Somerset County is where Rockwood Stone operates, and it is where the people who work for us live. That connection shapes how I think about what this company should do when it has the ability to contribute to something the community needs. The Somerset Playground Splash Pad project is a good example of that.
Rockwood Stone donated all of the aggregate materials needed for the splash pad construction at Somerset Playground. The project is being led by a local committee chaired by Melanie Heiple, who has done the hard work of organizing the effort and seeing it through. Our role was straightforward: supply the materials at no cost, and do it in a way that supports the project timeline and goals.
Why Rockwood Stone Participates in Projects Like This
I want to explain why Rockwood Stone participates in projects like this, because I do not think the answer is as simple as “community goodwill.” The reasoning goes deeper than that.
When you run a business in a small county, your customers, your employees, and your neighbors are often the same people. The quality of life in the community around you is not separate from the health of your business. A town with good parks and recreational facilities is a more attractive place to raise a family and build a life. That matters for the people who work at Rockwood Stone and for the contractors and customers who do business with us.
Beyond the practical logic, there is also a straightforward values question. Rockwood Stone works with stone and aggregate. We have materials. A project like the splash pad needs materials. If we can fill that need at no cost to a community effort, we should. It is not a complicated decision.
What This Project Will Mean
The splash pad at Somerset Playground will serve families in Somerset County for years. Kids who grow up in this area will use it. Parents will bring their children there on summer afternoons. That is a concrete, lasting benefit that Rockwood Stone contributed to, and I find that genuinely satisfying.
This project is part of a pattern for us. Rockwood Stone also donated the construction and materials for the new Great Allegheny Passage Trailhead entrance in Rockwood, and we completed the expanded parking lot at American Legion Post 279. Each of these projects serves a different part of the community, but the thinking behind all of them is the same.
Melanie Heiple and the Somerset Playground committee are doing the right thing for this community. Rockwood Stone is glad to have been part of it. If you want to get involved with the splash pad project or learn more, the committee can be reached at (814) 442-0012.
Companies that operate in communities like Somerset County have an opportunity to do more than sell materials. I hope more businesses in this region take that opportunity seriously.
Spencer Svonavec is the founder of Rockwood Stone in Rockwood, PA. For more information, visit www.rockwoodstone.net.