It started in 1925 as a way to keep dust down on country roads.
One hundred years later, oil and chip road maintenance is still the core business of Illinois Road Contractors, Inc., based in Jacksonville. Over the last century, IRC has expanded with a terminal on the Illinois River, tarps manufacturing, trucking and transportation of construction and petroleum products.
Four generations of Davidsmeyers have led the business. Less than three percent of family businesses reach the fourth-generation milestone, according to an Illinois House resolution congratulating the company.
"Oil and chip is still going strong, and that's what everything else radiated from," said Devon Davidsmeyer, CEO of Illinois Road Contractors. "We are, if not the biggest seal-coat contractor in Illinois, one of the top two or three. We were also the first company to do oil and chip."
R. H. (Rudy) Davidsmeyer started what was then known as the Davidsmeyer Oil Company, and his brother P.J. joined him a year later. In the late 1930s, Rudy developed the process of spreading oil on roads followed by rock chips to "blot" the oil. "My dad always had a card that said, 'Illinois Road Contractors, originators of the bituminous blotter-type road,'" said Jeff Davidsmeyer, president of IRC
C.D. Davidsmeyer, vice president at the company and also a state legislator, is proud of the IRC history. "Back in the early days, they spread asphalt on the country roads to knock down the dust, and people would stay home for days until it cured out and dried up. Rudy Davidsmeyer came up with the idea of putting rock on top of it, and that's where oil and chip came from. That's a pretty cool history that we have in the company."
Rudy and P.J. Davidsmeyer ran the business until 1960, when both died unexpectedly within several weeks of each other. The second generation of Bill, Paul and J.R. Davidsmeyer, dubbed the "Key III," then took over operations.
In 1972, IRC built an asphalt terminal on the Illinois River. Meredosia Terminal, Inc. is now run by Ryan Davidsmeyer, a member of the fourth generation. The terminal provides asphalt storage and handling along with fertilizer and road salt. In 1977-78, IRC founded two subsidiaries, State Materials Service for hauling asphalt, salt, rock and construction materials, and Equipment Associates to haul hazardous materials. State Material Marathon, which provides fuel delivery to businesses, construction and agriculture sites, was also merged into the group.
Jeff, part of the third generation, said all of the current leadership grew up in the business and learned various aspects of the job. "I was raised on customer service. My first boss here was Bob Duncan when I started in 1988. He told me, 'I don't care if someone needs a bolt or a nail and you know darn well they have a hundred of them in their barn. If they want one and it's two in the morning, you get up and get it to them."
Jim, also a member of the third generation, is vice president of IRC and president of subsidiary Asphalt Stone Company. Reflecting on changes in the industry over the last century, he said, "Back in the old days, the stuff they were spreading on roads was a byproduct of fuel production, so they were trying to get rid of it. Now it's going the opposite direction with electric cars; there's going to be less and less need for fuel so less and less asphalt produced."
The fourth generation of Davidsmeyers at the business also includes Michael, a vice president. He believes long-term employees have contributed greatly to the company's success. "Usually they work here until they retire. We have generations, fathers and sons, working here," he said.
Ryan added that at Meredosia Terminal, "Half of my employees have been there 20-plus years. The ones that have been there 40-plus (years) are retiring, and we're bringing new ones in."
The company employs approximately 65 people, and at peak seasonal times that number has grown to 150. The road maintenance division's main customers are municipalities in a seven-county region of central Illinois. Tarps Manufacturing, Inc. has nationwide clients, with its products used at high-profile locations such as the Brooklyn Bridge and Ground Zero in New York City.
As to how the business has thrived for a century, Devon thinks each of the six owners specializing in one area helps. "I think we've had enough different areas that we haven't had egos or tried to bump heads making the same decisions for the same company. Everyone knows what's going on in all those companies, but we've assigned responsibility for each of those to various ones of us, and we have monthly meetings where everybody comes in and reports what's going on. We have some spirited discussion at times, but we've made it work for 100 years."
C.D. also credited the environment on the job. "You create an environment where people want to come to work. They enjoy working with each other. We joke around, we have a good time, but we work hard, obviously with a priority on safety. The best thing we have is, when we're hiring, we look for people that our guys want to work with. They don't want to have a shovel in their hands next to a guy who's leaning on a truck. They want to work with somebody who also wants to work."
Ryan added that current employees are usually the ones bringing in the next employees. "Our workers will suggest someone. They know our standards, and they're not going to suggest anyone who can't carry their own weight."
C.D. said relationships are built by going above and beyond for the customer. "Most of our work now is bid, so the lowest dollar always gets it, but our customers want to work with us because we go above and beyond. We have relationships with road commissioners and county highway engineers, and they know that if they need help, they can call us, and we'll be there."
Will there be a fifth generation of Davidsmeyers at the helm of IRC? Michael, Ryan and C.D. each have two children. But C.D. said, "Our goal isn't necessarily to make sure there's a place for our family to work; our goal is for the company to be successful, and that we continue to provide the service that we've always provided. But in doing that, you provide opportunities for the next generation to make that decision."
The Davidsmeyers are always looking for new opportunities as technologies change. As to expansion in the future, Ryan commented, "If we were to expand in Meredosia, it would be on the grain side. That's the only thing we haven't gotten into down there; being a brokerage for buying, loading and unloading grain, because we currently load and unload liquid and dry fertilizers for the surrounding areas. So that would probably be next if we were to expand to something different."
As to the future of IRC and its affiliates, Devon sees it as bright. "As long as people are traveling, they need roads, and farm commodities need to get to market. I think the volume is going to fluctuate based on pricing of materials and funding of road projects and maintenance, but I don't see it going away in the near future."
A century in business, led by four generations of the same family, is certainly cause for celebration. Illinois Road Contractors, Inc. will host a Jacksonville Chamber After Hours event on Oct. 10 to mark the milestone achievement that traces back to solving the problem of dusty country roads.
