Since the mid- 1990s, Jimmy Chiu, infrastructure program director at San Francisco International Airport, has played an important role in the airport’s unique partnership with Graniterock’s Construction Division. “Right from the beginning, we worked on a way to solve problems in a non-adversarial way,” Jimmy said. For example, if mix designs developed in a lab environment did not perform on site, the airport team worked with Graniterock to find a solution. 
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People worldwide are rediscovering the benefits of “buying local.” Chefs have found that food from local gardens and farmers’ markets is not only fresher, tastier and more nutritious; it is also good for our economy - buying directly from family farmers helps keep them in business.  They realize the adverse environmental impact of importing foodstuffs instead of obtaining them locally, and know that if we neglect our local sources they are in danger of disappearing.
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“There is no typical day. It never ends up the way I have planned it, and the day continuously changes– it is impossible to become bored. I love to be busy, and I have interaction with people all day long. If someone calls with a problem, you solve it, and it makes them happy,” Katlin said.
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Construction contracting is a highly regulated business.  This is even more true when it comes to home improvement work, a staple for small contractors.  The first step for anyone in the business is to get a contractor’s license in the right classification.  Unfortunately, the requirement is widely disregarded. 
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A negative event occurs that would logically seem to depress the stock market but results in triple digit gains, or a positive happening has the exact opposite effect. So take that as a warning – just like the weather, when it comes to economic predictions there are no guarantees. 
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CEO Sean Venables and his partner Mark Petersen recently described the company’s behavior-based safety program. “It was slow getting this approach started, but what we’ve seen is a change in attitude about safety among people in the field. Their concern for each other’s well-being, where everyone is looking out for each other, has made a big, big difference. 
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Many people in our industry are feeling the waters rise around us.  New requirements for controlling and treating storm water come out nearly every day; it’s hard to know what exactly to do.  Many are familiar with the Construction General Permit, but how about the Municipal Stormwater General Permit or the Industrial General Permit?  Don’t worry, you won’t be tested on that, but it is important to know the similarities and differences between them.  As newer versions of these permits are written, they constantly reference each other and the regulations tend to grow together.  When one thing works, the others can be quick to adopt it.  So how do you make sure you are in compliance?  How do you follow all three at once?
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A native Californian, Jim’s family moved from the San Joaquin Valley to Santa Cruz when he was in sixth-grade.  He graduated from Soquel High School in 1968 and the University of the Pacific in 1972, where he played football with Pete Carroll and was on the golf team as well.  After graduation he received his teaching credential from University of the Pacific.
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100 years ago In 1914, Graniterock expanded its quarry operations with the purchase of 151 acres from Henry F. Blohm. The property, a section of the Jesse D. Carr subdivision, was once a part of the Mexican land grant Rancho Los Aromitas y Agua Caliente, which was owned by Policronio Estolastico de Guadalupe Anzar. This is where the A.R. Wilson Quarry crushing plants, offices and shops are now located. 
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 Many of us spend our lives listening to a seemingly endless stream of information from radio, television, the internet and social media outlets, from our co-workers and significant others – so much so that it becomes a challenge to focus on what is really important. I am guilty of letting my mind wander as my kids relate some mundane (in my mind anyway) event that has happened to them at school. I usually pay the price later on when the subject comes up again and I’m asked if I remember. No such luck, I can’t remember a thing, because I wasn’t paying attention.
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