Covia's Black Lab Chardon Plant: Team Driven Success

Covia plants across our North American footprint work diligently to provide customers with the high-quality minerals and mineral solutions they’ve come to expect over the years. More than that, they Deliver on Promise by building safe work environments, volunteering in their communities, and championing environmental stewardship. In recognition of their hard work, we’re pleased to highlight the good things the teams at our plants do. Read on to learn more about the key contributions from our Black Lab Chardon plant.

Black Lab Chardon

The Black Lab Chardon plant provides custom toll blending services for Covia customers in bridge infrastructure, underground infrastructure, corrosion prevention, and industrial coatings and linings. The plant consists of 15 tight-knit Team Members who work hard to source high-quality raw materials for both local and global partners. This kind of work requires a significant attention to detail, which the Chardon team demonstrates every day.

Every product the Black Lab Chardon team works on is driven by customer specifications. The customer provides the instructions, and Team Members utilize their inventory of over 800 raw ingredients to create custom products like Covia’s Black Lab blend, packaged in bag sizes ranging from 10 pounds to 4,000.

Accountability

With a strong safety record of over two years without a lost-time incident, every member of the Black Lab Chardon team is vigilant in upholding a culture based on “safety first.” Kurt Krebs, who started as an hourly employee in 2011 and became plant manager in 2016, notes that the team holds monthly safety meetings but that safety discussions occur daily to review protocols and concerns related to day-to-day projects and challenges.

“Safety is everything here,” said Krebs. “We are all held accountable. In our meetings we always talk about how our end goal is to come into work safe and get home safe to our families every day. That’s what we do.”

Team Driven Success

Last year, the Black Lab Chardon team had their best year on record thanks to their focus and camaraderie. When asked about their success, Krebs said, “the success of the plant says a lot about the team we have here. We had our biggest year yet with four fewer people than we had the year prior. With zero injuries or lost time incidents too. Our team is very tight, and we communicate well together.”

Long tenure and expertise define the Black Lab Chardon team, contributing to a continuity that translates to outstanding customer satisfaction. No matter if they’re on the floor or behind the scenes, each team member plays a crucial role.

Sustainability & Community

Black Lab Chardon provides more than just custom, high-quality mineral solutions for clients; it’s also a plant that goes above and beyond to make sustainable choices and respect the environment. The facility continuously implements improvements to streamline operations and promote sustainability. These changes, from upgrading mixer hardware to improving dust collection methods, benefit Black Lab customers and the community.

The team works hard to keep the site clean and tidy and is especially conscientious about protecting the environment and nearby waterways. The plant is adjacent to the Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve, a 101-acre Geauga County park built on land donated in memory of Walter C. Best, founder of Best Sand. The preserve features a 30-acre lake that serves as a habitat for various species of waterfowl and plants. Like Best, many of Black Lab Chardon’s team members enjoy spending time in nature.

In the community, Black Lab Chardon partners with several organizations. From the Munson Fire Department and Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, to the United Way and Ashtabula County Feed the Hope, Team Members are dedicated to serving and improving their communities.

If you're interested in learning about careers at Covia, contact us today.