Wilks Masonry

A Family Business Built Brick by Brick

By Angelle Bergeron

Brothers Dan and Farris Wilks established Cisco-based Wilks Masonry in 1995 as a family business based on simple, straightforward principles. We spoke with Justin Wilks, chief estimator and Dan Wilks's son, about the company and its philosophies.

"We try to uphold integrity and pride in our work and give the owner a good product at an affordable cost, on time and on schedule," said Wilks. "When someone calls, we always try to have a live person available to answer."

That personable, down-home approach is refreshing in today's hustle-bustle world, but the comfortable, familial atmosphere doesn't compromise performance or service. The company's projected 2004 earnings of $40 million didn't get there by merely relying on friendly contacts. "We know what we're doing," Wilks said. "Considering we're ranked in the top five in the nation, and that last year the top masonry contractor reported $50 million," Wilks said. Indeed.

Wilks Masonry employs a number of family members, which helps to raise the bar on performance and professionalism. "Because our work affects not only our livelihood but the livelihood of our families, we all take it personally on a daily basis," Wilks said.

Dan and Farris started in the masonry business as field hands and worked their way up. When they decided to go into business together, they focused solely on masonry. Passionate about their craft, the Wilks have always trained in-house.

"We train laborers and masons professionally, so even if they don't work for us for the rest of their lives, we will succeed in promoting the masonry business and the high standards we believe in," Wilks said. "We've probably trained several thousand employees through the lifetime of Wilks Masonry."

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Training in-house also ensures the company has a large enough pool of skilled labor. "Back in the 80s there was a shortage in construction business," Wilks said. "Now it's starting to come back in a good boom, so there is a shortage on good employees."

Although Wilks Masonry is large as far as industry standards are concerned, the company's personal approach makes it feel more like a small business, Wilks said.

However, that doesn't mean the company doesn't have the wherewithal and cutting-edge knowledge to complete even the largest projects.

The company's main emphasis is on universities, prisons and schools. With Texas' rapidly increasing population, school projects are becoming bigger and more frequent.

The company will soon complete work on the Eagle Mountain Saginaw Independent School District High School with Hunt Construction serving as the general contractor. "It's the largest project we are doing," Wilks said. "These large high schools are like shopping malls."

The company is currently working with Pogue Construction on construction of the new Rockwall-Heath High School, for the Rockwall Independent School District.

"It has a unique design using different types of products, color patterns and textures," Wilks said. The design affords the company the opportunity to showcase its quality workmanship.

The firm's attention to safety also makes it appealing to contractors and owners. "I believe you can't be safe enough," Wilks added. "If you aren't following regulations, you have injuries, and that can cost you in the long run. It's simply more cost-effective to be safer up front."

Foremen and superintendents attend OSHA safety classes along with project managers, Wilks said.

While most masonry companies have one department that handles both estimating and project management, Wilks Masonry maintains separate departments in its efforts to streamline and speed up project delivery. "Once we are awarded a project, we hand it off to project management so they can handle the job from there," Wilks said. "That means we're already a step ahead."

Wilks Masonry also takes advantage of the Internet, which increases access to jobs and speeds up some processes. "We download information such as online plan rooms where we can view plans and specs online," Wilks said. "That speeds up everything from bidding and planning to the duration of the project."

"We try to be humble, but we are the leader in our industry," Wilks said. "Our motto is, 'We are trying to set a standard for excellence,' but we're continuously trying to improve ourselves."