News
August 10, 2021Ravena Cement Plant Manager Reflects On Unprecedented & Challenging Year
One year ago this month, Dave MacLauchlin started a new position as manager of the Lafarge cement plant in Ravena – an opportunity that enabled him both to utilize his two decades of industry expertise and realize a dream of returning to his home state of New York.
But the job also presented significant challenges to MacLauchlin, 45, a Western Mohawk Valley native and Clarkson University graduate, as he arrived five months after the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of everything but essential businesses across the state.
The construction industry was, after a short time, allowed to continue operating. The Lafarge Ravena plant, MacLauchlin said, shuttered briefly in April, but otherwise “operated successfully” throughout the remainder of the Covid-19 crisis, never experiencing an outbreak, thanks to employees’ strict adherence to public health protocols.
“That’s a testament to the workforce,” MacLauchlin said. “Our focus, first and foremost, is on the health and safety of our employees. Through this chaotic time, they trusted us, and they listened to us. They did exactly what we asked them to do. That’s a big deal.”
Now that the Covid restrictions have eased, MacLauchlin said that one of the things he likes most about his job is getting out into the community and forging relationships between the plant and local residents, business leaders and organizations.
He is working to highlight how the Lafarge Ravena facility has “evolved as an organization” and the plant has “evolved as a site.”
“Across our Lafarge team, there’s a tremendous commitment to do the right thing,” he explained. “Our goal is to be a good member of the community, to be a respected member of the community.”
MacLauchlin said he often points to the multimillion-dollar modernization project completed at the Ravena plant in 2017, which included a significant investment in enclosing on-site limestone storage to cut down on dust, and dramatically improved air pollution controls to exceed state and federal standards.
MacLauchlin noted the Lafarge Ravena plant has produced cement for a wide range of well-known projects across upstate and beyond, including the GlobalFoundries site in Malta, which recently announced a significant expansion; and looks forward to playing a key role in helping New York reach its ambitious renewable energy goals.
