U.S. Ag employees ask for support

To the editor:

There has been a lot of focus recently regarding the rezoning and expansion of a new mining operation in our community.

A group that has been quiet until now has been the employees that would be greatly impacted should this expansion not happen.

Some of you may not know this, but our quarry started out as a small business. What most of you knew as Meshberger’s became a part of a bigger business, the family-owned US Aggregates that you know today. As a whole, we have provided Jay County with materials, and more importantly opportunities, since the 1950s. 

At this time, our quarry consists of 22 employees ranging from age 20 to 63. We have anywhere from 30 days to 30-plus years of experience in our unique, mining skill set.  We are 22 hard working men and women. We are 22 families, with spouses and loved ones. Thanks to the opportunities the quarry has provided, many of us are the head of our households. That equates to more than 50 children and grandchildren that have been supported by mining in Portland.

In the mix of all of these people, there are countless families of the small businesses we work with.

We understand you have concerns and questions, and we hear you, but the dangers posed to our livelihoods need to be heard as well.

The experience and training many of us have is very specific to the field in which we work, making finding meaningful employment elsewhere a difficult undertaking. For example, someone who has spent their past 15 years as a heavy machinery operator simply does not have the necessary skill set to compete at the local factory environments available. This is true for us in sales, quality and virtually the entirety of our staff.

Twenty-two is a small number you say? What about those in the community who rely on our products to do business? — the trucking companies in Jay County, the concrete businesses in the area, even our own road crews. Not allowing this rezoning request to pass will increase hardships on every citizen of Jay County.

US Aggregates has always looked out for us as employees, having a safety culture that is second to none. I can assure you the same caution and care will be provided to our neighbors. We want to see our community thrive as much as anyone. We also care about the well-being of the people.

Some of us have been here since the beginning. We are a part of Jay County. We are sitting next to you in church. We are volunteering at your child’s school. We are a group of men and women that have a vested interest in Jay County.

In addition to working at US Aggregates, we are first responders, pastors and veterans. We are going above and beyond to help build opportunities in the community we love and support.

All we are asking for is the same love and support be shown to us in return.

Corey Price and fellow US Aggregates employees James Humbles, Kari Reynolds, Eric Miller, Charles Myers, Conner Ray, Zach Williams, Randy Hartman, Tristin Eley, Seth Fugiett, Chad Franks, Jim Cassudakis, Mason Franks, Daniel Ward, Nathan Stone, Riley DeVoss, John O’Connor, Kelly Norton, Lonnie Mock, Rebecca Toschlog, Adam Smith, Steve Swingley and Eric Reynolds