Stone is just the start of…

EDUCATING THE FUTURE.

Looking to the future is essential to being an innovative company.

While this typically relates to the technology we use or the processes we implement, it can also mean supporting students from the earliest ages throughout their educational journey.

We believe that exposing students to the possibilities of a career in the aggregates industry is a way to ignite human potential.

Igniting Curiosity in Students

There is a world of career possibilities in the aggregates industry, and educating students early will spark their curiosity for the future. For us, this starts with educational rock kits—which include 10 rock samples, booklets for the students, and educational guidance for teachers—that elementary school teachers can use to teach students about geology and the rock cycle.

Our efforts started in 2007 when we worked to place a rock kit in every single 5th grade classroom in Virginia. Today, we partner with the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration’s Mineral Education Coalition to fund, assemble, and distribute these rock kits at the National Science Teachers Association conferences. We are proud to have been a leader in this initiative that encompasses the East Coast, helping to fund and distribute over 10,000 of these rock and mineral kits.

We also keep several kits on hand so our locations can use them in their local communities.

“We are involved in our communities in many ways,” said Katie Kosloski. “We love being able to support students in their education at a young age. Whether it’s through the rock kits or sharing our technical expertise in the classroom, we hope to help make learning tangible while also illustrating the exciting variety of careers offered by the aggregates industry.”

katie k headshot

“It’s exciting to think about kids interacting with the materials we are producing.

“It’s amazing what rocks can teach us and exciting for students to realize the many ways we use and experience them in our everyday lives. For the rock kits, we always make sure to include a stone from our Culpeper quarry since there are dinosaur footprints there, and kids love that.”

Reaching the Next Generation

Our team is passionate about sharing the work we do and the opportunities in our industry with middle and high school students. Connecting with the next generation looks different across our communities, but we are always focused on highlighting the wide range of opportunities available in the aggregates industry.

Supporting Local Schools

Our Technical Training Team works with local schools to support career and technical education courses. They also participate in Junior Achievement Job Shadow Day and mock interviews with seniors. Additionally, at high schools in the communities where we operate, our associates speak to juniors and seniors interested in construction and the mining industry.

Our Spotsylvania Plant in Fredericksburg, Virginia, donates steel to the welding program and participates in job shadow days for the welding, automotive, and building trade students at the local high school. Our plant operators and welders also join classes to share how welding is used in the aggregates industry.

Working Alongside College Students

Our co-op program creates a unique opportunity for engineering students to put their classroom knowledge to use in the field. The 15-month program begins with a 3-month summer experience after their sophomore year. Students are then immersed in a full year of work experience at Luck Stone starting the following January.

“I learned a lot about the role of a mining engineer and got to explore aspects of the industry which I’ve always found interesting. No day was the same—for two or three days a week I arrived at the Corporate Office early to work on designs or have meetings with supervisors and mining engineers about designs I had worked on. For days not spent in the office, I was on the road, touring different operations and visiting with plant managers, foremen, and supervisors,” said Baxter Jones, a former co-op program participant from Virginia Tech’s Mining and Minerals Engineering School.

Upon his graduation from Virginia Tech, Baxter was hired as a Mining Engineer at Luck Stone on the Quarry Design & Development team.

“Now as an associate at Luck Stone, I am able to see firsthand how this program prepares college students for a career in the mining industry. The real-life experience is invaluable and it’s such an asset for recent graduates to have the opportunities to work in the industry they want to enter into.”

aerial view of quarry

“I learned a lot about the role of a mining engineer and got to explore aspects of the industry which I’ve always found interesting. No day was the same…”

“We work alongside these students to help them think through their project from start to finish.

Whether it’s fixing a technical component or preparing a presentation to seek donations, they are problem solving and finding solutions every step of the way.”

Robotics Program

Raymond Slaughter, Director of Engineering Construction at Luck Stone, provides engineering support to the Goochland High School Robotics Team in Goochland, Virginia. He focuses on ensuring all students on the team have a safe space to grow, learn, and develop skills they can use in the future.

In addition to his engineering expertise, he helps the students create business plans to fundraise for their projects, troubleshoot problems with their robots, and act as an overall mentor.

“We work alongside these students to help them think through their project from start to finish. Whether it’s fixing a technical component or preparing a presentation to seek donations, they are problem-solving and finding solutions every step of the way. It’s amazing to watch them progress and develop all along the way,” said Raymond.

raymond slaughter team

Work Study Program

We partner with Cristo Rey Richmond High School in Richmond, Virginia to provide students with real-life experiences in a professional environment. The school is a learning community that helps young students of limited economic means to excel.

Each school year, four students rotate through teams within the Luck Companies’ Corporate Office, including the Finance, IT, Human Resources, and Facilities Teams. The students work 5 days a month, and throughout the school year, they work on projects and become part of the team. Our associates support the students both academically and socially, on mock interview days and at their school athletic events. In alignment with our mission of igniting human potential, our partnership continues to have a lasting impact on the students and Luck Companies associates.

cristo ray

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