grove, former chairman of the National Stone Association, grew up in the industry, as his family owned the M.J. Grove Lime Co. in Frederick, Md. As chairman of the National Stone Association, Grove was an advocate for community outreach. He formed the association’s Public Affairs Committee to focus on the issue. As a member of the National Stone Association’s Executive Committee, he was a driving force in the formation of the Environmental, Safety and Health Committee. In addition, Grove built a career for himself as the vice president of aggregates operations at Genstar. Photo: Bernie Grove

Howard Hall, Iowa Manufacturing/Cedarapids Inc.
Howard Hall, founder and president of Iowa Manufacturing/Cedarapids Inc., enters the hall of fame posthumously. After serving in France during World War I, Hall started his business career in 1919 by buying Iowa Steel & Iron Works in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Four years later, he and associates formed Iowa Manufacturing Co. to manufacture rock-crushing equipment. The company quickly became known nationally and internationally for crushing and screening equipment sold under the brand name Cedarapids. Hall’s company later became part of what is presently Terex Minerals Processing Systems (MPS). Photo: Howard Hall



Chuck Lien, Pete Lien & Sons
Chuck Lien established Pete Lien & Sons in 1944 with his father, Pete, and brother, Bruce. The company grew from one of three employees and one location to a company with nearly 400 employees across 30 sites in three different states. Lien reinvested the company’s earnings into reserves in South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado and grew Pete Lien & Sons into a $100 million company. He served in World War II and the Korean War. Photo: Chuck Lien

Bruno Nordberg, Nordberg Manufacturing Co.
Bruno Nordberg, a Finnish-born immigrant, founded the Nordberg Manufacturing Co. in 1886 and first achieved success and recognition in the field of steam engines. He later expanded into a range of products that included crushing, grinding and screening equipment for the aggregates and mining industries. Nordberg Manufacturing later formed into the present-day Metso Corp. Photo: Bruno Nordberg

Ralph Rogers, Rogers Group
Ralph Rogers laid the groundwork for what is now one of the largest privately owned aggregate companies in the United States. Rogers and his partners were among the first road builders involved in President Dwight Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System, supplying stone and building major interstate sections in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. Photo: Ralph Rogers