Aggregates Manager

December 2016

Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/756888

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 13 of 47

12 AGGREGATES MANAGER / December 2016 AGGMAN OF THE YEAR 2016 "Tom is very down to earth and humble. He truly cares about people. It is these qualities, no doubt, that have inspired a lot of my colleagues to join him on the adventure of building Summit Materials." It addition to respecting people, Hill says Godson taught him to respect the local nature of the business, an approach he has incorporated at Summit. "No matter what people say, the big businesses in aggregates and heavy building materials are not national," Hill explains. "They are a whole group of small local businesses because each small market has its own supply and demand characteristics and its own competitive dynamics. Because the product doesn't ship very far, all of us are just a collection of small local businesses. "Our philosophy is that this is the ulti- mate local business," he emphasizes. "To me, there is no value in a national brand. The real value is local." As an example, Hill points to a recent acquisition, The Boxley Co. "They've been around for 125 years. Ab is the fourth Boxley to run that business. Why would I want to acquire that business and change the name to Summit? There is 125 years of good will there," he says. "We want all of the value of local — those multi-genera- tional relationships Ab has in his com- munity with customers, regulators, and community members." When Summit acquires a company, it basically operates the same way the day after the deal closes. Local leadership runs the operation. The primary difference is in the background: Summit layers in IT and financial systems to leverage the advantage of its scale for issues such as sourcing or sharing best practices. This approach may be the key to Sum- mit's success in garnering prime acquisi- tions. "We strongly believe that we are the buyer of choice," Hill says. "A lot of times, businesses will not take the highest price. They want a fair price, but they want to know we're going to take care of their employees, that they're going to continue to run the business, and the business is going to have their name on the door." That insight not only garners him ac- quisitions, but also accolades from former owners. "Tom Hill is one of the most successful and challenging leaders in the aggre- gate industry today," says Robert Hall, president of R.K. Hall Construction, Ltd., whose words echo Hill's own comments on Godson. "He is totally committed to safety, quality, production, and perfor- mance, as well as realizing that people are the company's greatest asset, which, in turn, yields satisfaction to our custom- ers, employees, and the industry as a whole." Adds Kilgore: "Tom's vision has created a world-class company." AM Industry Involvement While Tom Hill has enjoyed an extremely active career, he has carved out time to work with major industry groups along the way, including the National Asphalt Pavement Association and the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, where he has served as treasurer. "Associations are a key part of what we do in these businesses," Hill says. "Whether it's lobbying for funding, specifications, or sustainability, there are a lot of important things these associations do." Hill recently joined the board of directors of the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), a non-profit organization that promotes and certifies hab- itat conservation and management on working lands through partner- ships and education. "I've been a big fan of WHC for years and years," he says. "I think it's a wonderful way for businesses to contribute to sustainability, to com- munity, and to the environment." He's also been deeply involved with the American Road & Transpor- tation Builders Association (ARTBA). "I think very highly of Pete Ruane," Hill says. "He's fantastic at his job and a first-class person." Hill spent two consecutive terms as chairman, which may make him the organization's longest serving chair. Personal reasons caused his in- tended successor to resign near the end of his chairmanship, and Ruane asked him to do another term of service. At the time, Hill lived within walking distance of ARTBA headquarters, which made the second term feasible. Currently, Hill serves as treasurer of the organization. "Tom Hill has been one of the transportation construction industry's preeminent leaders of the past three decades," Ruane says. "What makes Tom special as a volunteer association leader is his clarity and candor when speaking to federal and state policymakers about the importance of strong transportation investment. "His ability to successfully build two companies, Oldcastle Materials and Summit Materials, is a testament to his unique business acumen," Ruane adds. "Tom's selection as 2016 AggMan of the Year is richly deserved."

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Aggregates Manager - December 2016