We have lost another old powderman. Tommy Mack Clark passed from this life that he enjoyed so much on June 18, 2022. It is safe to say that everyone who was lucky enough to encounter Tommy was a better person for it.
Tommy was the epitome of the powder peddler! It is possible that he was directly responsible for the sales of fifty million tons during his career in the US explosives industry.
In the 1970’s, Tommy was instrumental in bridging the gap between ANFO to bulk ANFO, to down-the-whole bulk delivery systems of slurries and bulk Emulsion /ANFO.
In the early 1970’s in East Kentucky, a place where nearly one-million tons of explosives were shot each year within a hundred-mile circle of coal mines, the blaster had no choice but to load large shots with 50 lb bags of ANFO. The 50 lb bags had to be off loaded onto a small truck, manually carried bag by bag then laid on the collar of the blasting hole and slit to pour the ANFO down-the-hole. Of course, this was time consuming and hard work.
Then a step change would occur. While working on a coal strip in East Kentucky, a small dump truck with a coal chute was lifting and pouring bulk pre-mixed ANFO down the hole. This was amazing. Within a short time, bulk ANFO was pneumatically blown down the hole which ushered in the bulk ANFO auger truck.
In 1976 Tommy worked for International Minerals and Chemicals (IMC) in Allentown, PA as VP in Marketing and Business Development for Trojan Explosives, a division of IMC and eventually moved to the Chicago area. In 1982, Tommy, along with two partners, purchased Trojan Explosives from IMC creating Trojan Corporation.
He was instrumental in converting the explosives industry from dynamite ignition systems to a solid Pentolite cast booster ignition system. This created maximum blasting efficiency and significant improvements in costs and safety.
In 1990, Tommy started the Jerry McDowell Memorial Golf Tournament to honor his dear friend and colleague in the explosives industry. It provides educational scholarships through the Society of Explosives Engineers Education Foundation. It has become very successful through Tommy’s efforts.
Tommy left his mark on the explosives industry and many of our colleagues in the ISEE.
“Everything I learned about the explosives business, I learned from Tommy, he was my best friend, my mentor, he was my lifeline. Nobody ever meant more, I still call him, but nobody answers.” - John Kelley, US Powder, Inc.
“Tommy was a good friend of my father Dugan Nelson and helped build a culture at Nelson Brothers that personal relationships with our customer was a core value and as important as providing a quality product at a fair price” - Tony Nelson, Nelson Brothers, LLC.
“I could talk for days. It’s amazing the people that his life affected.” Gary Self, Nelson Brothers
“Tommy did big things for the US explosive industry. He was an incredible person, he was a business mentor, but a friend most of all.” - Bob LeVan, Director of Manufacturing, Trojan Corporation, and Dyno Nobel, Product Manager.
“Tommy’s mentor at Trojan Explosives was Tom Dowling, the Technical Director. In the mid 1970’s I worked for Tom Dowling and heard all the great stories, and witnessed the bulk breakthrough in East Kentucky, West Virginia, and Southwest Virginia where I was responsible for about 50 bulk COMSOL trucks and blasting crews. Tommy taught me that relationships with people and always delivering quality were my job. I kept in contact with Tommy until a few months ago and he was always cheerful and loved to reminisce.” – Bob Morhard, ExploConsult, LLC., Zukovich, Morhard & Wade, LLC., ICI Explosives, Atlas Powder, and Trojan Explosives.
Tommy was born on August 25, 1940, in Moorewood Oklahoma USA. He was born on his grandparents’ farm. He was the firstborn child. Firstborn children are usually imbued with a strong sense of leadership, responsibility, and trustworthiness. The parents have higher expectations for that precious firstborn child. That was the case with little Tommy. He was a little “man” from the get-go which would last for his entire life.
Tommy’s father was not home very much, which left him with his mother and five siblings. Tommy, at the ripe old age of seven decided he needed to go to work, saying, “the babies need milk.” So, he began to caddy at a golf club. His mother must have been so proud of her strong little boy. He was basically the man of the house at age seven, and he took that responsibility very seriously.
Tommy never let poverty or people’s opinions hold him back. He married Evelyn at the age of twenty, and while providing for his wife, worked his way through college on a golf scholarship at Amarillo Texas Junior College. He then attended North Park College in Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. All of that was just the beginning. Tom started in 1962 working for IMC in Carlsbad, NM as a Foreman at the Potash Mines. Then transferring in 1967 to Chicago, IL to work in purchasing and sales, then in 1973 on to Columbus, OH as Regional Sales manager, then in 1976 to Allentown, PA as VP in marketing and business development. In 1982 he, along with his partners purchased Trojan Explosives and ran their marketing department in SLC, Utah. After selling the company in 1986 he continued working in marketing for Ensign Bickford. After semi-retiring he worked as a consultant to Nelson Brothers.
He became an Arizona Maricopa County Posse Officer for 10 years, making ‘Posseman of the Year’ in 2016 and 2017. He must have thought Posse Officer was a dream job, just like a cowboy in the Old West.
Tommy’s daughter Tina is very proud of her father. She described his strong drive to succeed and having an even bigger heart. Her father was a good provider for his family.
May Tommy rest in peace.
