which, in the Rocky Mountain Division,
is experiencing tremendous growth. This
past summer – the busy season for the
Asphalt and Paving District – was record
breaking. Even when the weather in the
Rockies starts to turn, as it often does
around October, there is plenty of work
for Miklovic and his team of about 35.
Handling this demand is a large part of
his job as an asphalt and construction
manager.
“It comes down to understanding our
customers,” he says as he pulls up to the
first worksite of the day, an assisted living
complex where his team will be paving
the parking lot. “I want to understand
their jobs and their contracts. I want to
understand their needs, priorities and
deadlines. It all helps me evaluate what I
can and cannot do for them, and it’s all
a part of a never-ending balancing act
based on working relationships. Those
relationships are stronger if I understand
exactly what they’re up against.”
His interests are varied and include
golfing, hiking, mountain biking and
skiing, so Miklovic has a solid base when
it comes to forming industry relationships
in a state that often ranks among
the most “outdoorsy” in the country.
What he lacks (and this is by his own
admission) is the inherent affability one
might expect of someone in his position.
Typical of his work ethic, he’s made real
efforts to overcome this.
“I’ve worked with Talent Development
and must have taken the emotional
intelligence course about three times. I
reference it almost daily,” he says with a
bit of a laugh. “The way I see it, we all
learn, grow and evolve. If you’re not,
then you’re doing something wrong.”
For someone who claims to lack
emotional intelligence, Miklovic could
stand as a testament to the abilities of the
Talent Development group. He maintains
strong relationships with his supervisors
and works well across the vertically
integrated business that is the Rocky
Mountain Division. He’s in constant
contact with his superintendents and,
Miklovic (left) speaks with Operator Omar
Moncada at a worksite outside of Denver.
Though he says his emotional intelligence
scores are low, Miklovic maintains strong
relationships with customers, supervisors and
work crews. Here, he reviews details of a job
with Tandem Truck Driver Carole Rupp.
most importantly, his work crews.
After leaving the assisted living center,
he heads off to a busy intersection where
a team is paving a new turning lane.
From there, it’s off to a stretch of
highway being repaved across from a
shopping center. Stops at a new airport
parking garage and a freshly constructed
residential area follow.
“I’ve been trying to be an ‘office bum’
lately, but I do jump in to make my team
members’ lives easier if I can,” he says
after conferencing with the crew at the
airport. “I always say, ‘take care of the
ones who take care of you.’ These people
in the field are the ones who make all of
this possible.”
By 2 p.m., Miklovic has looped Denver,
visiting five worksites and the Aggregates
District’s Spec Agg Quarry. He returns to
the office in Lakewood, Colorado, where
an additional day’s worth of work awaits
him. The office is humming. Phones ring,
computer keyboards clack and large
groups of division employees move about
as they meet to plan the future of the
business. This environment is what draws
Miklovic to Martin Marietta.
“There are good people here and
there’s flexibility,” he says. “There’s no
set time when we have to come in and
there’s no set time we have to leave. We
get things done and move forward, and I
thrive on that.” ▼
www.martinmarietta.com | January/February 2 com 2018 The Conveyor 17