Mr. John Farkas was reared in Northampton, graduating from Northampton High School in 1973.

While in high school, John was active with the First Ward Fire Company and Northampton Ambulance Corp., where his aunt Doris Daumer was a charter member.

His first job was at Northampton Auto where he worked with current Northampton Councilman Anthony Lopsonzski.

John was later employed as a Northampton police dispatcher. His duties also required him to drive a borough fire truck. The salary was $7,200 annually.

Mr. Farkas's cement career started with the historic Universal Atlas Cement, but his tenure was cut short when the landmark company closed.

He then had a new experience "on the road" as a cross country trucker, hauling everything from aluminum to corn cobs used on mushroom farms.

While driving the highways of America, a former Atlas supervising chemist, Mr. Herb Johns, called John Farkas, offering him a job in Philadelphia, where ER Tech was operating a cement company type plant, turning Philadelphia waste into aggregate.

Both Mr. Johns and Mr. Farkas reactivated their cement odyssies when they were employed by General Portland Cement, the present Lafarge Corp. John Farkas started in the lab working with Mr. Johns, who was the new supervising chemist, and with production manager Bill Schaeffer.

After intensive training, including courses in chemistry at Northampton Community College, John was promoted to the supervising chemist position.

"We oversee and are responsible for the quality of the cement produced at the plant," he says. "We strive to produce a product to meet and exceed all state and customer standards.

"The laboratory has been transformed by modern technology, especially X-ray technology which has enabled the lab to change time-consuming testing from hours to minutes."

Today, Mr. Farkas is the concrete laboratory manager. He works closely with Mr. Vincent Poandl and Dave Johns in design and sales which include PennDOT, NJDT and numerous commercial customers who have used their cement for Route 78, Route 33 bridges, Treichlers Bridge, 92 windmill bases in Luzerne County, Northampton Generating Company, to name a few.

They are currently hoping to help restore damage from Hurricane Sandy.

"I enjoy working with our customers and we attempt to satisfy all their requests," John says.

He also teaches classes for the American Concrete Institute. The course, taken by engineers and state inspectors, covers design and new technology used in the concrete industry.

This writer is proud of Mr. Farkas as one of many of my former students who has become dedicated and successful cement workers. John is a friendly gentlemen who has been employed at Lafarge for 27 years.

He has been married to the former Lynn George for 36 years and they are proud of sons John IV and Jared. They reside in North Whitehall Township and love their Harley and the MDA fundraisers they have participated in.

We wish Mr. Farkas and all my friends at Lafarge a safe and prosperous 2013.