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16 • ROCK products • May 2015 www.rockproducts.com HAWBAKER INC. Y o u ' re o n a Pe n n sylva n i a h i gh- way, wheel-to-wheel with muddy, salt-crusted trucks. And then, a pris- tine, gleaming red Mack dump truck bursts into view. If you're from the Key- stone State, then you know you've just spotted one of the Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. (GOH) trucks. The fleet's trademark cleanliness is un- usual in the gritty heavy construction business, and it's an integral part of the company's branding. But more than that, the trucks are a shining represen- tation of everything the family-owned business stands for: pride, integrity and efficiency. President and CEO Dan Hawbaker expects the best from his company, and that expectation has fu- eled six decades of continued growth. The company operates 24 quarries and eight asphalt plants in Pennsylvania, southern New York and eastern Ohio. Its customers include the Pennsylva- nia Department of Transportation, Penn State University and a lengthy roster of municipalities, colleges and corporate entities. GOH was founded in 1952 by Haw- baker's parents, Glenn O. and Thel- ma Hawbaker. They started out with a half-dozen employees, a few dump trucks, a track loader and a tag-along trailer. The small excavation company drew well below $1 million in revenue, but the wheels had been set in motion, and the gains grew rapidly. Today, Dan Hawbaker continues the family legacy by running the company with his sons, executive vice presidents Michael and Patrick Hawbaker. They began working in the business ear- ly and by the time they were 11 were sweeping the shop and washing trucks. Eventually they joined the men who were laying pipe in the ditches. Mi- chael and Patrick credit their father with not only teaching them about the family business but also how to treat the men and women they lead. "There are no amateurs within the ranks," Mi- chael Hawbaker said. "My brother and I believe that every employee serves a critical function, and we respect them for the professionals they are." Strong Work Ethic The strong work ethic continues through the generations as the com- pany expands. GOH has transitioned to heavy construction, offering an as- sortment of services including asphalt paving, road and bridge construction and rehabilitation, site excavation, gas well service and construction, and en- gineering design. GOH employs 1,200 people and has annual revenue of more than $250 million. This is not just a testimony to hard work and dedication: It's also a gen- erational success story, and the senior Hawbaker's pride is evident, even as he downplays the metamorphosis from mom-and-pop shop to a big-time corporate power. "The thing about it is, that's 60-some- thing years later," Hawbaker said, chuckling. "We've been extremely for- tunate in finding people who want to follow our family philosophy. It takes a significant level of integrity to make sure everybody stays on the same page." GOH's larger projects run up to $60 million and include everything from working on interstates to renovating the runway at University Park Airport in State College, Pa., and performing the site work and excavation for Penn State's $89 million Pegula Ice Arena. Just Keep Truckin' On Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. Keeps Its Trucks Moving to Serve Multiple Projects. By Mark S. Kuhar