Covia highlights the dedication and leadership of Team Members who have made a significant impact on the job or in their communities by sharing their stories. Today we recognize Kurt Krebs, Plant Manager at Covia’s Black Lab Chardon plant. Kurt started as a bagger at Chardon and worked his way up to his current role as plant manager. Read on to hear from Kurt about how he got started with Covia and how the team at Chardon has built a community of respect and care.
Growing with Covia
I started working at Covia back in 2010 as a bagger at the Black Lab Chardon plant. Even though I’m nearing 15 years on the job, it feels like I started just yesterday. While working as a bagger, I was able to learn a lot from my coworkers and mentors at the time. They helped guide me toward the leadership position I’m in now. After four years of learning the different jobs at the plant and taking on leadership opportunities, I was promoted to crew lead/floor supervisor. Then, in 2016, I was tapped to become the new plant manager. From a career standpoint, this was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m proud that I was able to work my way up, learning about the different situations and jobs so I can help create an environment that empowers others. Plus, having worked alongside nearly half the plant has helped build trust and respect among the Black Lab Chardon team. As I’ve taken on this leadership position, I often turned to mentors who have been source of inspiration and guidance for me. One of my mentors has been here for over 40 years, he is truly a book of wisdom. I’ve been lucky to have good friends and great resources here, helping me make strategic decisions for the Black Lab Chardon team so we can work even better together. I'm motivated to pass on the knowledge I've received. The Black Lab team is dedicated and always ready to take on any task to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. I'm impressed by the work of the younger employees and look forward to seeing them progress in their careers at Covia.
Black Lab Chardon
The Black Lab Chardon plant is not your typical mining facility. Our team and the work they do is a bit unique compared to Covia’s other operations – providing custom toll blending for various industries like construction and foundries. Every product our team works on is driven by customer specs. The customer provides the instructions, and we utilize our inventory of over 800 raw ingredients to create custom products like our Black Lab blend. On top of that, we provide eight different bag sizes for materials ranging from 10 pounds to 4,000. This kind of work requires a significant attention to detail, a skill that I have seen in every member of the Chardon team. Their dedication and hard work are the reason why we can create the quality and quantity of minerals we produce at the Black Lab Chardon plant. We take great pride in our work and ability to keep up with every new change that comes our way. The way this team has adapted and grown over the years is truly inspiring. The Black Lab Chardon team showed just how impressive they are by posting record production numbers last year – improving on the previous title with four fewer members on the team. This was made even more impressive by the fact that they kept up with a massive amount of client needs. Their ability to put in the work says so much about the team we’ve assembled and their commitment to one another. Nobody is just punching in and punching out, they take pride and ownership in what they do. I feel honored to be part of this talented team.
Building a Community of Respect and Care
On top of their work ethic, I am proud of the Black Lab Chardon team for their ability to hold each other accountable. The team looks out for one another, making sure everyone is safe and following protocols. We’ve really built a community of respect and care. If I went out on the floor but forgot my gloves, I wouldn’t make it far before someone turned me around to go put them back on. This safety-first mindset is something we all take home. I’m an avid hunter and like to ride snow mobiles during the winter. Whenever the plant slows down during the colder months, I head up north with family and friends to ride. My job has really made me think about safety and how I need to take precautions when out in nature. Working at Covia has really helped me be more prepared in my personal life. For the past ten years, the Black Lab Chardon plant has seen continuous growth. I’m looking forward to seeing how the plant continues to change and what kind of new faces we can bring in, possibly adding more machines and shifts to keep the plant moving forward. Seeing how far we’ve come and how close the team has gotten is really rewarding. Seeing everyone get along so well makes me proud. I’m grateful Covia has helped give me this opportunity to learn, grow, and lead.
