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Reflections of Manatt’s and our Family of Business

P.O. Box 535Brooklyn, Iowa 52211

Phone: 641.522.9206Fax: 641.522.5594

www.manatts.com

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Montezuma, IAPermit No. 30

Routine Wellness Exam Saves Gold Medalist’s LifeShannon Miller, seven-time Olympic medalist, cancer survivor, business owner, and working mom, kept up a solid routine of good health. During a routine wellness exam, an appointment she nearly cancelled, her doctor discovered aggressive ovarian cancer. Now cancer-free, she promotes that everyone make health a priority and plan for the unexpected. Download a PDF of Shannon’s story at www.Washington-National.com/HR.

Make sure you get your wellness points before November 30, 2015. There were a few changes to the program this year. If you have any questions, please contact your Human Resources representative at your company.

Adventureland outing will be July 19th - Please save the date! Information to follow in the future.

REMINDERS:

Volume 27 Issue 1• Winter 2015

Reflections of Manatt’s and our Family of Business

South Ready Mix projects: TransAmerica Truck Stop south of Brooklyn & Power Plant east of Marshalltown

2 WINTER 2015

General Updateby: Adam Manatt

Looking into my crystal ball for the 2015 construction season, things overall look positive. The commercial/portable asphalt crew out of Newton has a full schedule on the books. They were able to get a lot of work close to home this summer, which is always nice. The PCC Projects Division’s schedule is about half full at this point with a couple promising jobs that will let in the few weeks. The Ames Asphalt Division looks to be extremely busy this season. Dave Schinckel’s crews have also got a lot of work on the schedule but continue to look for more. The Ready Mix guys have some ongoing work, and have seen an uptick in commercial work that is expected to continue through the year.

We are a very diversified company. Along with having the best people, this is one of our great advantages. We have a balance that enables us to work on diverse types of projects as well as self perform many tasks on any given project. We are able to teach each other, learn from each other, and challenge ourselves to im-prove.

In January, several leaders from Manatt’s, Inc. and other members of the Manatt’s Family of Businesses got together for our annual corporate retreat to communicate, share, and best practice. This year the meetings were held in Cedar Rapids.

We had an excellent presentation on the first day. It was titled, “Blue Angels Mindset” or BAM. This was a motiva-tional presentation based on the Navy’s Blue Angels flight squad that really got everyone talking. We spent time focusing on finding our “centerpoint” that sets us apart and makes us great. We learned the value of debriefing. That evening we had dinner as a group and played a team trivia game, which was a lot of fun.

The second day our time was dedicated to our best prac-tice groups. We started with a general session focusing on environmental regulations, something that continues to have a larger and larger impact on our business. We then broke out into groups based on our business lines and really got a lot accomplished talking about our individual fields.

The time we spent together was essential to working on the business. We often get so caught up working in the business that we let opportunities go by to focus on making the company as a whole a better place. It was great to spend time focusing on our culture and values: those things that truly set us apart.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not comment on the passage of the gas tax increase in Iowa. Thank you to everyone who played a part in helping pass this legislation. Funding our Road Use Tax Fund is absolutely vital to our business. Every job in this company is in some part dependent on the projects funded by this long overdue increase. We have the best people, and great equipment, but without projects to build, none of that matters.

As Spring settles across Iowa, there is reason for optimism. We have a great company, and a newly rejuve-nated road fund. Our culture and our values are strong. Let’s have a great season: let’s watch out for each other, keep each other safe, and have some fun doing it. M

Mark “Utah” Provo (former Blue Angels Pilot), Brian Manatt, Steve Edwards (presenter for BAM)

WINTER 2015 3

Table of Contents

Equipment 101 ................................5

South Ready Mix Update ...............6

Safety Update ..................................7

PCC Project Division Update .......8

MIS Happenings .............................9

Ames Asphalt Update ....................10

North Ready Mix Update ..............11

Subdrain-Sealcoat-Stabilization ...12

May We Introduce ..........................13

News from HR Corner ..................14

Gas Tax Information ......................15

2015 Longevity Awards ..................19

ILLOWA Update .............................20

Wendling Quarries News ...............21

There is a small leadership group comprised of a cross-section of representatives from the Manatt companies that oversees our 401(k) program. It is the responsibility of this group to watch out for our employee’s best interests when it comes to which invest-ments are offered within the plan, maintaining compliance with state and federal guide-lines, and overseeing the overall administration of the plan.

This past fall I talked to some members of the investment committee and asked to be added to the group. Markets and hobby investing have been an interest of mine since I graduated from college. Over the years I’ve kept close tabs on the company 401(k) program and was very excited when I was granted “a seat at the table” to help provide guidance for the future of this important employee benefit.

The committee has been very busy the past calendar year on several fronts and we thought it best to provide an update so that all employees were made aware of the changes. In plain terms we had identified two issues we wanted to attack:

1) Some underperforming investment options within our scope of funds

2) The opportunity to lower expense ratio’s on fund options within our scope of funds. These are the costs you pay to the investment manager each year for their fund man-agement, admin costs, distribution fees, and operating expenses. These expenses are deducted from the total holdings of your investment in each fund every year.

In October, we retained the services of Gallagher Benefit Services to work on our be-half with Fidelity to identify any underperforming funds and potential alternatives to them. The end results of the project were:

1) We removed the Fidelity Freedom funds from our scope of funds and added the Van-guard Target Date family of funds. This resulted in expense ratio reductions in excess of 400% per fund and, for the most part, better performance over 3, 5, and 10 year aver-ages. Because the default investment choice for an auto-enrolled employee will be the Target Date funds we feel this is a very, very positive development!

2) We have made more fund options available to fill out the investment matrix. Until now it has not been possible to fully diversify your investments between Value, Growth and Blended funds in every segment of the matrix (large, mid-cap, small-cap). We have added several index funds in these slots to make it an option. A savvy employee can now guide his portfolio with a greater degree of focus than in the past.

3) We swapped out many existing funds with “k share” options to lower expense ratios on the funds we kept. Gallagher also worked with Fidelity to lower administrative costs on all the options in our scope of funds so that the gains our employees make in the markets aren’t eaten away by fees.

Frankly put, these are the most extensive changes our 401(k) program has seen in 15 years. We are all very excited to see such improvement in the program for you, the employee. Moving forward we are going to continue searching for the best investment options we can add to the plan at the lowest possible cost. We also want to explore new education options for those of you that want to learn more about the 401(k) program. In the meantime, if you have questions, comments, or input on our program please reach out to a committee member and share your thoughts! M

Investment Committee & 401k Newsby: Nate Hopwood

4 WINTER 2015

We have all heard a lot about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more widely referred to as Obamacare. The reporting requirements under this act are very complex. These requirements are being phased in over a number of years. One of the first requirements was that all employers report on their employees’ wage forms the amount of company provided insurance premiums. If you look at your W-2 Wage and Tax Statement, this is reported in Box 12b with the code DD.

In 2015, there is a new requirement that Form 1095-A be issued if applicable. Our benefits and account-ing personnel have received numerous calls from employees and their tax preparers inquiring as to why they were not issued this form. If a Form 1095-A is required it is issued by the federal government and is only applicable to an individual who purchased health insurance through a state exchange (the Market-place). Form 1095-A also is furnished to individuals to allow them to claim the premium tax credit and to file an accurate tax return.

Beginning in 2016, employers will be required to issue either 1095-B or 1095-C depending on whether the company provided plan is self insured or not. Manatt’s will be utilizing Form 1095-C. The 1095-C is your proof to the Internal Revenue Service that you were provided and accepted health care coverage during 2015. I am sure that in 2016, your individual tax preparers will be requesting that you provide this form.

So, what is this all about and why does the government need this information?

The ACA requires that every American, with very few exceptions, either be provided health care insur-ance by their employer or purchase individual coverage. Obviously, the government needs the informa-tion to make sure employers and individuals are complying with the law. The Internal Revenue Service was chosen as the governmental agency responsible for the administration of the act.

What are the exceptions?

•Individuals who are not required to file federal tax returns •Individuals with a legitimate religious reason for not believing in health insurance •Members of Indian tribes •Individuals who cannot find health care coverage that costs them less than 8% of their income •Individuals experiencing a general hardship, for example a natural disaster. •Individuals can be without health coverage less than 3 months in a calendar year

There has also been some confusion about what the individual penalties are for not meeting the requirements of the ACA. In 2015, the penalty is $325 per adult plus $162.50 per child up to a family maximum of $975 (OR 2% OF YOUR INCOME, WHICHEVER IS GREATER). If you make $50,000 and don’t obtain insurance coverage, your penalty maximum would be $1,000, not the family maximum of $975.

In 2016, the penalties increase to $695 per adult plus $347.50 per child up to a family maximum of $2,085 (OR 2.5% OF YOUR INCOME, WHICHEVER IS GREATER). M

Information on Affordable Care Actby: Tim Douglas

WINTER 2015 5

In December of 2014, Manatt’s purchased a new Wirtgen W220 for the Milling Division. This was added to our fleet of seven other milling machines of various sizes and widths. The new W220 is equipped with a half lane 8’ 2” head capable of cutting 14” deep. This new mill has a 766 horse power C-18 Caterpillar engine and tips the scales at 99,100 pounds when ready for operation. Along with an array of new features, this machine boasts an operator intuitive diagnostic system which lets the machine monitor itself continuously throughout its work period and spots system troubles to help prevent costly breakdowns. The operator interfaces through the new and improved LevelPro grade sys-tems allow greater flexibility when toggling between stringless applications and the standard contact /noncontact grading systems. The new wasp waist design and dual camera system allows the operator a much greater sense of situational awareness and a better 360 degree field of vision. This new milling machine is set to make its debut on I-80 in Jasper and Polk counties milling 40,000 tons of paved shoulder. M

Equipment 101by: Bryan Wacha

Wirtgen W220 Milling Machince

In Sympathy...

Darrin McCann - loss of grandmotherJoe Reese - loss of grandmotherArturo Sanchez - loss of fatherRandy Van Dee - loss of sisterNolan Plum - loss of motherKenny Ospachek - loss of motherChris Sawin - loss of father-in-lawPam Benishek - loss of brotherMike Fraham - loss of father-in-lawKenny Alexander Jr. - loss of fatherKen Cline - loss of step fatherBruce Hannah - loss of fatherDave Galbraith - loss of motherFamily & Friends of Stan AndersonFamily & Friends of Kenny Alexander Sr.Family & Friends of Rick Kriegel

Miracles-

Nick & Tylar GallagherDaughter - Quinlee Kay - October 2

Denny Gallagher Granddaughter- Quinlee Kay - October 2

Adam & Jamin ManattDaughter - Eleanor Ruth - November 20

JoAnn ManattGranddaughter - Eleanor Ruth - November 20

Tyler Busch & Lacey DoolinDaughter - Kipplee Ruth - March 3

Manatt’s Announcements

6 WINTER 2015

The Ready Mix Concrete Division of Manatt’s Inc. has once again added more locations to its portfolio. On February 1 2015 we assumed the operations of Witte Ready Mix, just off Highway 30, in DeWitt. They also had a plant located in the town of Calamus just down Highway 30 to the west. We hired most of the current Witte employees and have named Keith Ellis as our DeWitt Plant Manager. (See Bio)This purchase of Witte Ready Mix helps us gain momentum in serving the concrete needs of individuals and contrac-tors in East Central Iowa, which now includes most of Cedar, Jackson, Clinton, and some of Scott Counties. The DeWitt and Calamus plants will fit great and will help us better utilize our resources that we already have at our Tipton and Maquoketa locations. Rory Petersen, Jim Sprague and crews will be great assets to help the DeWitt group transfer into the Manatt Family. This addition also allows us to keep some of our material purchases in the family of businesses by purchasing aggregates from Wendling Quarries.If your travels happen to take you anywhere near DeWitt anytime, please stop by and welcome Keith and all our new employees there, to our Manatt Family.I wish all divisions great success this construction season and also remind everyone of our motto: To Safely Do Every Job Better Than Anyone Else. M

South Ready Mix Update

by: Ken Cline

Hello, my name is Keith Ellis. I was hired in February 2015 to be the plant manager of the recently acquired Manatts ready mix plant in DeWitt. I have been around the ready mix business for quite some time. I was hired as a ready mix driver at Scott County Ready Mix in Eldridge in 1982, became the dispatcher there in 1985 and then was the plant manager in 2002. In 2006 WG Block assumed opera-tions of Scott County Ready Mix and became a dispatcher for them, op-erating several plants for WG Block and Edwards Ready mix. I then went on to DeWitt to drive for Mark and Craig Witte at Witte Ready Mix in 2012.

I have been married to my wife, Pam, for 38 years and have two grown daughters, Liz and Amanda. Liz has given us two grandsons, Gavin 6 and Garrett 4. My grand-sons and I are big outdoorsmen, exploring the woods, love to frog hunt and they are becoming quite the fishermen!

May We Introduce...

Brooklyn Ready Mix plant pouring at the new TA truck stop south of Brooklyn

The new power plant outside of Marshalltown.

WINTER 2015 7

We are proud to report and recognize several crews that worked all of 2014 without an OSHA recordable injury:• MillingCrewsFOURyearsinarowwithoutaninjurythatrequiredmedicaltreatment!• SteveArmstrong’sPortableAsphaltPavingCrewtwoyearsinarow• AmesReadyMixCrewtwoyearsinarow• Grinding/Grooving,Crushing,DirtandUtilityCrewstwoyearsinarow• AmesAsphaltPlant/Shop/Trucking

OurPre-shiftstretchingprogramispayingoff!OurReadyMixDivisionshoweda50%reductioninthenumberofOSHArecordableinjuriescomparedto2013.Keepupthegoodwork!OverallourAsphaltOperations,BrooklynShops/Offices,andMetroReadyMixinparticularshowedthebestimprovementsininjuryreductioncomparedtopreviousyears.Let’scontinuetheseimprovementsandstaysharpsoourreductionininjuriescontinuestodecrease!

WehavemoregoodnewswithourCSATruckingSafety.Inour“UnsafeDrivingBasic”ourscorecontin-uestoimprove.Remember,documentedwarningsincommercialmotorvehiclesstillcountagainstourcompanyscorefortwoyearsandyourpersonalrecordforthreeyears.Documentedwarningsarealsosubjecttoourdisciplinepolicies.AperfectscoreinUnsafeDrivingispossibleforuswhenweeliminatespeeding,cellphoneuse,andbuckleourseatbeltsanytimewemoveavehicle.We,asprofessionaldriv-ers,areheldtoahigherstandardthantherestofthemotoringpublic.Wemustcontinuetodoeverythingwithinourabilitiestoavoidcollisions.OurVehicleMaintenancescoreachievedarecordlow(whichisgood!),butthereisstillroomforimprovement.WehaveinvestedinnewtrainingcomingthisyeartohelpusimproveandstandardizeourPre-TripTruckInspections.

Weareproudoftheimprovementswe’vemadeinsafety.WearenotwillingtoacceptANYONEgettinghurt.Wearealwayslookingtoimproveallouraspectsofsafety.Helpaco-workerifthey’reliftingsome-thingawkwardorheavy.Minimizeunsafeactslikejumpingoffequipment(insteadof3pointsofcontactlikeyouaretrainedtodo)ornotzippingupyourhighvisibilityvest(looseclothingcanbecaughtinmov-ingpartsorhinderclimbingequipment).Thereductionofunsafeactsandclosecallsleadstothereduc-tionofinjuries.Weareafamilybusiness,andfamilytakescareofeachother.

Manyofyouhavealreadybeeninvolvedinourseminarsandtrainingthiswinterandspring.Thankyouforyourparticipationandinput.Ifnot,welookforwardtoseeingyouthisspring!M

SafetyUpdateby:AdamGrier

ATTSA Traffic Control Technician Training in Brooklyn

8 WINTER 2015

Spring is finally here. Hopefully everyone had a safe and relax-ing winter. Spring brings the excitement of a new construc-tion season with new challenges for everyone. One of the most attractive things about working in Iowa is, we get a little bit of a break to recharge the batteries, hopefully have a little fun and get ready to go back to work for a hard safe season.

The PCC Projects Division has the foundation of a good year shaping up. We have a few carry-over projects to fin-ish from our abrupt end to the season last year (weather!). Kenny Alexander’s paving crew will start out the season finish-ing up the Alice’s Road proj-ect in Waukee from University Ave to Ashworth Road. James Bracy’s paving crew will most likely start their season at an-other I-80 Interchange project in Altoona. This project is the last stage of re-constructing the I-80 / Hubbell Avenue inter-change. It includes eastbound I-80 lanes, reconstructed I-80 EB on and off ramps as well as some reconstruction of Hubbell Avenue. This project has a very tight schedule and definitely will have its challenges.

In addition to the Alice’s Road carryover work, we also have some work at the Boone Airport

and some sidewalk work up in Clarion for the Asphalt Division. This work is most likely slated for Shane Lint’s crew. Shane’s crew was added last year to help out with pouring handwork and misc. tasks to keep our mainline paving crews moving down the road, literally. Chris Sawin successfully land-ed an I-280 project in Scott County for our crushing and earthmoving crews this season. The project is a reconstruc-tion (crush, grade and pave) of I-280 westbound. We will be performing the excavation, crushing of existing pavement, and laying the base rock. Tom Dvorak, Brett Strong and Jared McGrew’s crews will be working this project primarily. Jared will be starting off the project as a Dirt Foremen until our new hire Brady Carter graduates from Iowa State and can take over. Jared will then transition to a Project Manager and also help with the Machine Control Tech-nology. Speaking of machine control, we will be trying out a CAT D6T with a six way blade equipped with a Leica ICON Dual Grade GPS on this project. We will actually be working for Cedar Valley Corp on this proj-ect as they will be paving it. In addition to the previously mentioned projects, Jason

Spooner landed a 9.5 mile overlay project in Mitchell Coun-ty. There is also a very chal-lenging I-80 Alice’s Road Inter-change project. This is a one of a kind interchange in Iowa called a diverging diamond. We also have a 2.6 mile overlay project on 340th Street in Tama right next to our Tama Sand plant. Roy Piper’s plant crew had a new addition to their family. They are getting a new CAT 972M Loader. The PCC Division is also getting a new CAT 279 Track Skidsteer that will go to one of our dirt crews. In addi-tion to the new equipment, we will be using some new software on our stringless equipment. We are officially switching over to Leica’s Pavesmart on all of our pavers and trimmers. The software is very similar to the LMGS we have been using, but will be beneficial in calibrating machines and exporting the 3D models. A few key people have been trained on the software up at Gomaco over this last winter, so hopefully the learning curve is a small one.

Keep safety in mind while out there doing the real work and have a great season! M

PCC Projects Division Update

by: Tim Tometich

WINTER 2015 9

I hope everybody has had a restful, but productive, winter. It doesn’t seem possible that we’re halfway through February and starting production meetings for the 2015 season already. John and I have been working hard since everybody was laid off to get our projects finished and running before everybody gets called back to work.

This year’s big projects have all focused on our network. We now have full 100 MB ethernet circuits serv-ing our Ames, Newton, and Elk Run offices. These sites were all running on 1.5MB T1’s until a few weeks ago so the upgrade in connectivity has been eye popping to the folks that work from these offices. We are now able to run Viewpoint and B2W without Citrix, access server shares, move video, and operate fluidly between these sites and Brooklyn. As we continue to add server based applications (like advanced docu-ment imaging, barcoding, etc.) our network will be ready to offer full functionality of these programs at our remote offices.

Before we get fully moving again with the construction season we will be replacing the hardware that runs our Viewpoint server. When I was in the field I always wanted to get on the “big iron” if I could find the chance. Our Viewpoint server is big iron to those that are nerdy enough to appreciate it!

A quick note about cell phones. We have been operating on our new contract with U.S. Cellular for several months now and are enjoying the added benefits of flexible pooled data. We still have a handful of users that eat up more than their fair share of data each month. Please remember that our company phones and hot spots are tied to a pooled data plan and we still incur overages when that pool is exceeded. Streaming music and video, personal Facebook usage, and game apps can all cause huge amounts of data usage and need to be avoided. U.S. Cellular is now providing us with a great reporting tool that breaks down usage each month and will allow us to identify “abuse” very specifically and assess charges where necessary.

I’m looking forward to everybody getting back this spring and seeing the trucks and equipment get rolling. Please stop in and see us if you need help or have questions about any of your technology assets. M

MIS Happenings

by: Nate Hopwood

The workload is looking very good for this time of year. We have been graced with quite a bit of work in the last three years being let in Jasper-Poweshiek Counties. I dread the day that it dries up.

The crew and plant have approximately 100,000 ton of mill and replace paved shoulders on Inter-state 80 in Jasper-Poweshiek Counties, with the majority of this work to be done at night between Sunday and Thursday.

Other work we have on the books is 3,500 ton in Iowa County (left from last year), 13,500 tons in Poweshiek County through Malcom, and work at the rest area westbound just west of Grinnell.

I don’t think that Jasper County will do much this year, but you never know. Hopefully with some commercial work we can fill out the days for the season.

As always, let’s all have a safe construction season. M

Newton Commercial Asphalt Crewby: Steve Illingworth

10 WINTER 2015

As we prepare for the 2015 construction season I can happily report the Ames Asphalt Division has more tons on the books than we completed all of last year. We should be busy starting the �rst of May which has not been the case the last couple of years.

Two state projects make up most of the tonnage. One of the projects we will start the season o� with involves night work. It is a mill/�ll project on I-35 involving ramps and rest areas north of Ames. This project is only around 14,000 tons, but the majority of the work will take place at night so it will take a few weeks to complete. It’s been a couple of years since we have had this much night work, but I’m con�dent our crews can adjust and make this a safe and successful project.

The second state project is the reconstruction of HWY 69 starting just south of Ames and ending just south of Huxley near HWY 210. It will involve milling 33,000 tons of the old asphalt down to the existing PCC, which we will then rubblize, then place 3” of choke stone which we will cover with over 59,000 tons of new HMA. We will need to be as e�cient as possible due to some expensive liquated damages as a part of this contract.

The commercial market is starting to pick back up here in Ames with more subdivisions getting built than in recent years, which helps keep our Dirt and PCC crews busy. We are also seeing more new retail properties being built which is always good.

The City of Ames will have a strong construction program for the 2015 year, and we are fortunate to have several projects under contract. These projects are nice since they will involve all the di�erent Ames crews and help keep everybody busy.

Here’s hoping for a mild and dry spring so everybody can get o� to a great start, but most importantly we want it to be a safe 2015 construction season. M

Ames Asphalt Update

by: Steve Rooney

Social Security Accounts Online

The U.S. Social Security Administration has now made it possible for you to create and manage your own “Social Security” account online, at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. You can access your annual Social Security statement, check your earnings record, and see estimates of your future retirement, dis-ability and survivor benefits you or your family may receive. For those of you who are already receiving benefits, you can get a benefit verification letter, change your address and phone number, and manage your direct deposit information.

WINTER 2015 11

Here in the first week of March, it is still quite cold, but there is warmer temperatures in the forecast. We look forward to a very busy year here in North ready mix. We have had yet another very cold winter, but we have had some good winter work to keep our plants busy.

During the winter months, the only plants that remain open here are Elk Run Heights and Independence. Both plants have been fortunate to have shared in supplying a transmission line that started in January. This project started near Dunkerton and extends east to the Hazelton area. Elk Run supplied the Western half and Independence is currently supplying the Eastern portion. This project totals over 8,000 cubic yards, 2,000 cubic yards was supplied by Elk Run and Independence is currently working on the remainder. In addition to this project, Elk Run has also been supplying a large lift station project, as well as a project at Tyson in Waterloo. We only have three drivers working in Elk Run this winter and two in Independence, so all of our laid off employees have been called back several times this year to help cover these large projects. It is great to have this work to start the year off well ahead of last season.

It is a bit early to predict how busy we will be this season across the North plants. There are several upcoming projects that are being let this month. So far, we have lined up several jobs, and we are optimistic that we will have another great construction season. The Waterloo area plants have several paving jobs lined up either ongoing or yet to begin. Some of the Waterloo paving projects include a new interchange at US 218 & C57, Kimball Avenue and five subdivision projects. The Elk Run plant will continue to be busy this Spring with a wastewater treatment plant project in Gilbertville and a new Kwik Star in Evansdale.

The Independence plant should finish their portion of the transmission line by early May. This will take trucks from all of our surrounding plants to help complete. We have several jobs ongoing when we reopen our rural plants. Also for the rural plants, we are quoting several agricultural projects each week. There are several IDOT projects in future lettings that are in our area. We look forward to the warmer weather and starting off the construction season. M

North Ready Mix Update

by: Chris Manatt

The Des Moines Metro Division is looking forward to a great season in 2015. We have some carryover from last year that will get us started this spring once we finally start to thaw out. The paving backlog is ahead of last year with a lot of big public jobs still to bid this year. We are hopeful we can pick some of that work up in addition to our private work to round out the season. The PCC paving division will be ready to go when the weather cooperates.

The shops have been busy all winter long getting the trucks, pavers, loaders, equipment, etc. ready for the 2015 season. Jeff Hanke and his crew are doing a great job to make sure we are ready to go for another season. They keep the fleet running and looking great! Thanks for all you guys do.

The Ready Mix Division is looking forward to another good year. We just completed our preseason ready mix driver training meeting and had a great turnout. The main focus was dealing with emo-tionally charged situations in the workplace and safety. We saw an improvement on safety in 2014 in the Metro area, and I appreciate everyone’s hard work to make that hap-pen. Let’s keep that going into 2015 and have another safe year doing a better job than anyone else! M

Metro Updateby: Greg Manatt

12 WINTER 2015

Another winter is starting to wind down! It doesn’t really sound that way for the forecast this first week of March though! At least this time of year the snow shouldn’t last as long as going in to Janu-ary. The winter months are the time we try to fill our books for the upcoming construction season. As usual there has not been an over abundance of work to bid in our division once again. We have been able to grab some projects here and there but have a long way to go yet. The subdrain crew has a little over two months on the books scattered out over the summer, as projects become available. The gas tax has now been passed and hopefully will open a few more projects available to bid in the coming months to help fill this crew up. I am always nervous at this time of year when I see where our finish line is and how much ground we need to cover. It seems we can always make a season out of it, but what little hair I have seems to be getting grayer each year!

The Sealcoat and Stabilization crew has some carry over work from last year that we will cover first thing out of the chute. Hopefully Mother Nature will bless us with an early warm up and we can kickoff early to get these projects taken care of. Jeremy has been out most of the winter making sales calls and we are seeing more interest in the towns and cities to fix their streets this year. I am pretty optimistic this crew will not have any problem making a full season once again. There have been several stabilization projects we have quoted and seem to be filling that area up also. It might be that the subdrain crew will be called in to help as they did last year, if they have some open holes in their schedule, and the sealcoat crew starts to get bogged down with weather.

The safety meetings will be coming soon, and I look forward to seeing you all back again for another safe and productive season. Get all of your CDL requirements updated if needed, as we will be going again before you know it. If you have time now also, get your Wellness program requirements done before we start so it isn’t a last minute issue this fall. See ya soon! M

Subdrain-Sealcoat- Stabilizationby: David Schinckel

First, I’d like to welcome everyone back. It’s nice to see a little more activity around the shop, plants and o�ce. As we get back into our daily routines let’s all try to stay conscientious with our environment. Let’s stay safe and have another productive and pro�table year. With that being said, it is nice to know we will have a busy year ahead of us. Writing this in February, we already have a season that is 90% full.

We will be starting the year in Jasper County on Highway 14, North of Newton. We will be doing approximately 13000 tons of paved shoulders. A�er that, we will be heading back to HWY 3 in Wright County to �nish that job, approximately 40,000 tons of surface mix. When that is completed we will be coming back to Jasper County to �nish HWY 14, approximately 60,000 tons. �is job needs to be cold-in-placed, widened, and then overlaid. �ere will be other various small projects that we will also be doing as Chico’s guys will be busy completing the paved shoulders on I-80.

Again, welcome back and stay safe. M

Newton Portable Asphaltby: Je� Steinkamp

WINTER 2015 13

Corrine KimmHello to everyone, and thank you for making me feel so welcomed. My name is Corrine Kimm. I will be taking over for Dwight in the Dump Truck Dispatch department in Brooklyn. I have been in the construction industry since 1986, and am part owner of Kimm’s Truck (formerly Kimm’s Ready Mix, a third generation family owned business) in Blairstown.

I grew up the oldest of 5 children, on a farm outside of Watkins, IA. I graduated from Norway High School in 1982. I married my husband Dale “Joe” in 1988. We have three grown children, Danielle, Maggie, and Dale, Jr. and 2 energetic grandsons, Charlie, 2 and Jackson, 4. Joe and I enjoy the outdoors, camping, fishing, our collector cars, and old Harleys. We love attending as many car shows as we can each summer. In my spare time, I am also chairman of the Blairstown Sauerkraut Days celebration; love my vegetable garden and canning. Thank you to ALL of the “Manatt family” for this opportunity and challenge that is ahead of me. Family is very important, and I am happy that I have found another one to be a part of.

May We Introduce...

Andy DayHi, my name is Addison Day and I’m the upside down one in the picture. I’d like to introduce you to my mom and dad. My mom is Brenda and my dad is Andy. My mom is a school teacher and my dad is your new Director of Human Resources at Manatts. He’s very excited to be working with all of you and me and my mom are excited to move to Brooklyn. I’ve already met some very nice people and even made some new friends. I can’t wait to spend more time with Amiah, Clair, Payton, and Lucy. My dad used to work for Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids and was there for 14 years. We moved to California when I was 1 to live in San Jose. We had a great time living there and seeing all the neat sites. Our family likes to do a lot of fun things and build forts in the living room. Movie night is my favorite and we’ve watched some really neat movies. Please say hi when you see us in Brooklyn or anywhere else in Iowa and don’t forget to be nice to cats. I love cats and hope to see a lot of them in Brooklyn. Oh, I almost for-got…we also have two new puppies. Kona and Kobi are 1 year old German Shepherds who love to bark and lick.

14 WINTER 2015

In preparation for the upcoming season, the Human Resources team is excited to introduce a number of new position changes in Brooklyn. Please join me in congratulating the following indi-viduals as they begin transitioning into their new assignments.

•BeckyEdelenwilltakeoverthefuel/truckhoursresponsibilitiesaswellasbackingupthe front desk during the season.

•AdelaFragosohasmovedtothelobbywhereshe’lltakeoverthedaytoday responsibilities of the front desk in addition to continuing her support with language translation and employee communication.

•RandiConawayhasmovedupstairsintotheHRareawhereshewillmaintain responsibility over the Wellness program in addition to supporting Payroll and other HR data administration needs.

•JamieEdelenhasmovedupstairsintheHRareawhereshewilltakeonnew responsibilities in HR like recruiting, communications and employee relations.

•NikkiButlerwillserveasyourfocalpointforallcontractingneedsinPCC&MetroPaving, Subdrain, Sealcoat and Grinding.

•AshleyLintwillserveasyourfocalpointforallcontractingneedsinNewton&AmesAsphalt&Milling.

•LaceyDoolinwillbetransitioningintothepartsdepartment.

In addition to these role changes, the team has been busy this winter implementing a new set of pre-employmentphysicalscreeningstotestallincomingemployee’sabilitytoperformthees-sentialfunctionsoftheirjob.We’repartneringwithAtlasInjuryPreventionSolutionsandGrin-nell Hospital to incorporate a 30 minute “physical” for each participant into new hire orientation. ThetestisdesignedtoensurethesafetyofManatt’sInc.employeesbyrequiringallapplicantsto take a standardized pre-work screen that validates that they are able to perform the essential functionsofthejobforwhichtheywereofferedemployment.Existingandreturningemployeeswillnotberequiredtoperformthesescreenings.

Alsothiswinter,theteampartneredwithAllenInteractivetodesign,createanddeployacom-puter-based training on pre-trip inspections. This interactive training module demonstrates the proper way to conduct a pre-trip inspection and then tests the driver on their ability to success-fully complete the process. The purpose of this training is intended to improve our company performanceontheFederalMotorCarrierSafetyAdministration’sCSA(Compliance*Safety*Accountability)scorecard.AllCDLholdersatManatt’sInc.shouldplantocompletethistrainingpriorto the season kicking off. M

NewsfromHRCorner

by:AndyDay

WINTER 2015 15

1989 – 2015 - 16 Years and Much Has ChangedAnd Yes – This Money Stays in the Road Fund!

by: Mona Bond

1989 – World Population: 5.190 billionPresident: George Bush (R)Vice President: J. Danforth Quayle (R)U.S. Population: 246,819,230Life expectancy: 75.1 yearsViolent Crime Rate (per 1,000): 57.4Federal spending: $1143.17 billionFederal debt: $2868.0 billionMedian Household Income(current dollars): $28,906 Consumer Price Index: 124Unemployment: 5.3%Cost of a �rst-class stamp: $0.25Record of the Year: “Don’t Worry Be Happy”, Bobby McFerrinAcademy Award, Best Picture: Rain Man

•Tens of thousands of Chinese students take over Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in rally for democracy.

•After 28 years, Berlin Wall is open to West.

•US jury convicts Oliver North in Iran-Contra a�air.

•Army Gen. Colin R. Powell is �rst black Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Sta� (Aug. 9).

The Iowa Legislature, in a rare move, passed the motor fuel tax rate e�ective March 1, 2015. The 10 cent increase is the �rst signi�cant increase since 1989. As a comparison, let’s look at how the country has changed since 1989. If you were born in 1989, you are now 25 or 26 years old. The following chart shows how the country has changed. This makes you stop and wonder how much will the nation change in the next 25 years.

2015 – World Population: 7.2 billionPresident: Barak Obama (D)Vice President: Joe Biden (D)U.S. Population: 320,090,857Life expectancy: 79 yearsViolent Crime Rate (per 1,000): 50.1Federal spending: $ $3.9 trillionFederal debt: $21,694 Trillion (expected)Median Household Income(current dollars): $53, 891 Consumer Price Index: 236.1Unemployment: 5.7%Cost of a �rst-class stamp: $0.49Record of the Year: “Stay With Me”, Sam Smith

Academy Award, Best Picture: Birdman & American Sniper

•Iowa Legislature passes 10 cent gas tax increase!

•For example, Iowa’s 2-cent gas tax in 1923 would have the equivalence of 27 cents per gallon today. Iowa’s gas tax value peaked in 1957 when the gas tax was 7 cents, which in today’s dollars would be 59.1 cents per gallon, according to the report.

Background

State, county, and municipal governments currently maintain over 114,000 miles of roadway and nearly 25,000 bridg-es in the state. The major state funding source for the construction, maintenance, and supervision of Iowa’s highways is the Road Use Tax Fund (RUTF). The Iowa Constitution requires that the Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) be “used exclusively for the construction, maintenance, and supervision of the public highways exclusively within the State or for the payment of bonds…” (source: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/fn/643778.pdf) Current law allocates 47.5% to Iowa DOT, 32.5% to counties, and 20.0% to cities. Following the passage of TIME 21 the new allocation formula for those new resources are distributed PRF receives 47.5%, the Secondary Road Fund receives 20.0%, the Farm-to-Market Fund receives 8.0%, and the City Street Construction Fund receives 20.0%.

continued on next page...

16 WINTER 2015

State 2014 Cents/Gallon Increase since 1993

Federal 18.44 0US National

Average29.89

Illinois 20.1 1.1Indiana 18 3

Iowa 22 2015 rate-32 2Kansas 25.03 7.03

Michigan 19 4Minnesota 28.6 8.6Nebraska 27.3 2015 rate-

26.52.7

North Dakota 23 6Ohio 28 7

South Dakota 24 6Wisconsin 32.9 10.2

Iowa legislators were faced with facts and the growing need to keep Iowa’s infrastructure strong and viable. It was not an easy decision for many of them, and while not all legislators supported the bill, many supported the need but had other ideas of how to fix the issue. This is not the last of this issue. The diminishing return on using the gas tax as the means of supporting Iowa’s roads and bridges con-tinues. Leaders must start today and continue to work and research this issue for a fair and equitable system for all Iowans.

The next challenge before America is the federal highway system. Passage of the fuel tax in Iowa is one step in helping our state, county and city highways but the federal government is facing the same situation.

Passage of the Iowa tax has been one step in keeping America strong; one step toward continued economic growth. With the unemployment rate at 5.7% nationwide we need leaders with vision that will take bold steps in the future – regardless of their political party or desire to remain in o�ce.


Trends in Gas Tax in Midwestern States

Rates include the excise tax and other additional fees/taxes. Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan also impose a sales or use tax. In Nebraska, the gas tax is based in part on the whole sale price of gasoline as well as a variable rate set by the Dept. of Roads to ensure adequate highway funding.

Iowa’s step forward makes it the ninth state to either raise or reform its gas tax in just over two years. Starting with Wyoming’s approval of a 10-cent gas hike in February 2013, we’ve seen gas tax increases or reforms enacted in jurisdictionas as varied as Maryland, Mas-sachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and now Iowa. It is expected that this list will grow by the time states’ 2015 legislative sessions come to a close.

Missouri legislators are considering raising the state’s 18 year old gas tax rate, at least two bill have been �lled.

Nebraska’s unicameral legislature is giving serious thought to a 6-cent gas tax increase.

Source: http://www.taxjusticeblog.org/ar-chive/2015/03/nine_states_and_counting_have.php

WINTER 2015 17

Representative Dawn Pettengill shared the following thoughtful process she went through in making her decision in a recent newsletter. This process is something many legislators went through and it is not an easy decision to raise taxes.

“And then there was the fuel tax vote. I voted for it, and here are some of the facts that �rmed up my deci-sion:” stated Pettengill.

1. The fuel tax can only be spent on roads and bridges, nothing else. 2. The increase will be 10 cents a gallon for regular gas, 8 cents for ethanol blends and 7 cents for biodiesel. The increase will raise $215 million. 3. It has been 26 years since the last increase and we are $220 million a year short for maintenance.4. Local Governments have started borrowing money to �x their roads because we haven’t raised the money coming to them to �x roads. Over $1.1 billion dollars has been borrowed so far. 39% of cities and 29% of counties now have debt for road projects that the property tax payer is on the hook for.5. Unlike other options, out of state drivers will contribute about $45 million dollars or 20% of the increase.6. Road Use Tax Fund (RUTF) is made up of fuel taxes, new vehicle registration fees, annual vehicle registration fees and is Constitutionally protected.7. The distribution of the RUTF is 47.5% to state highways, 24.5% to county roads, 20% to city streets and 8% for farm-to-market county roads.8. Iowa’s road system has over 114,000 miles of highways, roads and streets and 25,000 bridges.9. Iowa is ranked 48th in de�cient bridge condition.10. Iowa is ranked 38th in rural interstate condition and 46th in rural arterial condition.11. Iowa is ranked 37th in urban interstate condition.12. At an average of 20,000 miles/year, 25 mpg, a 10 cent increase will cost the Iowa driver $7 each month.13. Benton Co has 57 structurally de�cient bridges. 25 are open, 31 are posted and 1 is closed. Iowa Co has 52 structurally de�cient bridges with 8 open, 39 posted and 5 closed. The state has 4,728 bridges that are structurally de�cient. 1651 are open, 2819 are posted and 258 are closed.14. Benton Co is estimated to receive about $975,000 more a year and our cities $310,678 more. Our current RUTF is $3,700,000.15. Iowa Co is estimated to receive almost $740,000 more a year and our cities $175,000 more. Our current RUTF is $2,740,375.16. The legislation requires the DOT to �nd $20 million in e�ciencies to transfer to RUTF. They have already reduced by $50 million.17. The legislation requires the DOT to report to the Legislature every 5 years on the status of projects vs. funding. I heard concerns about electric cars not paying their fair share. Currently we have less than 400 electric cars registered in Iowa. After 5 years, if that number is signi�cantly higher, something may need to be done. 18. The legislation also raises fees for excessive size and weight permits.


18 WINTER 2015

...continued from previous page

E�ective Date of Change Gasoline Tax Rate Ethanol Tax Rate Diesel Tax Rate

1925 2 cents per gallon NA 2 cents per gallon







1978 8.5 cents per gallon NA 10 cents per gallon

1981 13 cents per gallon NA 13.5 cents per gallon


July 1, 1985 15 cents per gallon NA 16.5 cents per gallon

January 1, 1986 16 cents per gallon NA 17 cents per gallon



1989 20 cents per gallon 19 cents per gallon 22.5 cents per gallon

July 1, 2008 21 cents per gallon 19 cents per gallon 22.5 cents per gallon

History of Iowa Fuel Tax Rates

January 1, 2006 through July 1, 2007, the Fuel Tax Rate for E85 was 17 cents per gallon. M

Senate File 257: passed the legislature on February 24, 2015. The bipartisan bill passed the Iowa Senate 28-21 and Iowa House 53-46. It is interesting to look at the history of Iowa’s fuel tax. According to the Iowa Department of Revenue the tax rate on fuel is something that was addressed fairly regularly for years and then…..there was no change. (see chart)

WINTER 2015 19

Manatt’s, Inc., realizes that a main reason for our success is due to the dedication and contribu-tions of our most important asset, our employees. This is especially valuable since national cur-rent statistics show the average employee changes jobs every 3 years. We appreciate everyone’s commitment to our common goal “to safely doing everything we do better than everyone else.” A special thank you to those listed below who reached a milestone year as of the end of 2014:

40 YearsDuane McDonaldRonald PriceHarold KavalierDenny Gallagher

35 YearsJeff Pfantz

30 YearsWally KalinaySteve McCurryBob MortonMelvin WalkerCindy Dela RosaBruce Loving

25 YearsRoger GerardDuane HassebrockDave HochstetlerDarrell BrunkoMichael MaxwellBill HankenDave AmoJoe CrousePaul GroveArmando GarciaAlan ManattDannie ClarkKerry Traver

20 YearsDale McCammantLaurie HallRicardo OrdazDave SokolMona Bond

Charlie MeyerJaime OrdazFelipe FonsecaHarvey Weiss

15 YearsShellie JohnsonKevin SorensonRory HarlanDewayne VeverkaMark FettketherKelly SissonReed BallardJohn PerryCarey CourtneyRon HayesJeff JenkinsBrett StrongScott SibertJon PulsAlan YoungDavid McNealLowell HunterSteve BeckCharles KochuytPat JacksonFernando Galvez James Packer

10 YearsJerry CarlsonBryan CharterTrace RobertsDavid BalesMarvin TschumperKeith LarsonJoe BalvinFrank Dedrick

2 0 1 4 L o n g e v i t y A w a r d s

Felipe GutierrezJose Cervantes FonsecaJorge Reinosa AngelAndy BroadstonDale PintAndy ArgotsingerBrad KarstenShelly RobertsonJackie ThompsonMichael FoutsCorey PattonJoaquin Ortega 5 YearsSteve AndersonRoy PiperJoe GoreckiFortunato Pena Travis GarberNorm TaylorEvaristo Perez Scott JohnsonDavid GalbraithRandy CooperTodd NuckullsSteve PetersonDale RozendaalTim MangoldVicente Ochoa Rangel Kevin KramerDaniel MaddoxAlejandro Sanchez Jeff SteinkampTerry SeeTodd PicklesTeresa DvorskyJustin Hewitt

20 WINTER 2015

Wow, March already? Between all the holidays, training, meetings, lettings, a bit of vacationing, and moving snow every other day, it seems like the off season can be as busy as the summer months!

As usual, Brad, Jeff, and Opie are getting equipment ran through the shop getting things ready for the 2015 season. This takes a lot of time and concentration to find all the parts that need replaced and adjustments that need made. Good inspection and maintenance is key in our performance year in and out.

Our safety meeting with Determann Asphalt will be held a little early this year, on March 12. We’ve got a great line-up of folks from the DOT to refresh our drivers, as well as Mona, Frank, Adam, Clay and some Reps from our insurance company.

As far as the asphalt season, starting out we have a nice trail job that’s carry over from last year. Muscatine County has a shoulder repair job that will tie in with some patching for Louisa County. We also have a small paving job on I-80 associated with some patching for Hawkeye.

On the commercial side we’ve got some parking lots for The Hon Company as well as some smaller paving for Cargill in Muscatine. I’m hoping that Cargill will turn into larger jobs down the road. As it always seems, not nearly enough to make a season, but the forecast looks good for more work to be on the horizon. M

ILLOWA News

by: Brian Armstrong

From the Desk of Larry SengerWe are hoping the cold, snowy weather brakes early this Spring. We have some carry-over CRS – 2P crack filling to finish in Linn County on Highway 30. We were low on 3 nice jobs from the November letting in Guthrie, Page, & Union Counties for work this spring.

We also picked up 2 roads in Jackson County with Fort Dodge Asphalt for this spring. So, needless to say we are going to be very busy getting out of the gate, hopefully the last week in March.

We will have 2 crews starting early, using the help of the asphalt crew until their work starts. Hope-fully their work doesn’t start until the middle of May.

We also have some PCC joint sawing and sealing projects in the city of LeClaire, in Webster County, and at the Waterloo National Guard Facility.

We hope everybody has a safe and productive start to the beginning of another season. M

Brad Schutte working on a skid loader in the shop

Jeff Herrinton working on a paver

WINTER 2015 21

Wow, winter was a brutal one this year. As I write this, it is -6 degrees outside.... Again..! I saw an article that said we have had 15 out of the last 30 days in some sort of below 0 degree situation. And the wind chill... I like the cold, but even this past winter was a little long for me.

Talk about an action packed winter schedule. It all starts with scheduling winter repairs. What a process that is and it all starts months before the snow flies. The Salespersons forecasts for next season have to come in before repairs get started. This will let us know how many hours we need our shops and repair crews to work during the winter months. It’s a, “when do we have to get started next year”, sort of question. We have to work back-wards from there. It really does take the whole team to make it all come together. I am blessed to have Steve Yerington on our team. He started the winter re-pairs process and loves stuff like this. It has made our lives much easier and helps the company function to its fullest potential. He and his team have been pass-ing this system down the line as much as possible each year. We now have years of track record, and it is obvious to all of us, this is the way to go. Stir in vacations, training and re certifications, safety training for all of us miners (MSHA), continuing education, conventions of our associations, seminars of our trades, refresher training for all the managers, computer training, corporate

retreats, and time spent on cus-tomer relations, lettings (where we are bidding things all winter long),... The list just goes on and on...!! Lots of opportunities to improve our position and situa-tions here at WQI. Isn’t that one of our goals? It should be, oth-erwise, what is the point of not using the whole team or family? Anyway, my point is that we are ready for the coming season in a big, confident way.

Another conversation I would like to talk about is the fund-ing of our job securities. That’s right.... our job security or at least where the money comes from. The user fee or gas tax has moved up 10 cents. I couldn’t think of a fairer way to pass along a tax. Those who use the roads have to pay for the mainte-nance of them. Without funding, we don’t really have a need for asphalt, concrete, or even rock. This 10 cents might not sound like much, but this 10 cents will increase the governmental funding budget by 25%. That is huge and very much needed. Not only for our jobs, but it will help the state of Iowa get back on the track of economic great-ness. Remember when Iowa was known for its great roads...? We are now rated 35th in our nation in regards to our infrastructure. That doesn’t do much good when trying to lure businesses to move in or start something new in the great state of Iowa. It also doesn’t help farmers get their product to market efficiently and safely. Bridges to be fixed

before falling in, highways being maintained and upgrades to our system are long overdue. I, like many of us, have been working on this project for 15 plus years. I want to thank all those who wrote letters, made phone calls, sent emails or just helped out in general. We send these folks to represent us.... it’s time they acted on behalf of their contin-gents’. That’s you and me help-ing this state and our communi-ties’ futures. Thank you again to those who helped. It made a difference. For those who didn’t, please get comfortable with con-tacting your representatives on the many issues we all face. Ask us for any help you may need when contacting your politicians. We would love to help.

Lastly, I want to express my gratefulness to you all for con-tinued support to our compa-nies. We all depend on each other, pulling together for the good of the group. We all need to pull together to make this machine work. It takes all of us. We will continue to provide a good, safe place to work if you are interested in the same effort.

Merlin, Junie, and Clair had no idea this would become such an awesome company with such a wide spread area. I feel truly blessed with a sense of obliga-tion and responsibility to work hard for all of you. “Welcome back” if laid off and “here we go” for those who were not. Let’s have the safest year ever. M

Wendling Quarries Update

by: Tony Manatt

22 WINTER 2015

2 Day Supervisory Training at Lisbon. Debra Salz from Cedar Rapids delivered a very energetic training session.

Wendling Quarries: Winter Training and Winter Repairs: There isn’t a “Slow Season”.

DeWitt Shop is full of Equipment that is scheduled to go out in the Quarries begin-ning March 9th. Other shops Robins, Mos-cow, Blairsferry, Preston, and not to forget the 2 Stationary plants Moscow and C.R. South that work on their equipment in the outside fresh air shop.

Another picture of the DeWitt shop. Unbe-lievable the amount of work that gets done on all the equipment in all of the shops throughout the days allocated for repairs. We have allocated 16,156 man hours over a 60 day window. 45 days of Crushing equip-ment repairs and 15 days washing equip-ment days.

Then, when the equipment is repaired it is placed in staging areas amongst the shop yards and awaits the location of the crew starting and time frame so the equipment haulers can get the equipment distributed before start up. At our shop/parts meeting we will compile the percentage of completion to gauge if we are on track or if we need to increase our efforts. As we all know, when we open up a crusher, a truck, a loader, or anything it usually turns into more than anticipated. So sometimes we have to reprioritize the repairs to where we may have to hire some things done. Some of the things that also affect the hours is the training, DOT recertification’s, MSHA, computer classes, and the weather. Thanks to all who play a big part in the winter repairs and what gets done safely, and to all of those that take great care of their equip-ment all year long to help control our hours and our costs, THANKS!!! M

by: Steve Yerington

WINTER 2015 23

MSHA and the “NEW Generation”

This is a future Wendling Quar-ries Inc. 6th generation Miner. He is obviously fixing the toi-let paper roller that wasn’t “LOCKED OUT”. So to avoid that Msha citation he is work-ing very hard to get it working properly again. Apparently he discovered it in his “PRE-SHIFT” inspection. According to his mother she explained to him the, “RULES TO LIVE BY” and this is not one. His dad apparently will need to build a guard so this malfunction won’t happen again and endanger Drew’s wellbeing. This so hap-pens to be my Grandson. Hang on Tony I have 4 or 5 of these Y-6’s just headed our way. M

by: Steve Yerington

The ILPA 70th Annual convention was held February 25 & 26 this year. The ILPA has an award which is designed to recognize people in our industry that make a positive difference in their community and exemplify what it means to be a leader. This year the “I Make a Difference” award was presented to Marc Whit-man, Quarry Development Manager for Wendling Quarries. Marc was nominated by John Tuthill, Property Manager for Wendling Quarries. John and Marc work closely together, and it was an honor for John to nominate his friend, co-worker and mentor for the award.

Shortly after Manatt’s purchased WQI from B.W. Carpenter in 1987, Merlin and Brad hired Marc. He had many hats in the early days and currently manages the Quarry Development Depart-ment, which oversees stripping, ledge control, reclamation, GIS/GPS, AutoCAD design and exploration drilling. Marc’s career goal at WQI has been to put together a team of individuals that can exceed his own talents. His “team” consists of Doug Mohr, Dave Chester, Mitchel Godes and Trent Sieverding.

As an educational outreach, Marc, along with John Tuthill, lead school tours through our quarries. The focus is to teach kids about the geology, our processed products, and the culture of our industry. The two also spend many spring evenings participating in career fairs to help promote and teach kids what it takes to be a part of our industry.

The following are from the words of John Tuthill, used in his nomination for Marc:

Marc has lived his entire life in the Lisbon area. He married his high school sweetheart, Cathy, and together they have two sons and 6 grandchildren. Marc and Cathy have had the privilege of hosting three different foreign exchange students over the years. The Whitman’s have been able to maintain lasting relationships with all three kids.

Another huge impact Marc has had on others is his love of sports. Marc led many sports while in high school. He was in-ducted into the Lisbon Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 for his contributions as an athlete, coach and mentor. Even today about any time of the year Marc can be found at the school working with kids on their fundamentals or just being there when a kid needs a friend or guiding hand. When asked, Marc is quick to tell you that he wouldn’t be where he is today or be the person

“I Make A Difference” Award

by: John Tuthill

continued on page 24...

24 WINTER 2015

he is without the influence of some really outstanding people.

One of the achievements that Marc is most proud of is his efforts, along with J.C. Miller, to establish a Chapter unit of Dollar for Scholars at Lisbon. In 2014, the Lisbon chapter awarded 22 scholarships totaling $10,000. As a reminder of life’s blessings, Marc and Cathy also founded the Cathy Whitman Family Schol-arship program. Each year Marc and Cathy award two $500 scholarships to two graduating seniors.

Simply put, Marc likes to make a difference, and the example he sets for others to see by putting long hours in, working smart and looking at things in more than just the same old way has truly helped lead Wendling to where it is today. He gives without any expectation of anything being returned and he truly loves seeing others succeed. Marc is one of those people that makes the extra effort to develop qual-ity individuals into great employees, It’s not only his effort, but the fact that Marc truly believes he has succeeded when the people around him are success-ful. When Marc was inducted into the Lisbon High School Hall of Fame, he said it best; “Any award ever received with my name on it has been possible only because others have cared.” Albert Einstein once said; “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” M

...continued from page 23

Wendling Quarry Announcements

Congrats

Cody and Shelby Dusenberry – married October 13, 2014Devin and Lindsay French – married October 17, 2014

Miracles

Jackson Baker son of Jeff Baker born No-vember 29, 2014Avery Jo Strube granddaughter of Dave and Lori McMahon born Feb. 18, 2015.

Sympathy

Sam Huitt on the loss of fatherRon Said on the loss of father in-lawBert Willis on the loss of fatherJackie Behounek on the loss of motherKenny Loughren on the loss of motherRobin Jones on the loss of mother in-lawJustin Taylor on the loss of grandfatherDave Chester on the loss of mother in-lawRandy Rowan loss of fatherKevin Rowan loss of fatherPete Caspers loss of grandmotherPete Caspers loss of grandfatherKirk Sissel on the loss of motherSandy Perkins loss of brotherShawn Pierce loss of motherJamie Rundle loss of father in-lawSam King loss of mother

Marc Whitman accepting his award at the ILPA Convention

WINTER 2015 25

Another season is behind us, and ready or not, we are about to begin another one. We had quite a busy 2014 including some major projects.

In the Cedar Rapids/Tama area we have completed the following projects: I-380 HMA Resurfacing with LL Pelling Co., Highway 1 HMA Resurfacing with Manatts, Linn Co. PCC Overlays with Horsfield Construction, Eastern Iowa Airport Taxiway with LL Pelling Co, Streb Construction, and DeLong Construction, Highway 100 Grading and Bridges in Cedar Rapids with Peterson Contractors, Pirc-Tobin Construction, Dave Schmitt Construction, Cramer and Associates, and United Contractors, Highway 30 Reconstruction in Cedar Rapids with Peterson Contractors and Cedar Valley Corp, Iowa Premium Beef with Prairie Construction and Gridor Construction, and the Meskwaki Travel Plaza with Con-Struct and Kotzer Excavating.

In the Cedar/Muscatine/Clinton County Area we had several larger projects including: I-80 Rest Stop with Peterson Contractors, Cedar River Rip Rap with Taylor Construction and PCI, and PCC Paving in DeWitt with K & E Contractors.

Along with these larger projects, there are numerous smaller projects, both public and private, that cer-tainly add up the tons. We pride ourselves on customer service and being able to safely supply our custom-ers with high quality aggregates in a timely fashion. A big “THANK YOU” goes out to everyone at WQI that makes this happen! M

WQI Sales Update

by: Todd Miller

MSE Wall on Highway 100 in Cedar Rapids

Rigid Inclusions and Cedar River Bridge Construction on Highway 100 in Cedar Rapids

26 WINTER 2015

In December, we celebrated the holidays, as well as Brad Manatt’s retirement. The event was held at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona. There were approximately 400 people in at-tendance. It was a fun time and a great way to give Brad a �nal farewell. Thank you to everyone who joined in the celebration. Here are a few photos from the photo booth that was present that night.

Manatt Christmas Party & Brad’s Retirement Party

WINTER 2015 27

En preparación para la temporada próxima, el quipo de Recursos Humanos le quiere informar con mucho gusto, de los cambios en algunos de los puestos en Brooklyn. Por favor ayúdeme a felicitar a las siguientes personas que ya están haciendo tu transición a sus nuevos puestos.

. Becky Edelen estará encargada de lo que está relacionado con el combustible/horas de los camiones como también ayudar en el lobby durante la temporada de trabajo.

. Adela Fragoso se a movido al lobby donde tomara las riendas de las responsabilidades diarias de cada día junto con seguir brindando su apoyo en interpretación de lenguaje y seguirá ayudando en la comunicación de los empleados.

. Randi Conoway se a movido para la área de arriba y ayudara en Recursos Humanos en donde tendrá las responsabilidades en el Programa de Bienestar junto con ayudar en el Departamento de Nomina de Sueldos y en lo que se necesite en la administración de Recursos Humanos.

. Jamie Edelen se ha movido el Departamento de Recursos Humanos en donde estará a cargo del reclutamiento, comunicación y relación de los empleados.

. Nikki Butler ahora servirá como la persona principal en todo lo relacionado con contracciones en PCC & Pavimentación en la área Metro, Subdrenaje, Sellamiento y Moliendo.

. Ashley Lint servirá como la persona principal con en las contrataciones en Asfalto y Moliendo de Newton y Ames.

. Lacey Doolin se moverá al departamento de partes.

Junto con todos estos cambios de puestos el equipo a estado muy ocupado este invierno implementando un programa nuevo que incluye un físico de pre empleó y de habilidad de hacer todas las funciones de sus trabajos, será un examen para todos los nuevos empleados. Nos juntamos con Atlas Injury Prevention Solu-tions (programa para prevenir lesiones) Y con el Hospital de Grinnell para incorporar un físico de 30 minutos para cada participante nuevo que entrara a orientación. El examen está diseñado para asegurar el bienestar de los empleados de Manatt’s Inc. al requerir que todos los solicitantes tomen un examen de pre empleó que detecta que los solicitantes pueden hacer los deberes esenciales del trabajo que se les está ofreciendo. Los empleados actuales y los que van a regresar no se les requiere que hagan estos exámenes.

También este invierno, el equipo se junto con Allen Interactiva(interactivo) para diseñar y lanzar un pro-grama de computación basado en inspecciones antes del viaje(pre-trip) Este entrenamiento interactivo demuestra la forma correcta de hacer la inspección antes del viaje y también pone a prueba al chofer y de-muestra su habilidad al completar el proceso. El propósito de este entrenamiento es para mejorar el puntaje de la Administración Federal de Autotransporte (responsabilidad y conformidad en la seguridad) Todos los que tengan un licencia para troquero en Manatt’s Inc. debe de completar este entrenamiento antes de que empiece la temporada. M

Noticias de la Esquina de RR.HH.by: Andy Day

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