Page 115 - Martin Marietta - 2024 Sustainability Report

COMMUNITY WELL-BEING

Creating a Paws-itive Community Impact

Thanks to some help from Martin Marietta, one Magnesia
Specialties team member in Manistee, Michigan, is
ensuring every dog has its day. Chemist Holly Eckard, who
recently celebrated her first year with the company, was
nominated by a colleague to participate in the Manistee
Area Leadership Program, a local initiative for current and
future leaders that helps the community thrive and grow.

During the nine-month program, participants toured local
businesses, networked with other professionals and, most
notably, conducted one large-scale community project
together. This year, the group decided to overhaul a local
dog park to make the space more inviting and usable for
their neighbors – those with two legs and those with four.

“Being a part of the program is a great opportunity for me
to learn from and connect with others in the community,”
Eckard said. “And when we decided on a project that
could really help the area, we were all very excited.”

The zone around the dog park has seen significant
development in recent years that has involved the
construction of a new hotel, tennis courts, water activities
and many more amenities, Eckard said, adding that the
growth made her and the team want to expand the area
even further.

To get started on their community project, the cohort raised nearly $30,000 from local leaders, neighbors and companies,
including the Magnesia Specialties team.

During a nearly year-long development process, Eckard and her partners completely transformed the small, almost
unnoticeable dog park into a haven for Manistee’s canine population. The enhancements were vast and included
increasing the size of the park, adding protective fencing, laying out agility equipment, running new pipes for dog water
fountains, adding new benches and establishing separate areas for both small and big dogs.

Eckard, who spoke at the ribbon-cutting event, said neighbors were filled with excitement. “So many people were there
when we opened, and even now you drive by, and there are always dogs there,” she said. “It seems that our neighbors
have really been appreciative of the work. People throughout the community still post on Facebook about how wonderful
this has been for their pets, and we keep getting feedback about how great the upgrades have been for families with
dogs.”

Perhaps the most excited patron of the new park is Eckard’s own rambunctious pup: a small, fluffy Corgi named
Meechum. “He’s all personality and no legs,” Eckard laughed while admiring her dog’s short stature. “He loves coming
and playing with all the other dogs, even though, admittedly, he probably likes the attention from his human companions
a bit more.”

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