How A-Core Concrete has stuck to its core values as it has expanded and modernized 

Founded in 1974, A-Core Concrete Cutting (A-Core) began with humble roots, operating from the back of a yellow station wagon known as ‘Old Yeller’. CEO, Jake Rodgers, shares some highlights of the company’s history: “A-Core was created by my grandparents here in Murray, Utah, as a way to support the family. Over the years, it gradually expanded across the nation with locations opening up in Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Boise Kennewick, Bozeman, Missoula, Arizona, followed by New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, and most recently Louisiana. Initially, this growth was entirely organic. Then, over the last decade, we have made several strategic acquisitions to complement our existing operations. This phase commenced with the expansion into New Mexico in 2015. 

“Our core business remains concrete cutting, including wall sawing, flat sawing, core drilling, wire sawing, and curb sawing. Alongside these services, we also have a specialized demolition division. Within this sector, we do everything from a full demolition of a bridge to creating a trench within a building. Additionally, we have a highway division that builds and reconstructs highways; this includes sawing and sealing as well as highway grinding and grooving, our A-Core imaging division utilizes ground-penetrating radar and concrete x-ray. In Utah, we also have a concrete pouring operation which we started five years ago.” 

Jake then reflects on the significant milestones the company has seen over the last 12 months: “Last year was our 50th anniversary, which was a massive achievement. It also marked the successful transition from the founders, my grandparents, to my uncle and me, the second and third generations. It was a process that had been underway for 15 years. We put a big focus on celebrating our 50th anniversary, ensuring that we really recognized our people. The effort that they continually put forward is the reason we have been in business for five decades. 

“We also acquired two companies last year, in Utah and Louisiana. Integrating these businesses has expanded not only our geographical footprint but also the range of services we can provide, including our capacity for highway grinding and grooving.” 

Jake goes on to explain the crucial factors when considering whether to acquire a business: “Cultural fit and alignment are key. Most importantly, how is it going to fit within our team, both on the sales side as well as with the operators in the field. Luckily, all our acquisitions have been a great match and enjoy being a part of a bigger team, and a group that can support each other. Everyone talks about how important culture is to their business, but it’s another thing entirely to live it and stand by it. It’s important as we go forward into the next 50 years that as we expand, we are not only adding employees who are running our different branches but also acquisitions that align with our culture.” 

Prioritizing people 

Moving onto projects, Jake highlights one exciting contract that was undertaken through Jacobsen Construction for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Salt Lake City. The team completed a huge seismic upgrade of the site, and utilized all its services including wire sawing, wall sawing, flat sawing, core drilling, and robotic demolition. It’s a very high-profile job for the church’s international headquarters. It involved the coming together of A-Core, and two industry partners: West Coast Concrete Cutting out of Canada, and Penhall in the US. 

“We also do a lot of work on airports all across the country. We are constantly doing renovations, upgrades, and replacements,” he continues. “The great thing about our business is we get to work on some unique projects. In Arkansas, for example, we are currently working on some dams, removing concrete to increase the size of the spillways.” 

Jake then reiterates the importance of the people in the business: “Our people are number one; they’re the lifeblood of the company. We’re a family business first, and we operate like that. People buy into our values, which means having each other’s backs. We help each other grow; that’s why we have so many people who have been here for over 30 years, even 40 years in some cases. 

My goal is to give people opportunities and career paths because at the end of the day, our goals and dreams are the same: to provide for our families and create a legacy. That’s why it’s important to ensure the company keeps growing so we can keep providing people with opportunities. We’re able to attract and keep talent because A-Core is not the sort of concrete cutting company where all you can do is cut concrete. If you want to get into management, you can; if you want to learn mechanics, you can do that as well. This also helps to ensure that we are offering a better experience, not only in terms of competitive packages in the marketplace, but also creating an environment people look forward to coming to and are motivated to do their best. Over the course of our history, we have gone through recessions and significant economic challenges; it’s our people that have got us through these challenges.” 

Sustainable growth strategy 

Highlighting three core values that steer the business strategy, Jake moves on to highlight the company’s vision for the year ahead: “Since I came into the business around 15 years ago, I have maintained these central tenets: fortify the home, inspire our people, and grow the pie. Fortifying the home – making the business stronger and maintaining our output and service – is key, especially when growing through acquisitions. We can’t let the ‘house fall into disrepair’ if we’re developing a new part of the business, so we must keep the main business healthy.  

“Inspiring our people ensures they are motivated to do the best work possible and they’re always striving to be the best version of themselves. Finally, growing the pie means making sure we’re continually developing and expanding, being proactive about developing work in different areas, while also being mindful of where we are spending money. We need to grow the pie to continue to be a great company that supports all its employees and their families.” 

Jake concludes with a look further ahead: “In the longer term, we aim to have a greater geographical footprint. We want to be more entrenched in the South and Midwest. Our x-ray business will also have grown significantly; we are aiming to expand that further across the country. We’re also pursuing additional services such as hydro-demolition, which will represent a big addition to the business over the next five years.”  

www.a-core.com