Beck Excavating, Inc.

He had previously worked as a subbase foreman. As the owner and sole employee, Beck started with projects such as digging basements, burying rock piles and working on cattle lots in the local area. He owned three pieces of equipment including a track loader, tractor backhoe and a dump truck. The local economy was booming and able to support expansion, with new homes and businesses going up every year. During construction season, Beck would work seven days a week to keep up with demand. When the local economy took a downturn in the 1980s, the business shifted its focus to shouldering and road work. Additional employees were hired along the way to support the expanded operation. Those key employees spent many nights keeping equipment operational for the next day. Over the years, these men became more like family through their dedication and hard-work. Some have worked for the business over 20-30 years. Beck Excavating is a true family business. Beck's wife Laureen, the company's bookkeeper, would bring hot meals to the crew while working in remote rural areas. Throughout the years, the couple's young sons would join Kenny on the job and ride with him while he worked. When they were in high school, the boys worked summers for the business as well. This sparked an interest in both as they went on to study civil engineering in college. Chris even came back to work for the business after graduation, a job he continues today. Beck Excavating has been fortunate enough to add many talented core employees in recent years. This growth has allowed the company to expand operations to include concrete and municipal street work. The company is the largest it's ever been, including multiple crews and nearly 30 seasonal employees, a huge change from the one-man show it used to be.