EJ Burke not only was an inspiration to those he worked with at DuPont Co., Explosives Technologies International and Dyno Nobel, but to customers across the aggregate industry.

A 52-year veteran of explosives who retired in 2020, Burke is characterized as the ultimate gentlemen and a man of high integrity and passion.

His last role at Dyno Nobel was corporate brand and values ambassador, but Burke held a number of senior and key roles at Dyno Nobel over the years, including senior vice president of national sales, vice president of industry development for quarries, and general manager for stone.

Burke’s work experience included general management, sales, marketing and business positions in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, South America and Australia. According to Dyno Nobel, Burke also had extensive experience in human resources and finance. He earned a bachelor of arts from the University of South Carolina.

“EJ, with his unique level of passion, commitment and energy, has been instrumental in refocusing the company’s efforts back on our customers and will always be known for such signature phrases as ‘in the beginning, there was the customer’ and ‘treat everybody, be they a prince or a pauper, with the same respect and care,’” said Braden Lusk, president of Dyno Nobel Americas, upon Burke’s retirement. “The customer relationships that EJ has established and strengthened over a long period of time will endure as part of his legacy along with cornerstone achievements such as the establishment of the Quarry and Mining Academies and the Major Customer Health & Safety Forum.”

P&Q interviewed Burke in 2018 to hear about his career, the aggregate industry’s evolution and how blasting has changed over the years. Read the Q&A here.