You think you know, but you have no idea - Part II

By Mallory Combs, Marketing Intern

We recently sat down with the members of our Leadership Team to learn a little bit more about what makes them tick. Here are some fun facts to help you get to know the team.

Jeremy Olivotti

Jeremy Olivotti, Vice President of Preconstruction
Jeremy came to Mid-States because he and his wife wanted to start a family, and he needed a steady job.  He decided to continue his work here because he was blessed to do work that impacts other people, and he finds a lot of joy in that.  A genre he likes, but rarely admits to liking, is country music.  Something Jeremy will never do again is skateboarding, because he is way too old to hurt that much anymore.  A time Jeremy has tricked someone was when he got his younger brother to eat a beef bouillon cube, telling him it was chocolate.  A hobby that he has, but very few know he does, is woodworking.  His other hobbies include watching the Cubs, hanging out with his family, spending time with his wife, stand-up paddle boarding, and boating.  We hope Jeremy won’t have his last words for a long time, but he would want them to be: “I love you,” because he hopes he will be with someone he loves.  Finally, Jeremy’s spirit animal is a dog, because they’re loyal, fierce, protective, playful, and sometimes they just want their belly rubbed.

Jaron Combs

Jaron Combs, Vice President of Construction
Jaron decided to do the work he does now because of the opportunities it provided for his family, and because of the people you get to work with internally and externally.  He also enjoys seeing the company and people grow.  An artist he likes, but rarely admits to liking, is Drake.  Jaron enjoys going to state parks with his family, Spartan races, golfing, racquetball, watching his kids’ activities, family movie night, and helping his wife, a special education teacher, with her students.  Jaron completed the Spartan Trifecta in 2015 and enjoys staying active.  He is also a diehard Bronco fan.  He has shown his commitment to hard work by finishing his basement almost completely on his own.  We hope that Jaron’s last words will be far off in the future, but he wants them to be: “what a blessed life.”  Finally, Jaron couldn’t come up with a spirit animal, so he’s taking suggestions.

Tune in for Part III tomorrow - featuring Mike Wolff, Vice President of Safety and Plant Operations, and Michael McNett, Director of Information Technology.

You think you know, but you have no idea - Part I

By Mallory Combs, Marketing Intern

We recently sat down with the members of our Leadership Team to learn a little bit more about what makes them tick. Here are some fun facts to help you get to know the team.

Hagen Harker

Hagen Harker, President
Hagen decided to go into the work he does now because he loves seeing people grow and achieving what they want out of life.  He also likes being a coach to his teammates and being part of the learning process.  He also likes that he can learn from others.  Hagen enjoys the challenge of trying to grow a business.  One artist Hagen likes, but rarely admits to liking, is the Beastie Boys.  Hagen enjoys swimming, walking his dog, golfing, being outdoors, ice skating, and hockey.  Some hobbies you may not know Hagen enjoys include fishing, going to concerts, and that he used to collect beer cans because he thought the designs on them looked cool.  Hagen hopes his last words will be: "I love you guys."  I don't know about you, but that is the sweetest thing I've heard all week.  Finally, Hagen's spirit animal is either a dolphin or a cheetah, because they are fast and smart.

Charles Harker

Charles Harker, Chairman
Charles does the work he does now because he loves what his dad did.  He enjoyed talking about it during family dinners, and knew he had a passion for it.  Charles absolutely loves listening to jazz.  Something he will never do again though, is go on a roller coaster, especially after his experience with one at Disneyland.  A hobby of Charles’ that most people don’t know is that he enjoys meditating with his wife twice a day.  His other hobbies include golf and getting to spend time with his wife.  Charles’ number one goal is to protect his health and self-confidence with good habits.  He does this through avoiding negative people, getting eight hours of sleep, eating right, and spending time daily with his wife Prudy and his son Hagen.  His goal is to live to 120 because he believes if you think you’ll live longer, you’ll be able to enjoy the little moments, instead of worrying about not having enough time.  Charles always tries to stay optimistic, and always thinks about where growth can occur in his life, others’ lives, and the company, and likes to focus on self-improvement.  He says he is blessed to have worked with Charles V. Harker and Hagen, and to be able to have worked at Mid-States right out of college.  Charles has a sense of humor, and sometimes has to be told his sarcasm is too much!  His other qualities include being patient, listening to others instead of being a talker, being loyal, being dependable, and being honest.  Finally, Charles’ spirit animal is a lion, because of their strength, patience, and quietness.

Tune in for Part II tomorrow - featuring Jeremy Olivotti, Vice President of Preconstruction, and Jaron Combs, Vice President of Construction.

Mid-States Company Picnic This Weekend

One of my favorite days of the year is coming up this weekend. On Saturday, Mid-States Concrete Industries will host its annual Company Picnic. About 200 adults and 75 kids are expected to come out for some delicious food, fun activities, plant tours and more.

Why is this one of my favorite days of the year? First, with running a 24-hour operation, this is one of the few days each year where all of us are on the same schedule. This means we get to see people we might not have the chance to see very often. It is a wonderful time to get to know your team, especially given the amount of time we spend with each other. Second, I love to see our team bring in their families and show off Mid-States as a place they are proud to work. With tours of our plant, spouses and children get to see what their partner/parent does all day. And, it gives our team a chance to show off why they come to work every day. We’re all just trying to do the best we can for our families. Third, it is just plain fun. With bag toss, ring toss, gunny sack races, a bounce house, water balloon toss, and delicious food, what’s not to enjoy? Plus, this year we have added a dunk tank and a chance to dunk your favorite executive. I have a feeling there will be a long line for this one!

Staying Ahead of the Industry: PCI Exceptional Precast Practices Program

Mid-States Concrete Industries is one of only seven producers in the nation to be part of the PCI Exceptional Precast Practices Program in 2017-2018.  The program focuses on continuous improvement, strives to improve efficiency, and provide client value while placing safety and environmental responsibility at the forefront of business.

Producers that participate in the EPP Program may be described as follows:

• The firm is professionally managed and reliable

• Uses the latest tools and techniques

• Participates in the PCI QA program

• It has established processed and predictable results

• It is seeking continuous improvement

• It strives to improve efficiency and provide client value

• Takes safety seriously

• Takes environmental responsibility seriously

~ Information courtesy of PCI.

Innovative Graphic Concrete

In an effort to offer Customers the latest innovations in precast, the Mid-States Concrete Industries team has spent the past several months studying and testing the use of graphic concrete.

Graphic concrete enables durable patterns and images to be produced on precast surfaces through the use of a membrane with a surface retarder.  Concrete is cast on the membrane and when the retarder is washed away, the image is revealed.  Mid-States has partnered with Graphic Concrete LTD to learn more about this exciting new tool, so we can offer it to you.

Graphic Concrete has been used in more than 600 projects in 25 countries around the world by numerous architectural offices and concrete element factories.  Mid-States has used graphic concrete to cast our own logo into the new water reclamation center at our plant.  We have also experimented with how we could incorporate it into some of the projects we are currently involved with.

If you are interested in more information about graphic concrete, please contact sales@msprecast.com.