“How close are we to lava?” “How many people can this quarry hold” “Me and my dad fish here all the time” “Is this a fossil?” We hear these as well as a million other statements and questions at every field trip we host. You might think the field trips would get to be a burden or even more trouble than they are worth, but that’s just not the case. Not only are the young’uns fun to deal with but it also provides us many great opportunities. First of all, it helps shine a positive light on us as a company. We are aiding a local school in the education of our future leaders as well as potential employees. Put a little kid in front of a big piece of equipment and you just might hook them on wanting to work for you some day. (Some had trouble with the spelling and needed a little help but we got about a dozen applications at our last field trip.) It is an opportunity to show the teachers the other positive contributions we make on the economy, the environment, and the community at large.

We try and emphasize the important contribution the quarrying business makes to the world around us and illustrate the many places our products are used. It is often hard for both young and old alike to fully understand all the ways our products touch their lives. Hopefully, when the field trip is over everyone leaves with a new appreciation of WQI. In short we are working hard at being the best neighbors we can be.

Perhaps the most important point we try to drive home is that while quarries are necessary and positive members of our world, the quarries themselves are dangerous. Our quarries are maintained in a way that meets, and in most cases, exceeds safety standards set by various regulatory agencies; but they are still inherently dangerous. High walls, rock falls, and stockpiles are bad enough but when an untrained person looks across the gate and sees a beautiful crystal clear pool of water, the temptation is sometimes more than they can resist.  Our most recent field trip with the Vinton-Shellsburg Schools at our Garrison Quarry really shook me. The number of times the kids told me they had been there fishing with their dads, friends, cousins and the like was truly frightening. This time, more than any other, we really drove home the Stay Out Stay Alive (SOSA) program and its importance to the safety of all concerned. You just never know, maybe we were able to impress upon the kids how important it is to stay out of the quarries. Maybe they will take that message home and remember it the next time they are looking across the fence wondering if the fish are biting.