LIKE
Thursday March 28, 2024


Click the logos
for news and info
about these companies

Non-Profits & Special Events








Products & Services










Banking & Finance




Construction &
Real Estate






Travel & Tourism








Public Affairs











Top Headlines

For Immediate Release
May 23, 2005

Contact:
E-mail: beryl@wolfenews.com

Beryl Wolfe
(207) 883-6083

Web Site: http://www.dragonproducts.com

Joe Koch – Making History at Dragon

May 12, 1950 - May 20, 2005

Joseph M. Koch, III, president of Dragon Cement and Concrete until his retirement in January of this year, was a leader with a vision during his 12-year tenure at the helm of New England’s only cement manufacturer.

Koch joined Dragon in 1985 and served as the company's chief financial officer before being named president in 1993. Under his tenure, Dragon expanded and thrived.

Koch was a resident of Cumberland, and was no stranger to community service. He was elected by his peers to serve as chairman of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce for 2001. He served on the board of the Chamber since 1995 and helped build the organization into a viable statewide business organization with more than 1,000 members.

Koch shared his wisdom, charm and drive with other community organizations. In addition to the Maine State Chamber, Koch has been involved in Pine Tree Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Children’s Museum of Maine and has served on the boards of industry associations such as the Portland Cement Association and the Northeast Cement Shippers Association.

A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Koch’s family moved west in 1961 to Seattle. After college, he worked at Boeing with his father until he moved back to Maine to marry his wife, Susan. The couple has two children, Alex and Gretchen.

Koch was a 1972 graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and received an MBA in 1978 from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.

In January, Koch retired from his post, sending a moving letter to his employees. “My retirement is certainly earlier than I had expected, but as many of you may know I have been ill with cancer and my illness is taking more and more of my time from work. So, it is with some regret that I am leaving; I will undoubtedly miss working with all of you.”

“The last 12 years has been a period of continual successes,” he said in the letter. “This has largely been a result of a team approach, where every employee’s contribution is a part of the teamwork. None of your company’s officers ever forget that each of you make the difference between failure and success.”

Koch’s influence over the thriving company can be seen today in the plant’s recent modernization and the company’s many accomplishments, including steady employment, innovative strategic programs, numerous environmental awards and year after year of commendable safety records.


Shortly after he was appointed to lead the company, he developed an intermodal method for transporting cement by an unmanned barge from Thomaston to southern markets in Boston and beyond. Koch also led Dragon's move into the computer age. The company now uses a central dispatch system for delivery of its concrete from its many ready-mix batch plants throughout the state, reducing delays and making delivery more efficient statewide.

In 1997, Koch was the force behind his company’s ability to provide massive amounts of cement and concrete for the new Casco Bay Bridge that spans from Portland to South Portland.

Featured on the cover of a local business magazine just before the bridge was completed, Koch said in the article he credited his grandfather for giving him an interest in business, a man who worked his way up the ranks to run the Quaker State Oil Company, the first company to put oil in cans.

“He had a great joy and enthusiasm for business and I think somehow I absorbed that when I was a kid,” said Koch of his grandfather. “He gave me a love of the everyday process of business. My father, on the other hand, taught me the academic and analytical approach. It’s the combination of from both that has served me well in this role.”

That drive and ability continues to benefit the company today.

Last year, Dragon completed a $50 million modernization of its plant, further ensuring continued employment and a healthy local economy there. In addition, the company has received numerous industry, state and governor’s awards in recent years for environmental efficiencies, workplace safety and investing in Maine.

# # #



NOTE: Wolfe News Wire is an online source for news and information about noteworthy companies and organizations. We invite you to share this content and/or leave a comment. Background info and past news items from a specific organization can be found by clicking the side logos. For more info, please email info@wolfenews.com. Thank you!



Terms of Use and Privacy Policy




©2015 Wolfe Public Relations. All Rights Reserved.