[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 50 (Thursday, March 21, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THANKING DRAKE CEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PAUL A. GOSAR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 21, 2019

  Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an important 
industry in our nation, and a company in my district that represents 
the best of corporate America. The company, Drake Cement, has an 
incredible safety record, and is known for its pursuit of excellence 
and its proud relationships with its employees and the community.
  The industry at issue is the aggregate industry (sand, gravel, iron, 
minerals, stone and other aggregates) for use in the manufacturing of 
cement and concrete. Drake Cement takes raw materials, including 
limestone, alumina, iron and silica, and blends, heats, crushes and 
grinds it into the best cement west of the Rockies. The cement Drake 
Cement produces is used for construction products, including mortar, 
concrete, and masonry. You will find cement in buildings, dams, 
bridges, highways, floors, wells, pipes and a host of other necessary 
products. Without cement you cannot have modem construction and 
infrastructure.
  Drake Cement was awarded the Sentinel of Safety Mining Award in 2017 
and 2015 by the National Mining Association. This prestigious award is 
given to mines that have the highest and best safety records. In a 
business that involves dangerous equipment, heavy weight transport and 
moving parts, maintaining safety is not easy and it requires constant 
vigilance and high levels of training and awareness. Drake Cement has 
been awarded this difficult recognition twice and the plant was only 
built in 2011.
  Outside a small town called Paulden, Arizona, Drake Cement built its 
new state of the art facility. The company takes seriously its 
commitment to social responsibility. It recognizes that, as a mine and 
manufacturer, it has an impact on the environment, but it also 
recognizes its impact is positive, necessary and undeniably important 
to our culture, our society and our modern economy.
  I thank Mr. David Chavez, its Vice President, the over 120 employees 
who do their best every day, and the company for its contribution to 
Arizona and the country.