Holcim plants awarded for community relations, environment

The efforts of two Holcim (US) cement plants in Alabama and in South Carolina are being rewarded for excellence with two separate awards for their environmental performance and community outreach efforts.

The Holcim (US) cement plant in Theodore, Ala., received the Environmental Performance Award from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine during the 2008 Cement Industry Energy and Environment Awards. The plant’s emissions are below state limits for particulate matter and other emissions. The plan reuses all of its cement kiln dusts and used about 10,000 gallons of site-generated oil for an energy recovery fuel in the kiln. The Theodore plant also was a finalist in the Outreach category.

PCA and the magazine also recognized Holcim’s (US) Holly Hill plant in Holly Hill, S.C., as a finalist in the Outreach category. The plant was noted for its Kid’s Day Celebration. Co-hosted with the South Carolina Waterfowl Association and the state’s Department of Natural Resources, it is an annual celebration in which plant employees work with local and state community groups to plan activities that promote environmental awareness and education.

Pennsy builds ‘driving range’ to improve safety

Pennsy Supply recently designed and built a very unique “driving range” for its employees – 18 “holes” to help improve the safety of its 180 truck drivers. Set up with flags, just like a golf course, Pennsy drivers maneuver a variety of vehicles through the course and are scored on how well they do.

Twelve of the 18 obstacles are based on backing the trucks up. “The majority of construction vehicle accidents occur while backing up,” says Ken Stambaugh, transportation manager for Pennsy Supply, in a written statement. “We encourage our drivers to use a GOAL approach – Get Out And Look.”

The course took approximately 200 man-hours to construct, and Mike Holley, assistant driver supervisor, was the construction manager for the project. The truck drivers from Pennsy Supply and McMinn’s Inc., another Pennsy company, based in Lancaster, Pa., will use the course.

Aggregate Industries North Central Region “Environmental Business of the Year”