A Day in the Life at Simon:
October 2025 Quarry of the Month – Rapid City Quarry
Achieving efficiencies at a “Rapid” rate! Congratulations to the Rapid City Quarry at Simon for being named the Colas USA “Quarry of the Month” for the month ending October 2025!
Awarded to the operation with the highest Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) while maintaining a minimum quality threshold, Colas USA would like to recognize the aggregates team in Rapid City, SD for their outstanding performance in achieving a 99% OEE and a Quality Index of 87% during the month of October. As these are measures of multiple indicators, a full team effort is required to achieve this level of operational performance.
Team photo (left to right): Joe Ford, Matt Chase, Dave Abraham, James Cleveland, Mark Enstrom, Zach Hamilton, Darrell Brown-Bull, Dan Eichinger, Derek Loftus, and Devrin Heuer.
Missing from photo: Ace Saiz, Blake Aghbashian, Tegan Fite, Gary Jurrens, Robert Neville, and Lori Nelson.
“I enjoyed delivering the message to my team,” said Devrin Heuer (Crusher Foreman). “It shines a light on their hard work and dedication to the job and to our company.”
The Rapid City plant is a facility that was originally constructed in the 1940s. The plant has seen a few upgrades over the years but still has many of its original structure and parts. The quarry where the plant lies has long been depleted and is currently being supplied with blasted limestone material from its Blackhawk quarry located approximately five miles away. Blasted material is hauled in by super side-dump trailers, capable of carrying 55-60 tons of material per payload.
“This site has come a long way, especially with safety,” said Darrell Brown-Bull (Crew Member), who started his career at the plant 36 years ago.
This is the first time Rapid City has won the Quarry of the Month award and also the first time for an operation in the Simon North region. The team is hungry to win it again, and with results like they achieved in October, they will be difficult to beat.
“I am honored to witness the unwavering dedication and grit carried forward by Joe Ford and this team,” concluded Cheryl Gustafson (North Regional Manager). “Their teamwork, commitment, and genuine care for the plant embody the very essence of our values. It’s this spirit that keeps our foundation strong and our future bright.”
