Kentucky Crushed Stone Association names Miner of the Year

The Kentucky Crushed Stone Association (KCSA) presented its 2020 Miner of the Year Award to William Lee Devers of Harrod Concrete & Stone Co. Several Kentucky companies and individuals were presented with safety and good neighbor awards, as well.

Miner of the Year Award

According to KCSA, this award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions to the aggregate industry by an individual. Individuals nominated for this award exemplify the very best in their profession and continuously bring credit to the industry and to their entire community.

These individuals contribute significantly to the industry by providing a safe working environment. They’re innovative in problem-solving, demonstrating a concern for the environment. And they contribute to the betterment of their community through civic and community affairs activities.

Devers

Devers, this year’s award winner, began working for Harrod Concrete & Stone in May 1977. He began by driving a water truck for two years before managing the company’s inventory as a stockpile manager.

Recognized as a leader, Devers moved on to become a material handler driving haul trucks, giving him a perspective of the underground mine. He then took the opportunity to operate a jaw crusher for seven years, and later worked as a clean-up loader for one year.

Since the late 1990s, Devers has worked as a yard loader, maintaining the stockpiles and managing trucks. Devers has also successfully obtained the state aggregate certification, which every quarry operation in Kentucky is required to have on-site.

Devers is a believer in safety, KCSA adds. In his 43-year tenure with Harrod Concrete & Stone, he only once missed receiving a safety award. While this is a monumental accomplishment on its own, Devers also never had a lost-time accident since he began working in 1977.

Safety Contest & Milestone Award Winners

The KCSA Safety Contest Awards, meanwhile, are based on Mine Safety & Health Administration reportable injuries – not lost-time injuries. Also, Safety Milestone Awards from KCSA are given to companies that have gone several years without a lost-time injury.

KCSA’s Safety Contest Award winners at the associate level this year include Brandywine Explosives & Supply, with 4,990 hours; Austin Powder Co. (Mid South), with 27,697 hours; Rock Drilling, with 49,931 hours; and Process Machinery, with 55,555 hours.

At the producer level, Haydon Materials (Bardstown Quarry) is an award winner with 3,691 hours, Rogers Group‘s Canton Quarry is, too, with 14,614 hours, along with Hinkle Contracting Co. (Cave Run Stone) at 24,878; Rogers Group’s Oldham County Stone at 39,673 hours; Lehigh Hanson (Laurel Quarry), with 54,733 hours; and Harrod Concrete & Stone with 62,068 hours.

KCSA’s Milestone Award Winners this year included one associate company: Austin Powder (Mid South) for five years.

Several producers were recognized with Milestone Awards, as well, including Lehigh Hanson (Uptown Quarry) for five years; Haydon Materials (Bardstown Quarry) and Hinkle Contracting (Bourbon Limestone) for 10 years; and Lehigh Hanson (Tyrone Mine) and Hinkle Contracting (Lake Cumberland Stone) for 15 years.

The KCSA Milestone Awards are given in five-year increments.

Good Neighbor Award Winners

KCSA’s Good Neighbor Award categories include beautification, plant/productivity improvements, environmental improvements and community relations.

In the aggregate industry, it is, of course, important to be a good neighbor in the community. Whether that means developing a better dust suppression system, undertaking a special cleanup project within the community or beautifying an operation, these efforts create good relations with those who live and work around industry businesses.

Rogers Group’s Bullitt County Stone and Jefferson County Stone were awarded within the plant/productivity improvements category for their structural improvements to walkways, headboxes and controlling spillage at operation.

Additionally, Rogers Group’s Bullitt County Stone, Jefferson County Stone and Oldham County Stone were all awarded within the community relations category.

Bullitt County Stone was awarded for fundraising for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana. It also supplied a stone base for a community basketball court located in Westonia Park, Love City for the residents of Portland, Kentucky.

Jefferson County Stone hosted its annual community picnic and welcomed more than 100 customers, community leaders, public works employees, a contract hauler and a member of the Chamber of Commerce. It also hosted a quarry tour for these individuals. Additionally, Jefferson County Stone made a material donation to Blackacre State Nature Preserve to improve roadways throughout the community gardens.

Oldham County Stone was awarded for its “back to school rocks talk” with fourth grade students.

Hinkle Contracting was also awarded within the community relations category for Carmen’s Landing Kayak/Canoe ramp at Clay City Park. The volunteers that built the community project were from Hinkle’s Natural Bridge Stone.

Information courtesy of the Kentucky Crushed Stone Association.