Anderson-based Solid Rock Concrete has been through tough times in the past but, currently, the business is seeing plenty of work.
Owner Ryan Hitt has been doing concrete work since he was 12 years old.
His father had a concrete and excavation business, and he started working for his father in the summers when he was 12. He taught him everything he knows about concrete, he said.
When he was 19, he bought the concrete part of his father's business.
"In 2006, we officially formed Solid Rock Concrete," he said. "I've never been satisfied doing the same thing. The challenge is what keeps me going. I knew there were challenges in commercial concrete work."
He formed Solid Rock Concrete with two partners. They did their first commercial job for Mid-Tec. That led to some more jobs with Mid-Tec and other general contractors in the area, he said. They now employ 20 to 25, depending on the time of year.
"We came up with Solid Rock because Matthew 7:24 in the Bible talks about building your house upon the rock. We all three believed if we built this company Christ-centered, it would be best to keep him at the forefront," he said.
He added, "We stay super busy." The company has traveled to 10 states -- Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi.
"I try to keep things pretty laid back for my employees," Hitt said. "It seems to keep a good atmosphere for us."
The company has gone through some tough times.
"When we first started in 2006, the economy was great, and then the crash of 2008 happened. We were working on a condominium complex in Grove. The investors pulled out and the project went belly up. We lost $140,000 on that job," he said.
However, he has a positive outlook on the loss.
"In the Bible, God never really saved anybody from things, but he saved people through things, and that made people who they were. After that, we had three jobs that landed in our lap. I think that was God blessing us for staying faithful through the hard times. We've had ups and downs throughout the whole time, but I think the key to success in a business is not quitting, never giving up. Success to me is being every day better than you were the day before, and so that's what we've tried to be."
His two partners have moved on to pursue other things, which is not necessarily a bad thing, just a different phase, he said.
"My office staff is incredible. They take care of so many things to let me focus on construction. My construction crew is the same way. They let me do what I need to do to further Solid Rock."
He said he always tells his employees to try to do the best they can do.
General News on 05/09/2019