It was at this time that he met and fell in love with his wife of 38 years, Elaine Tramontana Bucci ’66. After graduating from Geneseo in 1967, Joe followed his passion for teaching and became a high school history teacher at nearby York Central Schools. Later, he drew on his business sensibilities and also launched a real estate venture. In 1975, tragedy struck: his father was killed in a methane explosion in the mine, as he and a crew tried to diagnose a water leak. The blast killed four men. It did not deter Joe from the way of life that has shaped his family. Since then, with his own mine, Joe has made American Rock Salt one of the safest mines anywhere, earning the highest possible rating from the U.S. Department of Mine Safety and Health Administration. Joe and his partners also invest $6 million to $7 million annually to improve mine technology. Joe still works at the mine every day, often going underground. He wears his dad’s hard-hat as a tribute to his father. ••• The bottom falls out When AkzoNobel closed the Retsof mine in 1994, company leaders announced a comeback: They were going to open a new mine in Hampton Corners, a few miles away. With his real-estate expertise, Joe was hired to buy 11,000 acres of mineral rights from landowners. He woke up before dawn to catch farmers before they headed off into the fields. Laid-off workers like Steve Montemarano, who had 21 years at Akzo under his belt, had renewed hope. Steve took construction jobs, hopeful he would return to being a mining foreman. Akzo invested two years and $18 million in the project. Then, it pulled the plug. Joe was there when company representatives broke the news. Many employees were devastated that they would lose their livelihood. Some wept. “That was everybody’s life,” says Steve. Mining had sustained Steve’s family and hundreds of families for generations in this area. The closing presented a crisis. Men like Gary Boyd had four generations invested in mining. Joe knew most of the workers; they were neighbors, friends. He taught many of them history, including Steve, and watched them grow up. “I was devastated,” remembers Joe.
“That’s all these people had done for generations.” ••• Resurrection The way Joe saw it, Akzo walked away from $18 million in investments and a lucrative business plan to rebuild the mine. Joe’s father had dubbed the precious salt “white gold.” You can harvest it much more easily than gold and it came out valuable, no refinement needed. He had also done the necessary testing to determine that Hampton Corners would be a very salt-rich and productive mine area. “I just saw the business opportunity,” says Joe. “It was hitting me in the face every minute. The mineral rights were here. The salt was here.” Joe approached longtime member of the community and former Bank of Castile President Charles L. “Bud” VanArsdale. At the time, Bud was helping young business owners as director of the Small Business Development Center on the Geneseo campus. Bud had a long history as a banker who was committed to building and revitalizing his own community. Bud says he soon came to agree with Joe, that if the mine could be reopened it would be an enormous boost to the community and a successful business venture. Bud stepped forward to connect Joe with Rochester attorney Gunther Buerman and New York financier Neil Cohen. The three partners bought those $18 million in mineral rights and other investments for a bargain — $3 million. Joe was confident the business would be a success, but there were many hurdles first — obtaining financing, overcoming some public opposition in the wake of Akzo’s failure, and the uncertainties of construction. Tests showed the site was stable, but they could still hit gas or underground aquifers that would prove to be costly obstacles. In 1999, American Rock Salt opened for business as the first salt mine in America to open since 1960. ••• Community impact American Rock Salt’s impact can be seen in the economic and social fabric of the local community. Salt is as relevant as it was 100 years ago, says Patrick Rountree, director of the Livingston County Office of Economic
PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN
An American Rock Salt stockpile
The 411 on salt Salt now graces the tables of every diner and is tossed on snowy roads by the ton but in ancient times, it was so treasured that the pursuit of it often altered the course of history and defined cultural norms. For ages, humanity viewed salt as valuable, even mystical. Here are interesting tidbits about salt (NaCl). 1. Every adult body contains about 250 grams of salt — three or four salt shakers’ worth. 2. Ancient soldiers protected salt roads leading to Rome, Via Salarium, and received a stipend for salt. 3. Towns with names that include “lick,” “wich” and “saal” were founded around salt. 4. In Rome, salted raw vegetables, herba salata, were served with brine dressing — hence the modern word “salad.” 5. Too much salt can kill. In fact, overconsumption of salt was a method of ritual suicide in ancient China, especially among nobility because of its high cost. 6. In response to the British salt tax, Mahatma Gandhi led 100,000 people on a “Salt March” to make their own salt from the sea. This protest galvanized the people and partially inspired Indian independence. 7. Until the 20th century, bars of salt, amoleh, were used as currency in Ethiopia.
Tour the mine at go.geneseo.edu/salttour Winter 2010
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