Barriere is pleased to announce that Ezra Ostermeier has been named Plant Foreperson
of the Year in recognition of his exemplary work and his enduring dedication to the company and
his co-workers.

After Joining the Barriere team as a groundsman in 2018, Ezra was subsequently promoted to
Loader Operator and then Plant Operator. Today, as Plant Manager 3 at the Boutte plant, his
responsibilities are varied but with a shared goal. Whether he’s setting daily plans and
optimizing production or managing maintenance and employee safety, Ezra says his primary
focus is always making sure to safely produce quality mix for Barriere customers and road
crews.

In the service of shining a spotlight on Ezra’s commendable leadership and job performance, we
sat down with him for a Q&A.

• What do you like the most about your job?
I really like the family environment. Our crew spends a lot of time together, some days more
time than we spend at home with our families. We work together to overcome daily challenges
to put out the biggest tonnage we can.

• Can you describe the work culture and environment at your plant?
Family and teamwork are words that come to mind. It started with my training. I got trained by
guys who have been with the company for more than 20 years. They took me under their wing
and taught me everything they knew. And it’s still like that at our plant. Everyone is willing to
take the time to really show new guys the right things. It also helps that we all respect each
other.

• What challenges do you face in your job, and how do you overcome them?
High production days — when we might have 11 or 12 jobs going at the same time — can be
challenging. Extra planning is how we make it work, and preventative maintenance helps us
stay ahead of the curve and prevent unplanned shutdowns. 

• How does your team collaborate and communicate to achieve objectives?
If something happens or we have a shutdown, we all stop to take a step back and brainstorm
about what could be the issue. No one and no ideas are excluded, and we make sure everyone
has a voice in the process.

• What skills and qualities do you think are essential for success in your position?
You have to be a team player and make safety your number one priority. You always need to
look out for yourself and others, especially if you have a new guy on the crew or if people are
moving around to different crews.

• What values are most important to you?
Spending time with family outside of work is really important to me. Having a good bond with
people at work is also important, knowing what’s going on in each other’s lives. I value both my
own family and my work family.

• What do you like to do when you’re not at work? What are your personal goals?
I got married in December 2022, and my wife gave birth to our son one year later. With a new
baby at home, I try to spend as much time as possible bonding with my family. I also enjoy
playing fantasy football and watching football. A big goal we have right now is to build our dream
home in the next five years.

• Anything else you want to add?
I just want to say how much I appreciate all my employees and supervisors. I could not have
done it without all the guys who trained me. I am very grateful, and I want to acknowledge all the
people who helped get me where I am today.

Congratulations, Ezra, on living Barriere’s core values each and every day!