Ames Mine takes the 2024 Diamond Elite Trophy underground

2024 Diamond Elite Trophy goes to Ames Mine

For the team at Ames Mine, winning the Diamond Elite trophy was no laughing matter…even if, at first, they thought it was.

“I know exactly when I heard the news: April 1. I know because I thought it was a joke,” Plant Manager Doug Robey said, smiling. “We worked so hard for that trophy, so I knew we could win it, but I just had to be sure I was hearing the news right. I was so happy when I knew it was serious; it’s hard to describe how proud I felt.”

Robey and the team of over 100 dedicated ONE team members worked day and night, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with two goals: safe work and the Diamond Elite. And it has been a hard-fought battle.

In each of the past three years, Ames Mine has reached Diamond Honor status, narrowly missing the coveted, first-place slot.

“Becoming top-notch in safety, productivity and overall operational excellence doesn’t happen overnight. Believe me, I’ve been here since 1988; I can tell you this place has changed and grown,” Robey said. “When I took over as plant manager in 2006, I had one goal. I wanted our team to become #1. And we did it.”

The mine has been operating more than 40 years under Martin Marietta. And while many aspects of the site have changed, perhaps the most significant aspect that has remained constant to the site’s integrity is its dedication to the community.

Several crew members call Ames, Iowa, their home. Many were born, raised and started a family only a few miles from the mine. That proximity drives the team to care extra hard about its hometown.

“Doug Robey and I went to high school together,” Quality Control Inspector Kelly Safly laughed. “I grew up here, and I live here now. Growing up, I was always fascinated with this mine.”

Safly said her hometown is a unique place, and she values working for a company that makes it a point to give back to the community.

“I think it’s important to take care of the environment and be good neighbors so that those in the area appreciate us and are proud to say they live by a mine. We want them to feel welcomed,” she said. “I like seeing Martin Marietta give back to my community.”

The Ames Mine crew constantly collaborates with outside organizations to promote Martin Marietta’s values and support local charities. The most notable of these organizations is the Boys & Girls Club of Story County. The club is a vital part of the Central Iowa community, with a mission to inspire young people in the area to reach their full potential as “productive, caring and responsible citizens.”

This act of caring for the area’s children inspires the Ames Mine team to host lunches for the club. The crew regularly provides a hearty meal to more than 50 young club and staff members. In addition to these visits, the site also donated materials to the club’s new facility, which is currently under construction.

“The partnership between Martin Marietta and the Boys & Girls Club has been very special for us,” said the Boys & Girls Club of Story County’s Chief Executive Officer Ryan Santi. “It’s fun for the kids, but it also helps them, and our parents, understand the relationships we have in the community, the possibilities of employment and what we can build together.”

Charitable efforts like this foster the idea of caring and compassion, a sentiment that is reflected in the team’s day-to-day work and is evident in its safety performance.

By the end of 2023, Ames Mine had worked over 2.7 million hours – or more than 4,900 days with ZERO lost-time incidents.

“We work round the clock, both top side and bottom,” said Heavy Equipment Operator Spencer Staudt. “But the main thing is we keep everybody safe.”

One way the crew keeps safe work at the forefront of their daily tasks is by reciting the Guardian Angel Creed at the start of each shift. Kenny Wyman, daytime safety lead, said the Guardian Angel Creed is as an oath of integrity that helps everyone on site remember to do the right thing every day.

“When I read the Guardian Angel Creed with the crew every morning, it reinforces the mindset that we work safely here and that it is important to start the day right,” Wyman said. “The main reason I work safely at Ames Mine is that we are all fully invested in Martin Marietta’s safety culture.”

And as safety continues to be a higlight on the site, so to is the growing productivity at the site.

Because, as Ames Mine continues to expand, the team has added an innovative machine many have become big ‘fans’ of.

To allow the team to continue its Diamond Elite-winning performance, a large chimney fan was installed to significantly improve air circulation in the undermine, the lowest level of Ames Mine, which currently sits at a depth of about 485 feet.

Before this device was added, air would have to circulate around the mine, down the ramps into the undermine and then into the expanding modules, making it an exhaustive process that delayed the lower-level expansion.

Now that the chimney fan is in place, the path from the vent shaft to the fan is almost straight. Fresh air is pushed directly to the fan and directed down into the undermine, exponentially cutting down the time it takes for the fresh air to travel.

“In terms of safety and productivity, this has changed the game for our undermine operations,” said Evan Sears, Ames’ underground foreman. “This fan has helped tremendously with the extensive work being done as we continue to improve and expand.”

The fan, which has a diameter of 12 feet, is powered by a 100-horsepower electric motor and can move an impressive 220,000 cubic feet of air per minute.

Before the fan, the mining process could be completed one to two times per week. Now, the mining process can be completed three or more times per week.

Another main component of the fan’s installation is its use in removing unbreathable air. After blasting, the undermine air gets ‘smoked out,’ meaning air in the area is not breathable due to carbon monoxide and other potentially harmful gases. Making the space safe for employees again requires fresh air circulation, which is now far more efficient.

“Getting fresh air into the undermine quicker makes mining and production out of the undermine more efficient,” Sears said. “Clearing the air quicker means the production crew can get in and muck it out sooner. As soon as the headings, which are the work areas of the mining process underground, are mucked out, we can continue to mine them.”

Before the fan was placed, the Ames crew had to set up a portable fan in the undermine to ensure sufficient air circulation. The portable fan was able to clean the air in the space after about 12 hours. After a blast now, the air can be cleaned in about two hours.

“Overall, the turnaround time for headings in the undermine has improved dramatically,” Sears said. “And, as production out of the undermine increases, this enhances efficiency across the whole mine.”

Situated along the I-35 corridor, Ames Mine is located in an area that supplies most aggregate products used throughout Central Iowa. In 2023, the site provided millions of tons of product to its customers. Secondary Plant Operator Mark Himan, however, believes the site’s production numbers do not stand alone. Rather, they reflect the efforts of the entire crew, its leadership and many talented people from across the Central Division.

“We work well as a team. We are always striving for excellence, and, first and foremost, we are working safely,” Himan said. “If you work safely, productivity will follow.”