The Grissom family: a century of commitment

When Tony Grissom retired from Warrenton Quarry, he closed one chapter on an extraordinary 50-year career and another on a legacy handed down by his father.

For the Grissoms, Martin Marietta has always felt like home.

Long before he joined the company, Tony Grissom was one of eight siblings who spent many days accompanying his mother to visit his father, Eddie Grissom, a welder at the Camak operation.

“We would take my dad’s lunch down to the quarry and look over the wall at all the equipment and trucks working below,” says Tony Grissom with a laugh. “Back then, I told myself I'd never do that kind of work. But funny thing is, that turned out to be exactly what I did!”

Now fully retired, Tony Grissom has added to his late father's 49 years of service, leaving a family legacy that represents nearly a century of dedication to Martin Marietta.

Grissom says it all goes back to one fateful day many years ago.

After graduating from high school in 1975, he was preparing to begin a job in Atlanta when his father encouraged him to stop by the quarry one more time.

That visit changed the course of his life, he says, adding that he was hired and reported for his first day of work shortly afterward. He didn't know then that he had just begun a career that would span five decades.

Throughout his career, Tony worked at both the Warrenton and Camak locations, transferring to Camak when Warrenton closed and later returning when Warrenton reopened. Tony held a variety of roles over the years and even got to work alongside his father for a good part of his career.

Starting as a lubrication technician responsible for servicing equipment throughout the site, he later worked in crushing operations before spending more than two decades loading material in the pit.

Tony eventually transitioned to a pit truck driver, a position he held until retirement.

While building his own impressive career, Tony never lost sight of the example set by his father.

“My dad was a hard-working man,” the younger Grissom said. “There were times he would work 10 or 12 hours, come home, and then get called back in the middle of the night to help. He provided for our family and taught us the value of dedication and responsibility.”

It was this mentality Tony Grissom took with him to work every day.

Still, family members often joked about whether he could surpass his father's service record. In the end, he did just that, reaching the remarkable milestone of 50 years with Martin Marietta.

“It makes me feel really good,” he said. “I'm proud that the Grissom name has been part of Martin Marietta for all these years.”

Now a grandfather to five grandchildren, Tony hopes the family tradition might one day continue with a future generation.

Regardless of whether Warrenton's next great team member is a Grissom descendant, Tony's advice to any young new miner is simple:

“Show up. Work hard. Take pride in what you do,” he says. “Do your job, earn respect and be dependable. If you do that, everything else will take care of itself.”

Now settled in retirement, Tony enjoys relaxing comfortably, knowing that he and his father left an indelible mark on the site that helped their family thrive.

“Fifty years of dedicated service is an extraordinary achievement,” says Plant Manager Jeremy Simpkins. “Tony's commitment, hard work and loyalty have made a lasting impact on Martin Marietta and everyone who has had the privilege of working with him. The entire Warrenton Quarry team thanks Tony for all those remarkable years and for all he has sacrificed and given.”