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.

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.”

Grateful to have been part of the project and program, Eckard is even more thankful to be part of a company that cares about her goals and her future.

“Even though I have only been here for a year, I can see company leaders are investing in the next generation and relying on them to help Martin Marietta succeed,” she said. “They want me to enjoy not just a job, but a long and valued career.”