Dragon's Cement Division Receives National Award for Safety Record

THOMASTON, Maine -- Dragon Cement and Concrete has received a national safety award from the Portland Cement Association for operating more than 500,000 hours without a lost-time accident.

In all, Dragon's Cement Division went two years, representing 594,200 work hours, without a lost-time injury among the 112 employees in the division. The achievement set a new record, eclipsing the old mark of 494,000 hours.

In recent years, Dragon's Concrete Division set a similar record for completing three years without a lost-time injury at the 10 concrete plants stretching from Biddeford to Madawaska.

The safety records are a reflection of the success of an innovative, incentive-based safety program initiated by Dragon three years ago, company officials said.

"We have a very innovative and attentive team at the Thomaston plant," said Joseph M. Koch, III, president of the company. "It's a safe place to work and that's important for our employees and the Thomaston community."

Thornton E. Batty of South Thomaston, the plant's process manager, was in Dallas recently to accept the award, presented by the Skokie, Ill.-based Portland Cement Association, which represents cement companies in the U.S. and Canada.

Dragon's Thomaston plant is New England's only cement manufacturing facility. The "portland" cement produced in Thomaston is mined from its limestone quarry on the company's familiar site on coastal Route 1. The cement is supplied to most ready-mix companies in the state, and others throughout New England by barge through Coastal Cement terminals in Newington, N.H. and Boston.

Dragon also is Maine's largest ready-mix concrete supplier with operating concrete plants in Biddeford, Scarborough, Westbrook, Portland, Lewiston, Brunswick, Augusta, Canton, Ellsworth, Fairfield, Thomaston, Farmington, Madawaska and Presque Isle. Dragon concrete, a blend of cement, sand, stone and water, is used in buildings, bridges, pavement, roads and many precast products.

Dragon is known for supplying cement and concrete to a number of major building projects in the state, including the Casco Bay Bridge linking Portland and South Portland, the Bath Iron Works expansion, the Big Dig in Boston, the Maine Turnpike expansion, the Portland Jetport expansion and new garage, and the new Kennebec River bridges in Fairfield. Dragon also supplies cement or concrete to paper mills, dams, homes, schools and commercial developments statewide.

Dragon also has received numerous safety and environmental awards in the past three years. Founded in 1928, the company is headquartered at 38 Preble St. in Portland. For additional information, visit Dragon's web site at www.dragonproducts.com.

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