Company President Brad Kinner, left to right, Dave Mielke and Company Co-owner Tom Milligan at the annual meeting of the Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association.
Courtesy photo | Western Ohio Cut Stone
Company Controller, Janet Mullen, third from left, participates in Edison State’s Women in STEMM Event.
Courtesy photo | Western Ohio Cut Stone
SIDNEY — Western Ohio Cut Stone completed its 28th year of operation in 2023 as a producer and reseller of architectural grade natural stone products. 2023 remained steady in the wake of strong years in 2020 and 2021.
“Shipments to our Pennsylvania based key customer that cuts and rebrands our materials remained strong. Local projects with our own Erie Shore natural thin veneer and full depth stone lines were robust as well with several large commercial projects in our immediate region. Sales from our 1542 Riverside Drive yard where we carry a wide selection of decorative aggregates and construction grade sand and aggregates were also solid,” said President Brad Kinner.
His report continues:
Not unlike 2022, 2023 presented a number of challenges primarily on the cost side. Like many area employers, the shortage of available labor and inflationary cost pressures from rising prices in almost every category continued. We continue to “buy right” where we can, seeking to buy goods and services when price points are most attractive. We also brought on students from the Upper Valley Career Center in trainee roles that added flexibility to our work force.
During the summer we were visited by Ohio State Treasurer Robert Sprague. He toured our operations and discussed his office’s efforts in investing Ohio’s tax monies to work for all Ohioans. Another highlight was attending this year’s Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association’s annual meeting.at which our friend and Shelby Countian, Dave Mielke received the Association’s Rocky Award for his outstanding contributions to the industry. Dave is well known for his knowledge of Ohio paleontology, particularly trilobites of the Silurian and Devonian ages which he shares widely to schools and at Association educational events. Western Ohio Cut Stone has provided the award stones such as the one Dave received as a service to the Association for many years.
The company also celebrated the 20th employment anniversary of its controller Janet Mullen. In addition to her excellent skills with the numbers, there is no job Janet wouldn’t do when needed, whether stacking stone on pallets to get an urgent order out or running a front-end loader to fill a customer’s truck. This Fall Janet participated with others in our State Association in Edison State’s Women in STEMM program. She exemplifies the dedicated women in the mineral resources industry and is an outstanding example of the can-do attitude we seek at Western Ohio Cut Stone.
As we look to 2024, we remain optimistic about our prospects as, like last year, we have good carryover volume coming into the new year. The outlook for residential construction in the United States, which is a big driver for our products, remains uncertain as higher interest rates may significantly impact housing demand, although with recent rate moderation that pressure may ease and help that sector. We are confident in the high value proposition we offer with the timeless beauty and durability of our natural stone products.
