Care. Maintenance. Management. Protection. Guardianship. Safekeeping. Preserving.

Every one of these words has the same meaning as Stewardship. What is “Stewardship?”  It is caring for something, managing and protecting it, to keep it safe and preserve it.

What is the opposite? Neglect. Waste. Squandering. Ignorance.

Stewardship is a part of the fabric of Memphis Stone & Gravel and sister company Lehman-Roberts. Both of our companies have been in existence much longer than any of our employees have worked for either one. As hard as any and every one of us works, not one of us can claim the founding of our companies. These companies were gifted to us. Our roles are not to create what is to be; our roles are to protect what has been given to us so that it exists to be passed along to the future generations.

Our TPR (Total Process Reliability) program is a great example of Stewardship in our companies. In traditional equipment maintenance programs, mechanics are completely responsible for the maintenance and repair of all equipment. However, our TPR program engages our operations personnel. Our operators learn to take full responsibility for his or her own piece of equipment. Because the equipment is maintained daily, there is less downtime and higher productivity. Higher productivity translates to lower bid costs, more jobs, higher profits, better pay, and so on.

Another example of Stewardship is our commitment to safety. There is nothing more important than the protection of our employees’ welfare. Wearing of personal protective equipment, including whistles to warn of danger, is a small investment that pays huge dividends when it comes to our greatest asset, our people. Our commitment to safety even extends beyond our employees to any of the drivers and/or customers who come to our plant and job sites, as well as the driving public. When we are mindful stewards of our environments, everyone who works here or does business with us goes home safely to their families.