Dragon Concrete Division Recognized for One Year Without Lost-Time Injury

The Concrete Division at Dragon Cement and Concrete has gone one year without a lost- time injury. The more than 200,000 "safe" hours logged in the division in 1999 were recognized recently by MEMIC (Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Co.), which presented the division with a plaque now on display at the company's Preble Street headquarters in Portland.

This is the third time in six years that Dragon Concrete Division has gone a full year without a lost-time injury. The recognition involves more than 80 employees in the division's 10 concrete plants located throughout the state, from Biddeford to Madawaska.

"We give credit to our employees for this safety recognition," said Joseph Koch, president of Dragon Cement and Concrete, New England's only cement manufacturer and Maine's largest ready-mix concrete supplier.

"Our goal is to repeat the 1999 record this year," said Dave Grinnell, vice president at Dragon and head of the company's concrete division. "Our training programs have been well received and effective, and our stable, mature work force is also a real plus."

Headquartered at 38 Preble Street in Portland, Dragon employs 250 statewide and operates New England's only cement plant in Thomaston. The company's 10 concrete plants are located in Biddeford, Portland, Brunswick, Lewiston, Augusta, Fairfield, Canton, Farmington, Presque Isle and Madawaska.

Dragon supplies cement or concrete to many major building projects throughout the state. Recent projects include the Casco Bay Bridge in Portland, the Brunswick/Topsham Bypass, the Portland International Jetport expansion and some of the cement for the "Big Dig" tunnel project in Boston.

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