Aggregates Specialists

Alan R. Bessen, P.E.

Alan Bessen is the owner of QuarryEngineers Consulting Services located in Lexington, Kentucky. Alan has a Civil Engineering degree from Michigan Technological University and over 34 years in the aggregates and mining industries. Alan began his career in management with the U.S. Steel Michigan Limestone Operations spending time at both the Calcite Quarry and the Cedarville Quarry in various roles as a supervisor of quarry, maintenance, quality control and engineering operations. Bessen served on the Michigan Minerals Association specification committee and has an extensive background in both large and small aggregates operations as well as chemical – metallurgical stone production for steel, lime and cement use.

Shortly after the sale of the Michigan quarries, Bessen began working as Operations Manager for American Aggregates Corp. in Dayton Ohio. His experience ranges from management of corporate engineering, technical support and operations staff to daily site management of operations and maintenance. Alan is an aggressive proponent of the concept of “If you can’t measure it …you can’t manage it!” He has been consistently successful in utilization of process measurement techniques including implementation of field measurements to validate process flow models for use in optimization of aggregates plant performance. Alan has developed an array of computer-based budgeting, forecasting, production/downtime, inventory and cost management systems for use in aggregates operations, with a specific focus on balancing production, sales and inventory to optimize revenue and cost of production.

Bessen has been independently providing services ranging from field evaluation of existing facilities to design and erection of processing plants in both quarry and sand & gravel operations since 1997.

Geoff C. Harris

For most of the past two decades, Geoff Harris, has helped direct improvement programs that have contributed to changing the face of the U.S. aggregates industry. All aspects of operations, from automation and equipment upgrades to quality management and community relations, have been part of the change. Harris, who spent most of his career with Sydney, Australia-based CSR, was an early leader in the foreign invasion. Following challenging management stints at remote quarries from the Australian outback to riot-torn South Africa, CSR tapped Harris to move to South Carolina to manage what would be the first of many CSR acquisitions in the United States.

Harris became president of American Aggregates when CSR bought the company in 1990. In 1997, Martin Marietta Aggregates acquired American Aggregates where after more than 30 years with CSR, Harris assumed the role of President of Martin Marietta's Mid America Division.

Harris strongly believes in a team approach. "It is fundamentally having the work force totally involved, whether it's at the plant, administration or sales functions," he said. "One of the best ways to do that is to give them some measures they can relate to and influence, communicate back to them how they are doing against those measures and reward them for it. "The total quality management concept, if you strip it down, is just focusing on excelling with your customers in terms of quality and service and energizing and engaging your work force to make improvements.

Geoff presently provides independent management consulting, business development and process design services internationally. His offices are located near San Diego California.

Laurence James McMahon

Laurence James McMahon is the owner of LJM Consulting LLC located in Tucson, Arizona. Laurie is a Mechanical Engineer with over 50 years of experience in the Mineral Ore Mining and Construction Materials industries starting as a 15 year old apprentice in the workshops of Jaques Ltd, a heavy Engineering and Manufacturing company, in Melbourne, Australia.

During his time with Jaques, Laurie participated in the design and manufacture of crushers, feeders, screens, and a wide range of associated equipment including conveyors, bins, pumps, etc. as well as the design and supply of complete crushing and screening plants. When he left Jaques after 20 years of service he had reached the level of Chief Design Engineer. Laurie left Jaques to obtain experience on the operations side of the industry, and has been so involved for the past 30 years, at every level and facet of raw materials processing, from Plant Operator to General Manager.

McMahon has been directly involved, since the early 70’s, in application and development of the “real- time” Operations Management System, which has proven to be extremely effective in many operations in Australia and S.E. Asia.