Born into the family trade, R.C. "Bob" Gulledge is the third generation of his family, along with his brother Jedd, to be involved in the construction industry.
As the president of Standard Constructors, Gulledge’s extensive career has brought him to a point where his primary focus is creating opportunities for employees and customers to enhance their lives.
Gulledge, who is pleased to have the opportunity to work with fourth generation family members — along with great employees — said the most pivotal moments of his career have involved seeing younger generations take an honest interest in such an essential industry as construction. He added that this is particularly true today when much of the world seems to be unfocused and lacks direction.
Gulledge eyes future while standing on company’s family legacy
Bob Gulledge, President, Standard Constructors
The company’s biggest news is its growth, which is attributed to "excellent employees who have a solid focus on the future," Gulledge said.
Standard Constructors is a recognized leader in the field of heavy civil construction services. Its roots date back to the 1930s in Houston, specializing in oil field construction. Today, it stands as a multi-faceted company that provides a broad range of services to petrochemical, industrial, commercial, heavy civil and railroad construction industries.
The company’s capabilities largely include heavy civil services, including pile driving and marine and railroad. It performs all heavy civil services, including complete site development, site infrastructure, deep shored excavation utilities and heavy structural foundations. Standard Constructors has the capability to self-perform all disciplines of piling and marine construction and has completed a wide range of products from small to large — 14,000-plus piles. The firm has constructed railroads for more than 50 years and has built hundreds of miles of track worldwide.
Gulledge, in his role as president, has set goals aimed at facilitating the company’s growth and upholding its reputation as the premier construction firm. Similarly, he wants Standard Constructors to be the optimal choice for employees to thrive as valuable team members. He cites helping employees and clients grow their construction knowledge as collaborators and making good lives for themselves and their families as the most important parts of his position.
The company has secured lasting and mutually beneficial business relationships with an exceptional list of clients and organizations, including some of the largest energy producers in the world. Therefore, Gulledge said that before taking the type of position he holds, someone must "know the business, care about producing safe, quality products and enjoy long, productive hours." Along with that, his biggest lesson learned along the way is to be "open minded, straight up and truthful — that has worked for 35-plus years for me and 85 years for the company."
When asked if he could have any other job or work in any other industry, Gulledge said he would not want another job in a different industry. "Another job would not be challenging enough. My job has produced great friends and achievements on projects that were close to impossible — but with our knowledge and expertise — were overcome with safety, quality and on-time results." He went on to say that Standard Constructors delivers as promised.
"Are there problems? Yes, however, open minds, team effort and trust create huge positive results; it does not get any better than this," Gulledge said.
For more information, visit standardconstructors.com.
