When Plant 1 in Winona, MS was set to re-open nearly two years ago, it did so with a new leader at the helm. Formerly led by Blake Kimbrough, freshly appointed Assistant Superintendent of Asphalt Plants at the time, it was up to the team to appoint a new Foreman. Ideally, someone who had spent years learning the ropes, running the equipment, and tending to the myriad of technicalities that came along with an asphalt plant. That’s where Jonathan Cobb came in.
Having started his career with the company at Plant 11 in Oxford, MS, Jonathan worked his way up the ladder through the positions of Groundman, Plant Operator, and Leadman. Since our plants fire up where the work is needed, seasonal plant closures and re-openings are not an entirely uncommon occurrence. When that time comes, we shuffle team members where they are needed to keep that hot-mix flowing. Having been closed up for a couple of years, when the time to fire up Plant 1 returned, Jonathan Cobb got called into action.
Blake Kimbrough shared, “The plant had been closed for a couple of years by then… I think it was since 2019. We had to do a little maintenance when it first started up. Jonathan was a big part of leading the crew in the maintenance, with some help from contractors. By the time it was all said and done, we were running again in 2021. In fact, this crew started out on an interstate job, which makes for a fast-paced environment.”
Fast forward two years, and Jonathan has made quite the impression on his crew, our customers, and even our team at large. Howard Green (Superintendent of Asphalt Plant) attributed some of Jonathan’s success to his work ethic and problem-solving abilities… traits that are a necessity to lead an asphalt plant. He said, “Jonathan has always been a hard worker and doesn’t back down. He tends to ‘bulldog’ a problem until he figures it out.”
Blake added, “Jonathan can be defined by one word – passionate. He’s passionate about taking care of his guys and he’s an innovative thinker.” John Paul Finerson (VP of Manufacturing) shared, “Jonathan was thrown from the frying pan at Plant 11 into the fire at Plant 1. He was faced with the combined challenges of a plant that had been idled for a few years, very tight stockpile areas, and a high-profile specialty interstate project. He has persevered through all of those challenges and built a great core plant team in the process. We are very proud of Jonathan’s progress in his new position.”
When our core values are mentioned, many might think of stewardship when it comes to Jonathan. Howard remarked, “He takes care of his plant and treats it like it’s his own… Jonathan and his team are great about keeping that yard good and clean.”
As he comes up on the two-year mark of his time as Foreman, Jonathan has helped fulfill countless load-outs, plant tickets, repairs, huddle-ups and more. We wish him many years of continued success as a Foreman and leader in our family of companies!
