Page 30 - 2020 Sustainability Report

SAFE OPERATIONS

Poteet Crew’s Milestone Just
One More Stop on Safety Journey

Experience and Commitment Lead Texas Team to 500,000 Injury-Free Hours

While stressing the word “experienced,” Pfitzinger notes
that more than half of the site’s employees have worked at
the plant for more than 20 years. Perhaps none of these
employees is more familiar with the grounds than
Weighmaster Roy Esquivel Jr., whose father began work at
Poteet long before it was owned by Martin Marietta.

“My dad came here in the late 1960s to help open the
place up, and they built him a house right here on the
property,” Esquivel says. “I grew up just steps away from
where they’d park the equipment at the end of the day.”
Esquivel, who has worked at the sand plant for 20 of his
The Poteet Sand Plant is located about 35 miles south of 38 years with Martin Marietta, says that while safety
San Antonio in the Company’s Southwest Division.
improved gradually over the years, it wasn’t until Martin
Marietta’s Guardian Angel Culture really began to take
Hard working. Professional. Knowledgeable. Driven.
Safe. The list of adjectives Company leaders have used to hold in the early 2000s that the team was able to take
leaps forward in safety.
describe the Poteet Sand Plant team is expansive, but as
crew members pause to celebrate their accomplishment “Once everyone bought into the culture, it made a big
of reaching 500,000 hours without a reportable injury and difference,” he says. “Now, we follow the Guardian Angel
continuing their journey to 1 million hours and beyond, Creed every day, and none of us are afraid to shut things
their new leader has a few more adjectives he’d like to add. down if we have to. We have toolbox meetings every
morning to discuss our safety concerns and perform a job
safety analysis before every project we do. Safety matters
“One of the first things I was told before joining this team
here.”
is that it’s probably one of the most experienced we have,”
says Kyle Pfitzinger, Poteet’s plant manager since April Poteet Sand is:
2020. “I was told this was a solid team that is committed Employee Years of Service
to safety and committed to each other. From what I’ve Rudy Cardona 27
seen, everything I’ve heard is true.” Alejandro DeLeon 41
Roy Esquivel Jr. 36
Jeffrey Felan 3
“Once everyone bought into the
Esteban Guillen Ramirez 1
culture, it made a big difference,” Alfredo Lambardia Jr. 20
he says. “Now, we follow the Frank Montemayor 24
Guardian Angel Creed every day, Enrique Pequeno III 13
Toral Tinsley 8
and none of us are afraid to shut Agapito Zapata 35
things down if we have to. We Kyle Pfitzinger Plant Manager

have toolbox meetings every Pfitzinger says his primary mission is to help the crew
morning to discuss our safety continue its incredibly strong performance.
concerns and perform a job safety “I know that I’m joining a team that has had tremendous
success, and my job is to help us keep it going,” he says.
analysis before every project we do. “The amount of pride they take in doing their jobs safely is

Safety matters here.” huge, and they really take the Guardian Angel message to
heart. I want to provide whatever assistance the team
needs.”

28 2020 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT