SCAA’s Fall Quarry Tour Series continued on September 10 with a visit to Vulcan Materials Company’s Lyman Quarry, where 100 eighth-grade students from Spartanburg District schools had the opportunity to experience the aggregates industry firsthand.

Students from Beech Springs Middle, Abner Creek Middle, D.R. Hill Middle, and Florence Chapel Middle stepped outside the classroom and into an active quarry to see how the materials that help build South Carolina are produced.

Bringing the Aggregates Industry to Life

For many students, the quarry tour provided a first look at what happens behind the scenes to produce the aggregates used in roads, schools, homes, businesses, and communities across the state.

During the tour, students traveled into the quarry pit and saw the scale of an active mining operation up close. They learned about the process of extracting and processing rock, observed equipment and operations in action, and gained a better understanding of how the materials around them begin at a quarry.

The experience offered something a classroom lesson simply cannot: the opportunity to see the industry in action and ask questions directly to the professionals who work in it every day.

Exploring Equipment and Career Opportunities

Following the quarry tour, students participated in a Touch-a-Truck experience that brought them even closer to the equipment used throughout the industry.

Ron Hunter and Rodney Satterfield with Blanchard Machinery led the experience, sharing their expertise and answering students’ questions about the equipment, technology, and careers connected to the aggregates industry.

Students also heard from Orica about the blasting process and learned more about educational and career pathways through Spartanburg Community College.

Together, these experiences helped demonstrate that a career in aggregates can take many different forms. From heavy equipment and operations to engineering, blasting, technology, maintenance, education, and more, students were introduced to a variety of opportunities they may not have previously considered.

Connecting Students with the Industry

Hands-on experiences like the Lyman Quarry tour are at the heart of SCAA’s workforce development efforts.

By bringing students directly into quarries and connecting them with industry professionals, SCAA is helping young people understand the important role aggregates play in their everyday lives while introducing them to the people and careers that make the industry possible.

These tours also create opportunities for students to see how their interests and skills could translate into future careers. Whether they are interested in working with machinery, technology, science, engineering, skilled trades, or business, the aggregates industry offers a wide range of pathways.

A Collaborative Effort

SCAA extends a sincere thank you to Gary Maynor and Jeffrey Crozier, EIT, with Vulcan Materials Company for hosting the tour and providing students with an engaging, informative experience.

We also appreciate Spartanburg Community College, Spartanburg District 5, Orica, Blanchard Machinery, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, and all of the industry partners who helped make the day possible.

A special thank you goes to Workforce Development Chair Emily Talbert (Holbert) and Co-Chair Salley Lewis for their continued commitment to SCAA’s workforce development initiatives. Their dedication is helping create meaningful opportunities for students to connect with the aggregates industry and explore career possibilities.

We are also grateful to Sara Neil-Spencer with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce for coordinating with the schools and helping make this experience possible for participating students.

More Stops Ahead

With two tours now complete, SCAA’s Fall Quarry Tour Series is just getting started.

Each tour provides students with a firsthand look at an industry that is essential to South Carolina while helping them discover career opportunities they may not encounter in a traditional classroom setting.

By opening the doors to quarries, introducing students to industry professionals, and creating opportunities for hands-on learning, SCAA is helping build connections between today’s students and tomorrow’s workforce.