Start with People

People are the most valuable asset you have. Sharing their stories can be the best way to share the story of your own business.

For the better part of three decades, I have written about the aggregates industry. Oh, I’ve had opportunities to cover other industries: engineering, bridge building, road construction, the veterinary care, and even the salon industry. But my heart has always belonged in the aggregates industry. Why? Two words. The people.

The aggregates industry is populated by all types of interesting people and sharing their stories is profoundly satisfying. While having spent decades sharing these stories from one producer to another, I’m now expanding that role. I will continue to highlight people throughout the industry, but I also want to help the industry tell its story to the public at large.

It is a critical time for the industry to more broadly open its doors to the communities in which they operate. We fiercely compete with other fields for potential employees. This means we need to show potential workers the benefit of investing their time with us.

We also need to show local communities what good neighbors we are by sharing our stories in new ways. A story in the local paper might cross someone’s breakfast table, but will it be easy to find when they want to learn more about this business? Probably not, but social media offers many avenues to show the public what the industry is about.

Operators regularly hold open houses, host school tours, and sponsor benefits for local charities. Share these stories and – most importantly – share the stories of the people who work for and with us. They are members of the communities in which we operate.

It’s common to hear the phrase, ‘people are our most important asset.’ Typically, it’s said with regards to safety and worker protection, but the same holds true with community outreach. They are – quite literally – the face of your business.

Building stronger community ties is all about building relationships. And those relationships start with people.