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Luck Stone General Questions
Fairfax Specific Questions
General Quarry Questions
Luck Stone General Questions
I'd like to know a little more about the Luck Stone Corporation. Can you give me some more information about the company?
Luck Stone Corporation is one of the largest, private, family-owned and operated aggregate companies in the U.S. and is one of the largest producers of crushed stone in the nation. Founded by Charles S. Luck, Jr. in 1923, the 87-year old Virginia company has thrived under the leadership of three generations of the Luck family. With more than 700 employees, the values-based company's mission is to positively impact the lives of others by becoming one of the world’s top five companies known for values-based leadership. Luck Stone is headquartered in Richmond, Va., and is comprised of the following:
- Construction Aggregates
The Construction Aggregates Division operates 16 crushed stone plants in Virginia and North Carolina, 2 distribution yards and 1 sand and gravel operation with products including crushed stone, sand and gravel, topsoil and ball field mixes. (http://www.luckstone.com/crushed)
- Lee Tennis Court Products
Lee Tennis is a leader in tennis court surfacing and accessories. The company's most well-known brand, HAR-TRU®, is one of the best-selling surfacing materials in the United States and a standard in the clay court industry. (http://www.playtheclay.com)
- Charles Luck Stone Centers
The Charles Luck Stone Center provides homeowners, builders, landscapers, contractors and architects alike a complete and distinctive line of stone products for the home, landscape and business. Our six locations, which feature a combination of studios, contractor yards and workshops throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, offer thousands of stone products sourced from across the globe. (http://www.charlesluck.com)
- Luck Development Partners
Luck Development Partners, an affiliate of Luck Stone, is a real estate development company. LDP is responsible for the sales and leasing of corporate real estate assets, three industrial business parks located throughout Virginia, and the development of the Ni River Village community in Spotsylvania County, VA. (http://www.lucklegacy.com)
Can you describe Luck Stone's values-centered culture?
Luck Stone’s associates share a common understanding of the way we approach our work. We strive to adhere to the values of integrity, commitment, leadership and creativity, and work to incorporate those values into everything we do, internally and externally. We demonstrate these values in the partnership that we have with our communities and business partners. They can be seen in the influence and inspiration that associates offer to each other. There is recognition within Luck Stone that everyone can contribute, and everyone can display leadership.
Our hope is that neighbors, customers and associates alike describe Luck Stone as a company that demonstrates its values in its everyday work, and by so doing, creates a positive difference in the communities we serve.
We believe in “delivering on every promise,” and we work hard to live up to that standard.
Luck Stone representatives have said that Luck Stone strives to be a good neighbor to the communities within which it resides. What does that mean?
The answer to this question takes a few different shapes and varies for each location, but generally, we feel that the following demonstrates our commitment to being a good neighbor:
DONATIONS AND GRANTS
Luck Stone's community relations programs are supported through direct corporate donations of cash and in-kind materials, and through grants from the Luck Stone Foundation. The company has focused on three major areas of support: youth development and education; environmental stewardship, health and community safety; and local community development. Luck Stone also encourages its associates to become directly and personally involved in serving the communities within which it operates.
COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY AWARDS
Luck Stone is a recognized leader in our industry in the areas of corporate responsibility, environmental stewardship, and community relations. The company has received numerous awards that illustrate our commitment to the communities where we operate.
SPONSORSHIPS & EVENTS
Luck Stone is the proud sponsor of many community events and programs that support local non-profit organizations, including schools, environmental organizations, and community health and safety organizations. We also conduct hundreds of tours at our plants for community and school groups, host neighborhood gatherings and open houses, and participate in many community-sponsored events.
THE LUCK STONE FOUNDATION
Luck Stone Corporation is proud to support the communities where we operate by taking part in charitable community projects and programs. The Luck Stone Foundation was established to provide grants to non-profit organizations that contribute to building stronger communities, improving the quality of life for our neighbors, and providing needed services to our youth.
Fairfax Specific Questions
How has Luck Stone Fairfax served as a good neighbor to the community?
Luck Stone has been a good neighbor in a number of ways, including philanthropic giving of stone, money, and time (see below list), hosting neighborhood gatherings and open houses, and working to respond to any concerns and mitigate any impact of the quarry on close neighbors.
In the past three years, Luck Stone has supported, through financial and in-kind donations, as well as through volunteer effort of our associates, many organizations and events in communities of which Fairfax is a part, including the following:
Education
- Virginia Run Elementary
- Mountain View Elementary
- Mountain View High School
- Freedom High School
- Centreville High School Wildcat Band Boosters
Luck Stone Rock Kit
- One kit at each elementary school in the State of Virginia
Community
- Friends of Michael Frey
- Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
- The Church of the Blessed Trinity
- Virginia Run Turkey Trot
- Angel Kisses 5K
- Fairfax County Professional Fire Fighters
- Make A Wish Foundation
- Fairfax County Police Association
- Fairfax County—Sully District Starlight Cinema
- Southwestern Youth Association Football
How many jobs are created by this quarry?
The Fairfax Quarry employs approximately 35 associates. These associates have a variety of responsibilities from customer service and sales to production and equipment maintenance. Job opportunities can be found here.
How long will the quarry be here?
The life of a quarry is impacted by many factors including market conditions and demand for product. But, generally, the life of the Fairfax quarry is currently approximately 15 to 20 years.
How is the stone produced at the quarry used?
Crushed stone, or aggregate, has hundreds of uses, but the majority of the crushed stone from the Fairfax operation goes to local construction projects including residences, hospitals, schools and roads. To give you an idea of the stone needed for projects, a typical interstate requires approximately 20,000 tons of stone per lane mile. So, a four lane road (two lanes in each direction), requires approximately 80,000 tons of stone per mile.
Do you provide tours of the quarry?
Yes. Tours of the quarry should be scheduled in advance by contacting either Amy Petitt, Scale Office Manager, at apetitt@luckstone.com or calling 703-830-8880.
Who can I call with questions or concerns?
Warren Paulson, the Luck Stone Fairfax Plant Manager, may be contacted with any comments, question, concerns, or suggestions. He can be reached at (703) 830-8880 or wpaulson@luckstone.com.
General Quarry Questions
In general, quarries, by virtue of the type of business they are in, can create some noise on site. What are methods that Luck Stone employs to mitigate any noise that may be created by the quarry?
There are a number of noise mitigation techniques that will be employed to mitigate noise at the site. They include the following:
- constructing berms and planting of trees and vegetation
- enclosing sections of our processing plant;
- utilizing strobe light backup systems at night time instead of the typical back-up alarms on most large equipment;
- use of high impact rubber to line haul trucks and chutes (when feasible);
- placing equipment (like the primary stone crusher) below surface level when practicable;
- properly maintaining the processing plant.
Luck Stone is committed to outperforming any applicable noise requirements from any regulating agency.
What dust control techniques do you use?
Luck Stone is required to obtain air permits from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that regulates dust generation. We will utilize some of the best available dust control technologies. Wet suppression systems (e.g., water trucks and spray) will be used to suppress dust, screens will be enclosed, and berms and other formations will be constructed and seeded and planted with vegetation as soon as possible to trap dust before it can leave the site.
How does Luck Stone ensure that dust from the quarry does not cause adverse health effects?
Luck Stone consistently out-performs regulatory and health-based standards for dust control and exposure. We conduct extensive monitoring of our associates and work places to ensure we provide a safe and healthy work environment. In Luck Stone's 85 year-history, we are not aware of any of our associates suffering adverse health effects as a result of exposure to dust. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for our associates, customers, and neighbors.
How does Luck Stone mitigate any impact to the environment?
Aggregate mining is one of the most highly regulated industries in the country. Surface water and soil erosion are regulated by the Division of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME), which requires a detailed engineering plan and conducts periodic inspections of our sites. Luck Stone will comply with and abide by all federal, state, and local regulations that protect and preserve any identified wetlands. We have conducted numerous environmental studies including wetland delineation, flood plain analysis, and identification of threatened/endangered species.
Luck Stone not only complies with the strict regulations imposed by the Virginia Department of Minerals, Mines, and Energy, but we also have our own very stringent standards for environmental stewardship at all of our plants. Monitoring efforts include submitting quarterly water discharge monitoring reports to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, collection of hydrological data and conducting inspections of dust control equipment, erosion and sediment control practices.
What will happen to the site once you are finished?
Stone is a non-renewable resource used for many of our daily needs. Thus, quarries have varying life expectancies depending on geology, geography, and market demand, however, they are generally long-term, multi-generational operations.
Once retired, many quarries become water reservoirs due to the large quantity of water they can hold. However, there are many other potential uses including recreational facilities, community park land, or local government use, wildlife habitat, or a combination of the above.
While no specific plan has been developed for the Fairfax property post-quarry use, it is Luck Stone’s intention to engage the local government and community in that planning effort.
Can you describe the blasting process?
Blasting reduces rock into manageable sizes for further crushing and sorting in the Quarry’s processing plant. When a blast is set off, more than 90% of the energy is used to break rock. The remainder goes into the ground or air as vibration and noise.
Luck Stone uses the best available practices to mitigate the impact of blasting and noise in our communities. Thanks to modern technology, stone extraction at Luck Stone’s quarry sites takes place in a tightly controlled environment with trained and experienced in-house blasting technicians who use ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate is classified as a blasting agent—not an explosive.
Strict federal and state guidelines have been established related to blasting, and these limits are set below the threshold that can cause damage to structures. Readings from our blasts typically fall well below those limits.
The ground vibration and air overpressure created by a blast are accurately measured by a seismograph. Each blast is monitored and the results are recorded and reported appropriately.
Close businesses and neighbors can contact Luck Stone (click here) and request to be notified when blasting will occur in the nearby quarry.
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