Dragon Cement receives award

Dragon Cement and Concrete has received a national safety award from the Portland Cement Association for operating more than 500,000 hours without a lost-time accident.

In all, Dragon’s Cement Division went two years, representing 594,200 work hours, without a lost-time injury among the 112 employees in the division. The achievement set a new record for the company, eclipsing the old mark of 494,000 hours.

In recent years, Dragon’s Concrete Division set a similar record for completing three years without a lost-time injury at the 10 concrete plants between Biddeford and Madawaska.

The safety records are a reflection of the success of an innovative, incentive-based safety program initiated by Dragon three years ago, company officials said.

“We have a very innovative and attentive team at the Thomaston plant,” said Joseph M. Koch III, president of the company. “It’s a safe place to work and that’s important for our employees and the Thomaston community.”

Thornton E. Batty of South Thomaston, the plant’s process manager, was in Dallas recently to accept the award, presented by the Skokie, Ill.-based Portland Cement Association, which represents cement companies in the U.S. and Canada.

Dragon’s Thomaston plant is New England’s only cement manufacturing facility. The Portland cement produced in Thomaston is mined from its limestone quarry on the company’s site on Route 1. The cement is supplied to most ready-mix companies in the state, and others throughout New England.

Dragon also is Maine’s largest ready-mix concrete supplier, with concrete plants in Biddeford, Scarborough, Westbrook, Portland, Lewiston, Brunswick, Augusta, Canton, Ellsworth, Fairfield, Thomaston, Farmington, Madawaska and Presque Isle. Dragon concrete, a blend of cement, sand, stone and water, is used in buildings, bridges, pavement, roads and many precast products.

Founded in 1928, the company is headquartered at 38 Preble St. in Portland. For additional information, visit Dragon’s Web site at: www.dragonproducts.com.