Vulcan Materials Company's Western Division loses a legend

Vulcan Materials Company’s Western Division (Vulcan) sadly announces the passing of Earl Walter Ochs on March 8, 2023, at the age of 68 and after a brave battle with cancer. Ochs served in the U.S. Army, lived in Menifee, and worked at Vulcan's Corona plant for more than 27 years. He was preceded in death by his wife, Yolanda Ochs.

Ochs had been working for another aggregate plant in 1995 when CalMat Co., Inc. (CalMat) came calling to offer him the job as plant manager at their Corona facility. He eagerly accepted and remained in the position after CalMat was acquired by Vulcan in November 1999. As anyone will tell you, Ochs’ specialty expertise was in drilling and blasting and he was one of the best in the business.

He continually gave back to the industry by serving on CalCIMA’s Safety & Health Committee and giving presentations at the 2019 and 2022 Spring Thaws. In 2019, Ochs proudly served on the Innovations Panel, sharing innovations from Vulcan’s Corona quarry, a 2018 CalCIMA Excellence in Safety Award winner. In 2022, he served on a panel regarding customer truck safety. Ochs enjoyed giving tours of the 300-acre Corona Quarry to educate agencies like Caltrans and others about how producers manage and test aggregate for quality.

Here are testimonials to Earl’s legacy from his peers:

John Atkins, Area Operations Manager for Vulcan's Western Division: “Earl was a longtime peer of mine as we both worked at different plants. When I became an area manager in 2015, Earl and I got to know one another much better as I would visit the Corona facility. Not everyone leaves behind a positive and inspiring legacy. Earl's legacy was the Corona flagship plant that he loved so much,” says Atkins. “If you have ever been to our Corona facility, you have probably met Earl. He just seems to magically appear no matter where you are within the 300-acre facility. As a part of his legacy, Earl gladly passed on almost everything he knew about drilling, blasting, and other knowledge to Johnny Trillo, who will now carry the torch in his name.”

Rick Lopez, Plant Manager at Vulcan's Corona Facility: “Corona was Earl’s baby, and his specialty was drilling and blasting. We all relied upon Earl as we would shoot the mountain to supply our production needs. He had the vision and the plan, and the Corona plant was everything to Earl. He loved mining, and the crew and facility were his family,” says Lopez. “To me, he was like a favorite uncle who was always patient and willing to share his valuable knowledge. Losing Earl was a great loss and there are some big boots left to fill the void that Earl left behind.”

Johnny Trillo, Plant Supervisor for Vulcan's Corona facility: “Earl and I have been coworkers for many years, as I came on board in 2007 just as the new plant was being constructed. I loved to listen to Earl’s stories, and Earl always had a story,” says Trillo. “He was a mentor to me as I continued to grow with the company. I would not be where I am today without Earl’s friendship and tremendous shared knowledge of running and maintaining an aggregate plant.”

Danny Avalos, General Foreman at the Corona facility: “I was fortunate to have worked with Earl at the old CalMat facility and together we helped usher in the new plant in 2007. Earl was my manager and we eventually moved from co-workers to family, as we worked 12-hour shifts together every day,” says Avalos. “He was a man of great knowledge that he gladly shared with everyone around him. I will never forget Earl Ochs and the time that I was fortunate to spend with him over these past 25 years.”

Vulcan Materials Company Western Division was enriched by Earl’s presence and he will be missed n