Covia highlights the dedication and leadership of team members who have made a significant impact on the job or in their communities by sharing their stories. Today we recognize Adam Beatty, Senior Plant Manager of Covia’s North American clay operations. For the past 17 years, Adam has been helping to create a family-like work environment at Covia plants from Indiana to Georgia. Keep reading to learn more about Adam, how he got started with Covia, and how his team navigated the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Building an Empowering Work Environment

Adam studied at North Carolina State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in textiles and getting a job in the industry after graduating. In 2007, Adam left the world of textiles and accepted a position at Covia’s Hephzibah, Georgia, location as the plant superintendent – working under the plant manager to oversee the daily operations of the facility. “One of the first things I noticed when I changed industries was how familial the atmosphere in the plant was,” Adam said. “Covia’s Hephzibah plant had a real family atmosphere compared to the textile world.”

In 2013, Adam received a promotion to the position of Plant Manager at Covia's facility in Troup, Texas. He took on additional responsibilities by overseeing three plants in Georgia: Junction City, Hephzibah, and McIntyre, simultaneously managing these locations due to existing vacancies. Adam successfully managed all three plants for several months until permanent plant managers could be appointed to fill the vacant roles.

Today, in his current role as Senior Plant Manager, Adam oversees all four of Covia’s clay plants – Troup, Texas; McIntyre, Georgia; Hephzibah, Georgia; and Huntingburg, Indiana. “While most people across the organization understand how our sand and mineral operations work, clay is a totally different world,” Adam noted. “We use different parameters and processing equipment to serve customers in the fiberglass and ceramic industries. A lot of people don’t know that the ceramic that goes into your toilets, tile, and bathroom sinks are produced from the clay mined at our plants.”

Adam works alongside the team members at each plant he oversees, helping to create the same “family” environment that he felt when he first started at Covia. “I’m inspired by the mentors I’ve had over the years. One of my former mentors, now retired, was the plant manager at Hephzibah. He was a mild-mannered leader who was very knowledgeable,” Adam said. “He helped lead a team that cared and looked out for each other. I like that approach, and now the team at our plant looks at each other not as managers and subordinates, but as teammates with the same goal.”

Navigating the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

In late September of 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the southeastern portion of the United States, including Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. While the storm was initially expected to follow a path toward Columbus, Georgia, it moved east and brought 100 mph winds to Hephzibah. “We didn’t initially make plans for the hurricane since it wasn’t expected to impact our area,” Adam added. “Once we noticed it was moving in our direction, we started having conversations and taking steps to make sure everyone stayed safe. That included closing our plants doors early and not opening the morning the storm was expected to hit.”

On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene hit the community around our Hephzibah plant. “While the plant only suffered minor damages – fallen trees on the property, lost tin on the roof, and some light flooding – the community where our team members live and work was hit hard,” Adam said. “Nearly all of our employees had some sort of damage to their homes or vehicles – or they had family members who were greatly impacted.” In addition to the storm damage, the plant and members of the community were left without power for nearly two weeks.

“I remember the morning after the storm hit. My phone started ringing with calls from employees from the plant. Everybody was checking in with each other to make sure they were doing alright. A lot of team members have worked here for a long time. They wanted to make sure their friends were okay.”

In the aftermath of the storm, Adam and the team at Hephzibah got to work to make a positive impact for their coworkers and community. “The gas stations were all closed, so we opened up the plant to help fuel cars for employees so they could get around the area,” Adam noted. “We also loaned the city of Hephzibah a front-end loader from the plant to help clear the debris and fallen trees from the roads. Drivers could barely get from point A to point B without running into a road closure.”

To help ease the impact the storm had on families, Covia jumped into action to help provide emergency funds to team members in need. “Covia was able to put a plan in place to help employees with emergency financial assistance through the Covia Cares Emergency Relief Fund, administered by the Emergency Assistance Foundation. Even though the plant was unable to operate, team members were eligible to receive $500 immediately and up to an additional $1,500 through other channels as a result of the federally declared natural disaster to help stock up on food, purchase generators, and provide temporary housing, if needed.”

Covia was able to provide additional financial assistance for over 40 employees who were affected by Hurricane Helene. Covia emphasizes the importance of looking out for one another, much like the team at the Hephzibah Plant. It was great to see the company rally around its employees during a challenging time.

Team members stepped up as well to help one another. “The team helped each other out – letting one another borrow generators and tools to remove debris from their driveway. I am really impressed by how everyone was able to get together during a time of need to help build each other back up.”