On those days when things go badly at work and a customer is left dissatisfied, you might respond with, “Well, there’s always tomorrow.”  This way of thinking is commonly accepted in many, if not most workplaces, but it is terribly misleading because it ignores the lifetime value of a customer. “Lifetime value” is the accumulated projected sales to a customer, based on the assumption that the business is retained each year for a lifetime. Repeat business has immense importance – it has lower overall cost and is the best indicator of long-term business viability.
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Pavement maintenance is the company's core business, but along the way if a customer needs another project done, Santana's goal is to fulfill the request and delight his customers in the process. He does this by supporting his employees to get specialized training, such as installation techniques for permeable pavers and pervious concrete, or he will find someone who has the skills to deliver the best results. He takes pride in every job and strives for perfection. Anything from ADA installations and Allen block walls to tennis court resurfacing or underground work, Santana Paving and Grading is ready to tackle the job.
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In recent years the California Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) industry has seen major changes in technology and state specifications.  Warm mix asphalt, recycled asphalt pavement and anti-stripping agents have already been implemented, and the use of intelligent compaction and asphalt shingles are hitting the street soon.  Further changes in specifications include a new binder grading system (PG grades), a shift in responsibility for quality control from  owner to contractor (QC/QA) and tighter tolerances for materials used in HMA Caltrans Section 39. 
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Graniterock People take great pride in their work. The phrase “make it better” is a core value we live by, and a continuous improvement culture permeates everything we do.  We are determined to make and deliver great products and projects for our customers. We put safety before all else, ensure that our operations and products are environmentally sound, and work each day to meet or exceed customer quality requirements.  This is just what we do.  
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Challenges in life sometimes lead us to follow new and unexpected paths. This was the case for Robert Cruz, who started his landscape contracting business, 1 Earth Irrigation and Landscape Company, after a 25-year career in education. Robert spent 10 years   as a high school academic counselor, then went on to teach in local elementary and middle school classrooms for another 15 years.  But when he  was diagnosed with a chronic illness a few years ago,  he decided it was time to make a change in his life. 
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Without a doubt, one of the most common questions I get from folks in the construction industry is “how do I avoid getting sued?” Unfortunately the answer is “you can’t.” There’s no magic shield to prevent lawsuits. The United States is a highly litigious country where we can sue anyone for just about anything, and everyone is entitled to their day in court. Anyone who owns a business realizes that whenever you do business with another person or entity or any time your employees drive their company vehicles to work or you gain success as a company, you are vulnerable to a lawsuit. 
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Graniterock People take pride in their ability to wear many hats on the job. Marvin Brandt, who manages Graniterock’s Quail Hollow Quarry in Felton and the Santa Cruz Sand Plant (also known as the Wilder Sand Quarry), is a Team Member who applies his many talents and varied experience wherever needed to get the job done. 
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A pair of Marines at Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia were on a night training exercise in the woods outside of the facility. At one point in the exercise, both of them suffered a significant lapse. Each Marine fell asleep on his watch.
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There is far more to the trucking business than meets the eye. This became clear during a recent conversation with Debbie Ferrari, estimator and soil specialist at MAG Trucking, Inc., a trusted Graniterock supplier based in Hayward. “Off haul and disposal are one of our company’s primary services,” Debbie explained. “There is a lot of paperwork and documentation that goes into what might seem to be the simple process of taking a scoop of dirt out of the ground and putting it into a truck.”
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By Jim Earp and Will Kempton Special to The Bee
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