Remembering Conco Quarries’ Chris Upp

Pit & Quarry paid Chris Upp a visit at Conco Quarries in the summer of 2019. Photo: P&Q Staff

Family man. Down to earth. Generous. Gentleman.

Those are some of the heartwarming words friends across the aggregate industry use to describe Chris Upp, who died at age 49 following a long battle with kidney cancer. Upp rightfully earned the respect of his peers across four decades, as he not only dedicated 27 years of his career to Springfield, Missouri-based Conco Quarries, but he was a staunch champion for the industry within his state and nationwide.

“Chris was super passionate about the industry as a whole,” says Ericka Baxter, who worked with Upp at Conco Quarries for 22 years. “It didn’t matter who he was talking to or what he was doing, Chris believed this was an important industry and one we all need. He encouraged other people to learn more about it.”

Familiar face

Chris Upp attended the Missouri Limestone Producers Association’s Annual Convention late last year with his wife Jill. Pictured alongside the Upps is Horton Supply Co.’s Collin Swift. Photo: P&Q Staff

Upp was a regular at National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) meetings over the course of many years, and he made a lasting impression on those who got to know him. He developed friendships through NSSGA’s Young Leaders, a group he valued and one whose members admired his leadership qualities.

“I met Chris through NSSGA Young Leaders in 2004, and he was a true leader in the aggregate industry,” says Josh Swank, vice president of sales and marketing at Philippi-Hagenbuch. “Chris’s passing and the way the aggregate industry has pulled together during such a loss is a true testament to both him and the impact he has made on all of us. Chris’s legacy will live on in the industry and in those who cared for him, including myself, and he is sorely missed.”

Cory Jenson, executive vice president of sales and business development at McLanahan Corp., remembers Upp similarly. 

“Chris Upp was a truly fantastic guy,” Jenson says. “We met in the NSSGA Young Leaders, where he was a great representation of what it means to be a true leader. [He was] kind to all and [had] a passionate vision and love of our industry.”

Upp also left a tremendous impression on Baxter, who became the first woman to serve as chair of NSSGA’s Young Leaders.

“During my first meet-and-greet at NSSGA, I was in the door and out in five minutes,” says Baxter, an admitted introvert who now serves Capital Materials as operations manager. “Chris would come out, find me and push me to get out of my comfort zone. He introduced me to people so I felt comfortable in the room.”

Upp’s calling

Chris Upp, seen here with longtime Conco Quarries colleague Ericka Baxter, was a fixture at National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association meetings. Photo: Ericka Baxter

Upp ultimately gravitated toward aggregates because of the large number of sites operating around the country. He determined he could work just about anywhere he wanted to – and he did, interning at nearby Conco Quarries when he was a student at the University of Missouri-Rolla, now Missouri University of Science & Technology.

Upp’s exposure to mining happened even earlier, however, as his dad worked for a utility company that owned a large open-pit coal mine in north central Missouri. Upp hunted with his dad on the grounds growing up, and he took an interest in the large equipment and the mine’s process.

With an interest in math and science in high school, Upp’s dad pointed him toward an education in mining engineering.

“He also gave me some of the best advice about our industry when he said: ‘Our country will always have to have mining,’ and that ‘it was an industry that provided great opportunities,’” Upp said in a 2017 interview with Pit & Quarry.

Upp lent his voice to Pit & Quarry on several occasions, making multiple appearances at the Pit & Quarry Roundtable & Conference. He also contributed to the magazine’s 100th anniversary supplement in 2016, crafting an article about the workforce of the future.

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