The Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) held its 42nd annual convention May 11 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. The IAAP Safety Committee granted 121 awards to 35 IAAP member companies in its “Rock Solid” safety award program to companies that adopted systems and practices that prevent injuries or illnesses.

In developing this program, safety committee members identified a comprehensive list of activities required for a successful safety and health program and then assigned a point system for undertaking and documenting each of these critical activities.

Using the point system, the committee created the Rock Solid Bronze, Silver and Gold Award levels plus a special award category for exceptional performance, the Rock Solid Excellence in Safety. Of the 121 operations receiving awards at the convention, 70 achieved Rock Solid Excellence in Safety status.

Bronze Award Winners

Buckhart Sand & Gravel, Christian County Limestone Quarry Company and Coots Materials Company.

Silver Award Winners

Allendale Gravel Company Inc., Cessford Construction Company, Illinois Cement Company, Lafarge, RiverStone Group Inc. and WMC Inc.

Gold Award Winners

Anna Quarries Inc., Carri Scharf Materials, Central Stone Company, Fred Weber Inc., Hanson Material Service, Kinkaid Stone Company, Lafarge, Martin Marietta Materials, Meyer Material Company, Nokomis Quarry Company of Illinois Inc., Raimonde Drilling Corporation, RiverStone Group Inc., Shakespeare Aggregates Inc., Thelen Sand & Gravel Inc., U.S. Silica Company, VCNA Prairie Aggregates Illinois Inc., Vulcan Materials Company and William Charles Construction - Materials Division.

Rock Solid Award Winners

Carri Scharf Materials, Central Stone Company, Conmat Inc., Dyno Nobel Inc., Fred Weber Inc., GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., Hanson Material Service, Knox County Stone, Lafarge, LeClaire Investments Inc., Martin Marietta Materials, Meyer Material Company, RiverStone Group Inc., Rogers Group Inc., Rogers Ready Mix & Materials Inc., Shakespeare Aggregates Inc., Southern Illinois Stone Company, Thelen Sand & Gravel Inc., Tuscola Stone Company, VCNA Prairie Aggregates Illinois Inc., Vulcan Materials Company, Wendling Quarries Inc. and William Charles Construction - Materials Division.

2010 IAAP Names Scholarship Winners

During the convention, the IAAP named Matthew Robb, Ross Marshall, both of Southern Illinois University, Blake Kinsman of Bradley University and Emma Bayer of Wheaton College, as its 2010 scholarship winners.

Bayer was awarded the Frank Geske Jr. Memorial Scholarship.

Geske, formerly of the Southern Illinois Stone Company, was a founding member of the IAAP Education Foundation. He helped form the first IAAP-EF scholarship committee — the group charged with awarding scholarships and setting foundation goals. Geske contacted colleges and universities with educational programs that mesh with the Illinois aggregates industry, as well as associations in neighboring states, in order to help shape the foundation’s scholarship awards process. He also began the process to raise the money necessary to permanently endow the IAAP-EF scholarship awards.

Geske’s death in 2001 lead to a decision that selected scholarship winner annually, who would receive special recognition as that year’s top applicant.

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