| From a backyard in Grand Junction to a thriving Western Colorado legacy, Elam Construction has grown and succeeded!
QUALITY:
ON-TIME, UNDER-BUDGET.
That was the philosophy of Robert Elam in 1956 when Elam Construction took its first small steps.
In 1956, Robert Elam was working for a local asphalt paving company. When the company chose not to bid on a job in Monticello, Utah, Robert Elam got the break of a lifetime. The company agreed to lease Robert paving equipment, provided he would not bid on Grand Junction work.
Robert was awarded the Monticello job and began Elam Construction-a true family affair. His wife, Mildred, would pack the children in the car on weekends, and drive to Monticello. Mildred and the family took Robert parts and supplies and picked up paperwork. In her "spare time" (she held down a full-time job at Sears), Mildred took care of the books for the new company.
By 1958, requests for local bids started coming in fast and furious, and Elam Construction moved to Grand Junction. The company's first headquarters was Robert and Mildred's home at 2866 Unaweep Ave. Elam's first local project was a gas station on North Avenue. Robert and his son, Harold (now President of Elam Construction, Inc.), blade-mixed the asphalt for resurfacing and completed the project by hand.
On April 8, 1958, Elam purchased its first piece of equipment. The 1950 Caterpillar Model 212 motor grader is still around and is on display in the parking lot at the
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Grand Junction corporate office. Elam purchased the grader for $5,884; $1,344 from savings and the rest financed. The payments, $252.22 for 18 months, seemed enormous at the time, but the growing business needed equipment. Sometimes everyone got paid except for Robert and Mildred!
"Just one more piece of equipment," was a phrase heard many times through the years, but the philosophy paid off. In 1975, Robert and Mildred Elam sold the business to sons, Harold and Earl and long-time employee Arnold Ridder.
Elam has grown through the years by carrying on the tradition of its founders-- "quality work, on time, and to the customer's satisfaction." Elam customers count on their work being done to complete satisfaction, a tradition that continues today.
Today Elam is under the leadership of Harold Elam as President with offices in Grand Junction, Aspen, Edwards/Vail, Steamboat Springs, Fraser, Montrose, Farmington & Craig. Elam boasts:
- 7 asphalt plants
- 4 crushing spreads
- 18 gravel pits
- Over 200 employees
- Over 600 pieces of equipment
Some of Elam Construction's recent paving jobs include:
- I-70 through the Vail Valley
- Sections of Hwy 50 from Grand Junction to Montrose
- US Hwy 40 over Berthoud Pass
- Many tennis courts, parking lots and driveways.
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