West Division welcomes new colleagues to company

Martin Marietta’s ONE team just got a little bigger.

At the start of the year, Martin Marietta announced that it completed the acquisition of Albert Frei & Sons (AFS), an aggregates company providing their products to the Metro Denver area in Colorado since the 1960’s. 

“We are delighted to announce the acquisition of AFS and welcome such a talented team to our company,” Chairman and CEO Ward Nye said. “The acquisition, wholly consistent with our strategic plan, enhances our aggregates platform in the high-growth Denver metropolitan area and strengthens our ability to deliver significant value for shareholders and customers.” 

Through the addition of these former AFS sites, Martin Marietta welcomed one large quarry, two sand and gravel pits and more than 80 new crew members to its ONE team. 

Walstrum Quarry Plant Manager Bryan Scott said the excitement of a new company is present in the air. 

“All of us coming over from AFS love what we do, are very proud of our operations, and are excited to continue working toward our goals with Martin Marietta,” Scott said. “With the acquisition, Martin Marietta is well positioned in the Denver area’s aggregates market. Our sites will continue to be great job creators for the area, offering career opportunities for the local communities.” 

Scott added that with the onboarding of so many team members, the crews in the West Division were “feeling the love” with all the new company visitors. 

“I think the crews are excited to see what the future holds for us at Martin Marietta,” he said. 

Human Resource Manager Becky Deters is one of the team members who helped bring these new members aboard during a day-long onboarding event, which she said was full of community and an eagerness to begin something new. 

Deters said that safety expectations, including the impact of the Guardian Angel safety culture, were among the most significant topics discussed on the day. 

“One of the biggest things we heard was that there was a relief that we hold safety at such a high regard. These teams had held safety as an important focus before, but now see how we will continue to grow and become even better,” she said. “All of our new members are ready to embrace our Guardian Angel culture because they’re taking care of each other and prepared to expand on that even further.”

West Division President Abbott Lawrence said the new sites will usher in an exciting time for the region. 

“While it’s only been a few months since closing our acquisition, it is already clear that the enthusiasm and high expectations were well founded. Our new colleagues are fully engaged in the integration process and, like the rest of our Rocky Mountain Region team, are excited about the investments we are making to expand the operations,” he said. “This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build value right in the middle of Colorado’s thriving Front Range market, and our talented employees are absolutely making the most of it.” 

In addition to these sites, Martin Marietta has also taken steps to expand its presence in both the East and Central Divisions. 

In April, the company acquired 20 active aggregates operations in Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia from affiliates of Blue Water Industries, LLC. 

Nye said the acquisition strengthens the business and positions Martin Marietta to continue providing increased value to the region. 

“As we celebrate this historic period in our company’s history, I wish to thank the many teams that have made our success possible, including those individuals most closely related to these recent developments and those whose consistent, safe and efficient work has built Martin Marietta into an enterprise capable of such achievements,” Nye said in a statement. “This truly is an exciting time at our company, and I am energized by our collective future.” 

Aligned with Martin Marietta’s SOAR (Strategic Operating Analysis and Review) 2025 aggregates-led product strategy, these two aggregates transactions provide approximately 1 billion tons of proven, high-quality reserves and are expected to generate more than $180 million of annualized earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.