A recent executive brief released by The Saint Index listed aggregates quarries as the third least popular business among not-in-my-back-yard activists. Only landfills and casinos enjoy a higher level of opposition. However, that is not the way the city of Fort Payne, Ala., feels about its local quarry.

Fort Payne Quarry has been in operation for almost 20 years across from the city of Fort Payne. As time passed, the quarry received less attention and investment from its out-of-state owner and fell into a state of disrepair. In May 2007, Vulcan Materials Company, Birmingham, entered the picture when it bought the struggling quarry operation and immediately set out to revitalize the quarry and change the community's mindset.

Vulcan's reputation for being a community-minded, environmentally concerned company preceded it, so the community welcomed the new owners. "We knew that Vulcan was coming in to improve the situation," says Carol Beddingfield, executive director, Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce, "not just to drain the land of material, but to be a community-involved company as well."

Since Vulcan came onboard, the plant employees' attitudes have changed. They take pride in their plant and their work, and it shows. "Now, they want to do it right," says George Grguric, Fort Payne Quarry plant manager. "We continue to improve in production, and they're proud of that. They're proud of the city. The people in the city wave, they're happy to see us. My guys are proud of that."

Fort Payne Quarry quickly became a leading corporate citizen in the area. It also became the kind of neighbor everyone would like to have by always trying to keep community concerns in mind. In one case, the quarry worked with the city to develop a land-use plan involving setbacks and vegetated, sloped embankments that bordered an old historic town cemetery. When stripping began near the area, the quarry employees made sure to leave plenty of space so the activity could not be seen from the cemetery.

"That's just an example of their community involvement," Beddingfield says. "They have also supported downtown revitalization in Fort Payne. Usually, a quarry company wouldn't even consider a thing like that - pleasing the citizens."

Fort Payne honored the quarry by presenting it with the city's 2008 Large Manufacturer of the Year award for its improvements to the quarry and its commitment to the community. The accolades didn't stop there, however. The Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce nominated the quarry for the 2009 Small Alabama Manufacturer of the Year award. This award is presented annually to a manufacturing company that employs up to 99 people and demonstrates superior performance in the area of customer focus, employee commitment, operational excellence, continuous improvement, profitable growth, and investment in training and retraining. Fort Payne Quarry won the award, an engraved piece of glass in the shape of Alabama, which was presented to Vulcan and Fort Payne Quarry representatives by the governor of Alabama, Bob Riley, during an awards ceremony in June.

"The company (Vulcan) is second-to-none in the industry with respect to safety, health, environmental stewardship and community relations," Beddingfield says. "They are all so community-minded. If there's any way, they will perform their jobs and provide the services yet keep the environment and community in mind. I think they do an excellent job of that."