Abilene-area contractor continues building roads and success 65 years after founder James Strain opened for business
Ross Strain might not know exactly how many miles of roadway J.H. Strain & Sons Inc. has built during the past 65 years, but he knows the number is high.
“It’s well into the thousands,” stated Ross, Director of Operations. “What’s more satisfying than knowing the actual number is driving the roads around here and seeing what we have accomplished, knowing it’s benefitted the area and the people who use them. It’s very gratifying.”
J.H. Strain & Sons’ roots trace back beyond when it was started in 1959. Two years prior, founder James Strain split off from Strain Brothers in San Angelo and moved to the Abilene area to start his own business with his sons James Jr. and Ernest. James Jr.’s sons Steve and Kent followed in their dad’s footsteps, as have Steve’s sons Ross and Whit.
“Historically, my great-grandfather was a dirt, water and oil hauler,” said Ross. “He also sold tractors. His brother had an earthmoving business and asked him if he would come and help out because the interstate system was starting, and there was a lot of work. He agreed as long as he could have some ownership in the company. They built quite a bit of I-10 and I-20 through Midland and Ozona. Eventually, they decided it would be better if they split up, and that’s how my great-grandfather ended up around Abilene.”
J.H. Strain & Sons has continued its legacy of roadbuilding. Ross estimated that 98% to 99% of the company’s projects are done in the governmental sector. With a staff of about 125 people across four divisions — earthwork, paving, crushing and concrete — it works on as many as a dozen projects at any one time.
“We focus on municipal, county or Texas Department of Transportation projects, with the latter being our biggest area of emphasis,” Ross stated. “Our aim is to always be the general contractor, self-performing as much as we can. Having as many crews and divisions as we do makes that fairly easy. Our crushing side supplies the base rock and other materials, and we also have our own hot mix plant for asphalt. The concrete side can handle any type of project from start to finish. The only thing it doesn’t do is produce the concrete.”
Experienced staff
In addition to Strain family members, long-term employees have been a constant thread in the fabric of J.H. Strain & Sons. Ross, who joined the company full time about 10 years ago, said he now works alongside several people who were there when he was growing up and working part time.
“They trained me in how equipment operates, quality control and just how things work in general,” said Ross. “My dad encouraged me to go try something else, and I did before coming back home and going to work for J.H. Strain. It was great to see those familiar faces. Our employees are the backbone of the company. In addition to the Strain family, we have other multiple family members that have or continue to work here, including some of our lead people like Terry, Craig and Chad Roensch. Other key division management personnel include Matt Jamison, Pete Garcia, Marcelo Ibarra and Sam Calvillo.”
The experienced staff members are currently collaborating on the largest project J.H. Strain & Sons has ever been awarded. Started earlier this year, the $42 million job involves the rehabilitation and expansion of U.S. Highway 277, including adding passing lanes, from Bronte, Texas, in Coke County south through Tom Green County.
J.H. Strain & Sons will also redo a bridge over the Colorado River, put down about 36,000 tons of base material, lay approximately 80,000 tons of asphalt, and install several concrete culvert extensions. The project is similar to a $25 million job that J.H. Strain & Sons already constructed in Runnels County.
“Money-wise, it’s hard to pinpoint how much the projects have changed because of the value of the dollar and inflation over time, but I know that in terms of scope, they have grown significantly,” said Ross. “I remember about 24 years ago, when I was still in high school, that we got an overpass job at South 14th and Winters Freeway in Abilene that was our first one in the millions. Since then, we have done a lot more.”
To ensure it can handle the increasing volume of materials needed for projects, J.H. Strain & Sons added an asphalt plant in 1999 along Interstate 20 in Abilene and opened its own quarries in Eastland and View that produce everything from screenings and topsoil to riprap. J.H. Strain & Sons also has a portable crusher it moves onto jobs as needed.
“About 85% of our materials go right into our own projects, but we do sell and supply to others,” Ross noted. “For jobs, our sweet spot is within about 75 miles of the hot mix plant.”
Wide array of equipment
With multiple divisions that handle a diverse range of tasks, J.H. Strain & Sons needs a wide variety of equipment. According to Ross, the company requires reliable machinery that’s backed with great support when needed, and that’s why J.H. Strain & Sons works closely with Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM).
“I’m looking for a service department to come with the equipment, and Kirby-Smith gives us that because their techs are trained to work on anything it sells, as well as work on competitive brands,” said Ross. “Our relationship with Kirby-Smith goes back a long way because they know us and our business, so they will recommend machinery that’s a good fit and get to us quickly if there is an issue.”
J.H. Strain & Sons has made its most recent acquisitions with the help of Abilene-based KSM Territory Manager Todd Coffey and KSM Sales and Operations Manager Justin Ashlock. The company’s current fleet includes Komatsu PC360LC-11 and PC490LC-11 excavators, WA320-8 and WA480-8 wheel loaders, and an HM400-5 articulated haul truck. J.H. Strain & Sons has also purchased a Broce Broom CRT350 sweeper, a 12,000-gallon water tower, and an NPK GH-15 hydraulic hammer from KSM.
“We use the PC360 to load the trucks at the quarry, and it’s become our preference to load our crushers with excavators,” explained Ross. “We have found that to be more efficient and cost-effective than using loaders. There’s no pivoting and wheeling back and forth, so there’s less wear and tear on the machine. The PC490 is feeding the crusher at our Eastland quarry, and it’s been a great fit. It’s a little taller, so the operator can see into the feeder better, which gives him better control. It’s a beefy machine that handles a 2.85-cubic-yard bucket with no issues.”
For roadbuilding-related tasks, J.H. Strain & Sons uses a variety of WIRTGEN GROUP machines, including a WIRTGEN W 200i mill; VÖGELE 5203-2, 5103-2 and SUPER 2000-3i pavers; and HAMM HD 120 and GRW 280i rollers. It uses a KLEEMANN KT130 telestacker in its quarry operations.
“We bought our first milling machine about four years ago because our paving superintendent said it would help us better control scheduling than to sub that out,” Ross said. “We first used it on a replacement job of Highway 277 that blew out during an ice storm. It proved its worth and has played a big role since.”
Ross continued, “It’s great for those jobs where we are milling, then paving right behind with VÖGELE machines. We have three different sizes to handle the scope of work we do, from small ranch roads to large highways. All give us great production and really drive our operations.”
Cautious about growth
Municipal projects and highway work for the state of Texas continue to be plentiful, so Ross is optimistic about the future, but he plans to proceed with caution.
“The current market makes me want to grow, but at the same time we don’t want to overextend ourselves and take on work that we are not able to complete on time and on budget,” Ross indicated. “What I have learned from previous generations is that you must control growth and take care of the people doing the work, so they want to continue to stay on and continue with the company.”
Ross added, “My strength is really in the aggregate side, so I would like to see us bump that up a little and potentially produce enough materials that it turns into a bigger hot mix plant or a second plant and another paving crew. I see us staying on the same path in terms of the markets we serve. We really appreciate our partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, so we want to keep doing that work. We have the experience, manpower and resources to continue to be a major player in that arena for a long time to come.”
*The opinions expressed here are from the end user as quoted. The results described herein are those of these end users under certain conditions. Individual results may vary.
