Hatton Quarry Wins Diamond Elite Award

By Trey Youngdahl

Hatton Quarry has been named Martin Marietta’s 2021 Diamond Elite Award winner.

Martin Marietta Materials is an American-based company with headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, and 500 operations throughout 30 states, Canada and the Bahamas. Hatton Quarry (Cove), Jones Mill Quarry (Malvern) and Black Rock (Black Rock) are the company’s only three facilities within Arkansas. Martin Marietta is a leading supplier of building materials, including aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt. Each year, they recognize their top-performing operations within a three-tiered awards program.

The first tier, the Diamond Achievement Award, is awarded to operations that showcase operational achievement in safety, ethical conduct, operational excellence, environmental sustainability, cost discipline and customer satisfaction. 

The second tier, the Diamond Honor Award, is awarded to Diamond Achievement Award winners that not only performed well over the past year, but showed continuous improvement over the previous three years. In 2016, Hatton Quarry was a Diamond Honor recipient.

This year, Hatton Quarry, which produces aggregates, was awarded the Martin Marietta’s highest honor, the Diamond Elite Award. Presented to just one operation each year, Diamond Elite teams are considered the “best of the best” in the company. Winners must showcase exceptional competence in safety, ethical conduct, operational excellence, environmental sustainability, cost discipline and customer satisfaction. Jones Mill Quarry was a Diamond Elite winner in 2016. 

“Winning the Diamond Elite Award is an honor. It’s something that we’ve chased since 2016 and, in 2021, we finally made it,” said Hatton Plant Manager Salomon Hernandez. “It was all about teamwork—that’s what it took. This team works great together. They always have.” 

Denson Broach, Hatton Quarry foreman, felt that same sentiment. 

“We’re one big family,” Broach said. “We hold each other accountable if necessary and that’s what holds us above the rest.” 

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