Taft Hill Sand & Gravel wins the Sentinels of Safety

As Taft Hill Sand & Gravel prepares to conclude its run, the team is closing this chapter on a high note by earning one of the mining industry’s most prestigious safety honors

For nearly six decades, the team at Taft Hill Sand & Gravel has exemplified a deep commitment to safety and pride in their work. Through daily discipline, vigilance, and a shared sense of purpose, the crew established a safety-first culture that came to define the operation and earned them a reputation as trusted stewards of Martin Marietta’s goals and values.

Now, as the site prepares to conclude its run, the team is closing this chapter on a high note by earning one of the mining industry’s most prestigious safety honors.

The National Mining Association’s Sentinels of Safety Award is among the oldest and most respected distinctions in mining, recognizing operations that demonstrate exceptional care, discipline, and performance. This year, the honor went to a small team with a big legacy: Taft Hill Sand & Gravel, also known as Northern Portable Plant #12, in Fort Collins, Colorado.

During a ceremony late last year, the crew received the award in the Small Bank or Pit category after completing 2024 without a single lost-time injury.

The recognition serves as a fitting capstone to Taft Hill’s nearly 60 years of active mining. With reserves depleted in 2025, portable team members have since transitioned to another site, carrying forward the same commitment to safety that defined Taft Hill’s legacy.

The award serves as a great capstone and bookend. After nearly 60 years of active mining, Taft Hill saw its reserves finished in 2025, with the site’s portable team members moving on to a new location.

It is a “powerful way” to end six decades of hard work, said District Production Manager Britney Guggisberg, who described the moment as “bittersweet.”

“This award is a phenomenal way to close out Taft Hill’s legacy,” she said. “The team continues to show up every day with safety at the forefront, so seeing that commitment recognized at such a high level is truly meaningful.”

Introduced more than a century ago by then commerce secretary, and future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, the Sentinels of Safety Award honors mining operations that achieve the highest number of employee hours without a lost-time incident. Taft Hill’s core crew of 10, supported by additional portable-plant teammates across the region, relied on a shared culture of vigilance and accountability to exceed the National Mining Association’s benchmarks.

Regional Vice President-General Manager Daniel Wyatt said the award reflects both the pride and purpose found throughout the West Division.

“Being recognized with an award is fantastic, but ultimately, it’s about our team members returning home safely every day,” he said. “We see our region’s challenges as opportunities that call us to be the best we can be.”

That mindset has shaped the Rocky Mountain Region’s approach and allowed the team to transform its diverse, ever-changing work environments into proving grounds for continuous improvement, Wyatt said.

Rocky Mountain Aggregates Senior Director of Production Services David Jordan credits the award to the Taft Hill team’s extraordinary culture.

“This site has worked hard to build a safety culture where they look out for one another as Good Wingmen,” Jordan said. “They’re deserving of this award. Their safety culture is worth celebrating.”

Leaders on the ground at the former sand and gravel operation said the portable plant team members continue to share a belief in the Guardian Angel Creed and know that safety is everyone’s responsibility, regardless of job title or tenure.

Production Supervisor Paul Ruybal explained that type of unity has defined the team’s reputation.

“There’s a strong belief that everyone plays a role in keeping one another safe,” he said. “This recognition feels like a milestone, not an ending. It’s a statement about how the work was done and how these team members continue to strive.”

Plant Manager Travis Newman echoed the pride felt across Taft Hill as it concluded six decades of production.

“It’s a great feeling to receive this award before we exit the Taft Hill site,” he said. “We have always held safety in the highest regard, and it’s a great feeling for me and my group to receive this prestigious award.”

Guggisberg has been present for much of the site’s history and said the team has trained new and effective leaders, embraced the Guardian Angel safety culture and consistently demonstrated world-class safety excellence.

“There’s never a day I visit with this team without being greeted by smiles and a positive attitude,” she said. “Friendliness and teamwork in that kind of environment are critical to maintaining a safe and successful operation.”