President George Kelcher passes the RD Hassed Memorial Trophy to Murray Francis Director Road Metals for his outstanding service and support of the Institute of Quarrying.
Murray, as Managing Director of Road Metals Co Ltd, has been a very firm supporter of the IOQ NZ in many ways.
Murray is very vocal about the positive attributes of the annual Quarry Conference, the networking opportunities, the value of the relationships formed and the business opportunities that arise from being a member and attending the annual Conference.
He has also been active in the role of presenting papers at Conference, undertaking in 2006 a NZ wide tour presentating at Branch level and generally supporting the IOQ at every opportunity.
Murray, and Road Metals Co Ltd, provide direct input into the IOQ Executive through senior management being available to be on the IOQ Executive, Exito Board for a number of years, Branch level input throughout the South Island, and all this comes at no financial cost to the IOQ NZ through Murray?s firm support for, and belief in, the direct benefits of IOQ NZ.
Murray is also very vocal at every opportunity in raising the profile of the NZ Quarrying Industry. He does this in a very positive and personal manner and this is something that all participants in our Industry should be taking notice of and be active in doing the same thing.
Murray has been in the Industry since childhood since his father, Stan Francis, founded North Otago Road Metal Co Ltd in 1956. Murray has come up through the ranks as truck driver, loader operator, crusher operator and has been Managing Director for the last seventeen years.
He has played his part in supplying materials for many of the major projects that have taken place in the South Island in the past thirty five years.
He has also managed the company in other projects in the North Island including major contracts with Stevenson and Sons in Auckland. This contract came about from Murray forming a relationship with Steve Ellis at a Quarry Conference in Dunedin many years previous (an excellent example of the value of being an IOQ Member and attending the Annual Conference.)
Murray encourages many of his staff to join and be active members of IOQ NZ, and ensures that he, and Road Metals Co, makes the effort to have a number of people at the Annual Conference and Branch meetings and maintain the high profile that is part of Murray?s personality and belief in the NZ Quarry Industry.