General Shale's Rome Plant Achieves 1 Million Safe Work Hours

Media release: A group of local employees recently achieved a phenomenal milestone that few other manufacturing operations can claim. As of July 31, General Shale's Rome plant had completed 1 million safe work hours – which, in industry terms, translates to a million hours without a lost-time incident.

Headquartered in Johnson City, Tenn., General Shale is the North American subsidiary of Wienerberger AG and a leading manufacturer of brick, one of the world's oldest green building materials.

Rome employees began the safety performance streak in 2005, and the site has been recognized by the Georgia Department of Labor and the Georgia Mining Association for excellence in health and safety.

"We congratulate everyone at the Rome plant on this remarkable achievement," says General Shale President and CEO Dick Green. "A record of one million safe hours demonstrates a consistent focus on safety, and we are proud of the Rome team's outstanding efforts in maintaining a safe workplace."

On Sept.12, the company honored Rome employees with a safety celebration event that included lunch and prizes, as well as recognition by General Shale corporate management.

"This is a difficult achievement given the products we manufacture," says Rome Plant Manager Matthew Berry. "Safety is something our employees and supervisors push on each other every day, and we all look out for coworkers."

Located at 121 Turner Bend Road, General Shale's Rome plant began operations in 2004. At full capacity, the facility can produce nearly 180 million bricks per year.

About General Shale: General Shale is America's largest brick, stone and concrete block manufacturer, supplying a wide variety of masonry materials for residential, commercial and specialty architectural projects. These materials include brick, thin veneers, stone, outdoor living kits and various building materials. www.generalshale.com.