Pit & Quarry, April 2017

TURQUOISE ROOM DANNER The wall is not really an issue for us the labor pool the migrant workers As you know most of the larger companies know who are going to do business with them they have to follow all policies So most of the big producers legit producers arent hiring any illegal immigrants anyway So if theyre going to come theyre going to come legally So whether theres a wall or not theyre coming the right way So thats not going to impact our labor pool There are probably some smaller producers that dont honor those rules and regulations and certainly pick up day laborers and that kind of stuff They dont really follow all of the MSHA rules either Weve created a culture now where you are Danner not perceived as good enough unless you are the boss I say this as a young boss myself Its an upside down funnel Theres only one president of the company Theres only one president of the United States but everybody wants to be that one guy And weve kind of diminished the value of getting a job right out of high school and providing for your family That goes back to the late 60s early 70s when the man was the breadwinner It doesnt have to be that way these days but most families are dual income families who are struggling to survive We see college expenses going through the roof Theyre trying to pay for that education For the older generation if you came out of high school and you got a job that was good If you went to college that was probably a little bit better and youd probably be the manager But for guys in my generation if you dont have a college degree youre pretty much not going to be the boss Now everybody has their college degree You need to have an MBA if you want to be the manager right The college guys out there are just doing basic work these days and now were starting to see that everybody has an MBA So now youve got to go another step So you need a Ph D to be the boss but then where does the experience come into play So Im hoping well see with the increase in higher education costs and too many people at the top that the bottom end comes back into play where you can come out of high school and you can get a job as a tradesman electrician journeyman or whatever making 20 30 an hour As far as what were trying to do to attract talent we started an internship program Not that thats a new tactic by any means but its a tactic weve brought down to the high school level where obviously you have to be of legal working age but in the summer between classes if you want to come work for us and drive a truck or get on the shovel whatever learn a little bit about the industry and see what you can do its a good way to get them in Weve tackled many tech schools and vocational schools back home looking for welders and electricians that have some classes but also have some free time that are looking to support their career So I guess its a little more like an apprenticeship program kind of following what the European countries are doing quite well ROBINSON I agree with a lot of what hes saying Were similar in the fact that the verification process is so stringent that were comfortable and competent were hiring legal employees As far as this generation the youth most of the kids know the best avenue is going toward college and getting a degree I came from being a maintenance millwright in Cemex then came through a developmental journeyman type apprenticeship program I hire by empowering a young person and investing in him and training not just with Robinson www kpijci com pitandquarry com April 2017 PIT QUARRY 19