Wright Paving doesn’t necessarily want to be one of the big boys, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to battle with them. “Were a mom-and-pop operation, and it’s a competitive business, says Grady Wright, who oversees asphalt plants and trucking for the company. “The customers don’t care if you’re big or small. They care about quality and what they get for their money.”
Wright Paving has delivered value to customers for three generations. Located in Shelbyville, TN, the company employs 45 people, features one paving crew, two asphalt plants and two quarry sites. The asphalt plants produce between 175,000 and 200,000 tons per year. The company has grown slowly over the last 30 years, always securing the business it has before trying to attract more. That approach meant existing customers were never short-changed.
“We believe in going from a crawl to a walk,” Wright says. The latest move was the installation of a new asphalt plant in Shelbyville. The plant is all Gencor and all new, with the exception of an AC tank that was moved from another location.
“Our goal is to create a healthy and work friendly environment for our employees, consumers, and neighbors,” Wright says. “This plant should meet and exceed all of the issues stated.”
It took Wright Paving many years of hard work before making the move to all new equipment. The firm was started in 1978 by Grady’s grandfather, who ran three single-axle trucks full time.
“That first year in business, we did $180,000 worth of driveways, Wright says. A few years later Tommy Wright, Grady’s father, took over the paving business.
The plan – then and today – is to grow steadily, to ensure success as much as possible before adding workers or equipment. That philosophy carried over to the plant operations in particular: The Wrights bought asphalt from outside sources until 1990, when they purchased used equipment and started their own plant.
The plant helped keep a steady flow of material to the paving crew and ensured the quality of the mix that arrived at the jobsite. The Wrights also sold mix to outside businesses. The volume of hot mix sales increased, and the paving operation grew as well.
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