I never thought I’d be
underground and sitting
in the bucket of a loader.
A Q&A with
Ward Nye
When he sat down with The Conveyor in November,
Ward Nye was kind enough to answer a few of the more
personal questions I had for him. For me, his answers
provided more evidence that accepting a job with Martin
Marietta was the right decision.
Q: One of the main reasons I joined Martin Marietta
was the company’s commitment to community
and stewardship, values I strongly believe in.
What personal values and beliefs do you have that
bleed into your work at Martin?
A: Personal safety. It’s core in my life as well as a
value here at Martin Marietta. People have heard me
say before, ‘It’s safer to work at a Martin Marietta
quarry than it is to work at Walmart.’ Among the
things I’m most proud of are our safety records – not
just during my tenure, but even prior to it. We’ve had
lost-time rates that are world-class and they have
continued to get better and better and better.
When we speak of personal safety in its most
generic term, it’s going to work and not getting hurt,
but I like to think of it as much more. It means we’re
maintaining a place that’s safe for you to invest your
life and career. Safety transcends our operations
and affects how people live and structure their lives.
Hopefully, we have a business that allows people to do
that, not just for a year or two, but for decades.
Q: I’m a graduate of the University of North Carolina,
and I know you attended Duke University. Have
you ever attended a UNC v. Duke basketball game?
A: I have been to Duke-Carolina games in Durham,
Chapel Hill, and on neutral ground. I grew up a Carolina
fan, and I was a big Dean Smith guy. At some point,
I made the transition from light blue to dark blue, and
it was for the best.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: Steve Zelnak was an inspiration and continues
to be. What he did with Martin Marietta – from the
time he got here through taking this business public
to where it was when I became a part of it – was an
incredible and visionary journey. I’ve also been inspired
by some incredible teachers. Some of the brightest,
most capable people I know are very skilled, smart,
hardworking, visionary educators whose careers have
changed people’s lives.
www.martinmarietta.com | November/December 2019 The Conveyor 15
Meeting with the Midwest Division’s
content liaisons was an absolute blast.
Truth
Which brings me to the last piece of ONE. We couldn’t be one team
with one purpose and one future without being honest and genuine.
And that gives us each a bit of freedom – to be ourselves, to always
do the right thing, to put our energy toward our legacy and our work
instead of falsehoods and pretenses.
It quickly becomes evident to me that people feel that freedom
whether in the quarry or in the conference room. There’s one day
where I stop and listen as Ben Tiedmann, a yard loader at Ames
Mine, talks about how he has the power to speak up when it comes
to safety no matter how much it may cost. Another day, I attend an
HR/Safety Town Hall with Senior Vice President and Chief Human
Resource Officer Craig LaTorre and then a Q&A session with
Chairman and CEO Ward Nye. I’m amazed to hear that many of
Ward’s thoughts and ideas about Martin Marietta are identical to
those Craig touched on in the HR/Safety Town Hall just hours earlier.
I leave Ward’s office thinking, “Wow, leadership is really on the
same page.” That’s not easy to accomplish, but our leaders make it
look easy because they sincerely believe in what they’re saying.
And I sincerely appreciate it if you made it through all of this.
I’d love to continue meeting more of the Martin Marietta team,
so please feel free to say hello and share your thoughts with me.
Until next time! ▼
Alyssa Townsend, alyssa.townsend@martinmarietta.com
/www.martinmarietta.com
link