Quarry Crusher event showcases better company, community relations in Olympia

Vulcan Olympia Quarry manager Bob Johnson is president of the We Are Olympia community group, which annually benefits when Vulcan allows runners to test their mettle in the quarry’s huge pit.

Fifteen years ago, both of those would have been unfathomable. A string of corporate owners of the quarry had a strained, if not adversarial, relationship with their neighbors. Then Vulcan came along and the quarry became more than a big hole in the ground that spawned dust, noise and an armada of heavy trucks that tore up the streets.

“The quarry changed (ownership) several times through the years, and Vulcan is more interested in the neighborhood than the rest of those owners all together,” said Jim Jaco, former president of We Are Olympia.

This weekend’s Olympia Fest showcases the revitalized neighborhood-company partnership. The annual event would get lost in the shuffle of dozens of April festivals if not for its unique Quarry Crusher Run. And the run wouldn’t be possible if Vulcan didn’t make the extra effort to open the rugged path to the bottom of the quarry.

“It benefits the community, and we’re part of that community,” said Jimmy Fleming, vice president of human resources for the Birmingham, Ala.-based company.

The relationship hasn’t been all roses. There were some strains during negotiations to move the heavy traffic to a new entrance road away from a residential area, and some local residents spoke out last year against a possible expansion of the quarry to adjacent property to the south. That property was purchased by the University of South Carolina, ending a potential community-company showdown.

Vi Hendley, a neighborhood leader, noted that Vulcan also commited to tentative plans to restore Rocky Branch as it flows through the quarry. As part of that plan, Vulcan also could expand the quarry and do more surface-level blasting. That concerns Hendley, but she said she is confident Vulcan would use state-of-the-art noise and dust reduction methods to at least minimize the impact.

Vulcan bought the quarry in 2000 from a South African company, which had purchased it only a few months earlier from Florida-based Tarmac America. Quarry neighbors at the time were hopeful Vulcan at least would listen to their complaints about the dust and noise.

Vulcan did more than listen. It reached out to gain public goodwill. In December 2001, the company scheduled an open house, allowing the general public to peer into the pit for the first time in at least several decades.

“We expected 1,000 or 2,000 (people), and 10,000 showed up,” Fleming recalled.

A few years later, community leaders planning the Olympia Fest wanted to include the road along the edge of the quarry as part of a 5K run route. That view into the quarry might draw more runners, they thought.

Then they came up with the crazy idea of running to the bottom and back. They were surprised when Vulcan went along with the idea. “We thought we ought to try this and see if it works,” Fleming said. “And lo and behold, it became this great thing.”

The limited spots in the first Quarry Crusher Run in 2012 filled up quickly, and it has grown each year. The event this year will add a Double Crusher category for those who want to run the 3.72-mile route twice, and a Quarry Cruncher 1-mile walk, which gives those daunted by the longer distance a chance to experience the upper portion of the quarry road.

Because of stringent federal safety regulations, quarry staffers have to take precautions along the course before the race and monitor the runners on their way in an out of the 400-foot-deep hole.

“We’re so used to it now that we have it down pat,” said Johnson, the quarry manager. “It’s a year-long process of planning for safety – safety’s first.”

Allowing the annual run into the quarry is just one example of Vulcan reaching out to the community. It also helps maintain the Olympia Cemetery, backs plans for an Olympia museum and has contributed to public art projects.

Richard Burts, owner of 701 Whaley, said he spoke to Johnson about plans to convert the 701 Whaley complex’s former pool area into a performing arts space. “His response was ‘How can Vulcan get involved?’” Burts said.

Johnson’s personal commitment to the community prompted him to join the We Are Olympia group, and this year he succeeded Jaco as president of the group.

“The people working there were always good people,” Jaco said. “But they were dictated to by the company they worked for. … Now, they’re good neighbors.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Quarry Crusher event showcases better company, community relations in Olympia."