<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3yhm9H_0vJ79ukf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3yhm9H_0vJ79ukf00" width="650" height="488" ><figcaption>Dennis, Roger, Lyle, Dave and Larry Leach are pictured (back row).&nbsp; (Submitted photo/Helen Leach) </figcaption></figure> MANISTEE&nbsp;— When Larry Leach punched out from work as a pack house mill at operator <a href="https://magnesiaspecialties.com/company/locations" rel="nofollow"> Martin Marietta </a> on Aug. 30 it was the end of an era in more ways than one. For Larry personally, it marked the end of a long career that began when he first went to work at the local plant 47 years ago in 1977. However, his retirement is only part of the story. It also marked the first time since 1954 that no member of the Leach family will be employed at the Manistee plant. It’s unusual to for several family members to have such a long tenure at a plant like Martin Marietta. For the Leach family the long years of service began with Larry’s father, DeVere. “My dad started working there on March 12, 1954 and he retired Dec. 31, 1980 (26 years), and my brother Lyle was next to go to work there and he was there for 40 years,” said Larry Leach. “I started in Aug. 25, 1977 and just retired.” Over the course time it was really a family affair, as other members of the family were also employed at Martin Marietta when the plant would take on workers for summer employment. DeVere had five sons and all of them spent some time working at Martin Marietta and all together they had more than 100 years of combined service to the company. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1E8Fc6_0vJ79ukf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1E8Fc6_0vJ79ukf00" width="650" height="661" ><figcaption>Larry Leach (middle) is pictured at Martin Marietta with co-workers Julie Kubacki and Debbie Kaminski of the shipping department. Leach retired from Martin Marietta in late August. (Submitted photo/Helen Leach) </figcaption></figure> “All five of us boys worked there at some point as my other three brothers (Roger, Dave and Dennis) worked there as summer help,” said Leach. “I also had one niece (who) worked there and her name is Beverly and my daughter Kayla worked there too as summer help.” However, Leach said he is the end of the line for family members working at the plant. His brothers went on to careers in other fields of work and so have their children. “I am the last one, unless there will be somebody coming back that I don’t know about,” Leach said with a laugh. He said that there were several things that drew members of the family to the plant and kept them there for all those years. “It’s changed over the years, but it was a place to work and make a living for your family,” said Leach. When DeVere started the long tenure in 1954, the plant was known as <a href="https://www.manisteenews.com/local-history/article/Standard-Lime-Stone-Co-14231942.php" rel="nofollow"> Standard Lime and Refractories </a> and was later purchase by Martin Marietta and went through several stages to reach today’s <a href="https://www.martinmarietta.com/" rel="nofollow"> Martin Marietta Materials </a> . “Martin Marietta is an American-based company and a leading supplier of building materials — including aggregates, cement, ready mixed concrete and asphalt," reads its website, in part. The company has operations in 28 states, Canada and the Bahamas. "Martin Marietta’s <a href="http://magnesiaspecialties.com/" rel="nofollow"> Magnesia Specialties </a> business (with a magnesia facility in Manistee) produces high-purity magnesia and dolomitic lime products used worldwide in environmental, industrial, agricultural and specialty applications," reads its website. Leach said he dad worked as a finished material operator or a blending control operator. “My brother spent most of the time in the stock room as he was the purchaser and he did some other things before I got there, but most of the time he was in the stock room and purchasing department,' he said. Leach said he had several jobs over his career: a laborer, finished material operator, mill operator and for the latter part of his career until his retirement he was a pack house mill operator. He said after working for so many years, he is looking forward to enjoying life in retirement. That includes spending time with his wife Helen and having time to do more of the things work often limited him from enjoying as much. “We are going to do more camping, boating and fishing,” he said. “We are also going to do some traveling as every two years or so we go to Alaska as my wife’s nephew lives up there and we might stay three or four weeks this time when we go next year.” His wife Helen retired the end of May and the church where she worked had a party for her at the time. Then over the Labor Day weekend, the couple gathered with family and friends for a dual retirement party. </div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Family’s long tenure at Manistee plant ends with retirement of Larry Leach

“All five of us boys worked there at some point as my other three brothers (Roger, Dave and Dennis) worked there as summer help.\"

“All five of us boys worked there at some point as my other three brothers (Roger, Dave and Dennis) worked there as summer help."