Pit & Quarry, April 2014
PIT QUARRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Chuck Lien Rock Chuck amassed reserves shaped his company around family ete Lien Sons which started in 1944 near Rapid City S D with Chuck Lien his father Pete and brother Bruce has grown from a company that had 16000 in gross sales in year one to one whose 2013 gross sales hovered around 110 million Today the company employs nearly 400 people at 30 different sites across South Dakota Wyoming and Colorado And Chuck Lien now 89 and still chairman of the board is celebrating 70 years as an employee I work every day and Im interrupted a little bit with dialysis but they still put up with me says Chuck who continues to advise his son Pete the company president From humble beginnings After serving in World War II Chuck Lien and his brother joined their father in the quarry Chuck says the three of them didnt get a paycheck the first five years they were in business taking just enough so the three could survive and the business could get off its feet The business eventually did and key to its success over many years was Chucks belief in reinvestment Chucks company is positioned to thrive for years to come because he reinvested in it but also because he invested his family in the business Chuck and his wife Barb have nine children and they requested all of them to work outside the company for five years before making a commitment to work in the family business if they so chose Five of Chucks and Barbs children are working in the business today either as members of the board of directors or in a management capacity In addition two son in laws are active in Pete Lien Sons We are a family owned business and we think long term says Chuck who also served in the Korean War Were in our third and fourth generations now and theyre already planning for the fifth and sixth generations Theyre doing a better job of running the company than I ever did One reason the company has excelled over the years is because it expanded in the areas in which it thrived and recognized when other areas just werent working We stayed within our realm of expertise Chuck says We have stepped out several times We tried construction and other avenues but we werent as successful when we stepped out of that ring We learned to concentrate on what we do best and get as many reserves as we can According to Chuck whos also lovingly known as Rock Chuck the companys ability to seize reserves in the areas it serves was one key to achieving the growth and success its had Lien right formed the company with his father brother Ten Lien family members including five of Chucks and Barbs nine kids work in the business 44 PIT QUARRY April 2014 www pitandquarry com
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