Mr. James Keefer was reared in Bath, one of 11 children graduating from Northampton High School in 1972.

"I was in the construction class at Bethlehem Vo-Tech," Jim says. "We built a home from the foundation to completion, learning all the aspects of construction under the excellent supervision of our instructors Angelo DeAngelis and Bob Keifer. The course taught me skills I have used on my job and in constructing my own home."

Jim applied this training in working on stores in the Lehigh Valley, Westgate Mall and the Easton 25th Street Shopping Center.

A lull in construction resulted in Jim being hired as a temporary summer employee at Keystone Cement Company in 1982. His father, Bertine, was a 39-year veteran at the plant.

Jim started as a laborer but soon progressed into the maintenance department as a repairman apprentice. Old-timers Richard Hartzell, Richard Funk and Bill Drauch shared their valuable experiences with him. This enabled Jim to qualify as a first-class repairman. A very talented employee, his next position was versatile, working as a carpenter, welder and millwright.

In 1992, he moved to the electrical department. Presently, he is the shop millwright, utilizing a myriad of equipment, from the lathe to the drill press.

"I fabricate parts needed in various sections of the plant, from coal mills to clinker mills," he says. "I enjoy operating all the shop equipment and working on a variety of projects. There is great satisfaction when we safely complete a job."

The shop is supervised by Mark Dluges and Rodger Derr. The team holds weekly safety meetings, where employees are updated on any safety issues. Their objective is to see that the plant operates in a safe and efficient manner.

"I work with a group of great co-workers who exhibit both a sense of pride and community," he says.

Recently, Jim and fellow employees spent 32 hours at the plant during megastorm Sandy, monitoring all the equipment.

The family has some interesting canine friends, a Great Dane, Leonberger and Swiss Bernese mountain dog. They also have been active with the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue group.

Mr. Keefer feels cement has a bright future, as there are numerous projects needed to improve America from replacing old highways to new wastewater plants.

Jim is a friendly and amiable gentleman who is following in the footsteps of his father, a dedicated cement worker.

He is married to the former Doris Smale. Jim is proud of son Paul and daughter Holly.

The family especially enjoys camping. The friendly couple resides in Moore Township.

I congratulate Mr. Keefer on his 30 years of continuing service at Keystone and hope all my friends at the plant will benefit from a growing economy which will stimulate our historic cement industry.