Every driller at Martin
Marietta conducts a
pre-shift inspection of
his machine before the
beginning of every shift.
MAKING IT Stick
Weeping Water Driller
Leaves Mark on Underground Mine
He downshifts when the pickup
reaches the decline and
moves forward steadily as the
mid-morning sunlight disappears at
just under 7 mph.
“We try to keep things as safe as
possible,” he says with a smile as the
truck rolls into the Nebraska underground,
“so we’re required to use the
lowest gear whenever we drive down
into the mine.”
The descent is almost ritual for
Marvin Cave, a driller who placed the
first ever drill hole at Weeping Water
Mine when the operation moved
underground back in 1978. In the years
since, he’s journeyed into the earth
thousands of times. Soon, he’ll find a
new routine.
His career as a driller has spanned
nearly 46 years, but in his last months
with the company, he’s been asked to
spend less time drilling and more time
sharing his wisdom with the next
generation. Since August 2016, he’s
worked with about a dozen new employees.
Some of the lessons he offers are
unique to Weeping Water. Others are
common tutorials a trainee at any
Martin Marietta mine might hear. All
are equally valuable.
Cave’s current trainee, a “shining
star” named Shawn Santee, is spending
a Wednesday in late September drilling
in a room that will soon become a
depot for the underground crew. Santee
is a young guy who joined Martin
Marietta five months ago after working
as a civilian mechanic for the U.S. Air
Force. He’s spent the past five weeks
under Cave’s watchful eye.
“Marvin is a good trainer,” he says. “I
asked around before we started working
together and everyone said the same
thing, ‘He’s thorough. He cares. He
wants you to do the best you can.’”
Beyond that, Cave is full of the type
of knowledge that can only be acquired
from several decades in the industry.
He started his career as a welder’s
assistant, then held positions like
haul truck driver and foreman before
settling in as a driller. The work, he
says, has always suited him just fine.
“Once I got into drilling, I picked it
up pretty quickly,” he says. “Over the
years, I guess I’ve gotten good enough
for (management) to keep me in it. I
could have tried to move on to another
piece of equipment, but I enjoy this
job.”
The work isn’t for everyone, but for
the right type of person, there’s much
to enjoy beneath Weeping Water.
Always a constant temperature, the
mine is about a 2-mile by 2-mile grid
of pitch black rooms and large pillars
that appear gray beneath the beam of
pickup truck headlights. Most drillers
spend the majority of their shifts in
18 November/December 2017 The Conveyor | www.martinmarietta.com
Marking walls is a necessary
part of a driller’s day.
/www.martinmarietta.com