For most people, 40 years is seemingly unfathomable to consider spending with one company. For Tommy Renfro, the four-decade path has been filled with great memories and plenty of opportunities to make an impact at our family of companies.
When he first joined the team back in June of 1983, Tommy served as a Shop Mechanic. From there, this craftsman took on the role of Field Mechanic, then later as Planner/Scheduler, to his current role of Shop Supervisor.
Matt Cox, Director of Asset Management, had incredibly high praise to share when reminiscing on Tommy’s career. He said, “There are few among us that have done anything except breathe air for 40 years, let alone serve one organization. Tommy’s dedication to Memphis Stone & Gravel and Lehman-Roberts is noteworthy, not just because of the incredible tenure, but more so because of the way he has served.”
Matt went on to add, “Without fanfare or accolades, Tommy has worked in the background as a force multiplier; enabling others to accomplish far more than they would have otherwise. In spite of Tommy’s incredible memory about the repairs that were made, he has likely forgotten more about equipment repairs than I will ever know. And, in part, it is because of his efforts that we will continue to succeed.”
Roger Hickam, Fleet Maintenance Planner/Scheduler, regularly works with Tommy to schedule repairs with the Mechanics. He shared, “Tommy’s forty years of work experience has proven to be an invaluable source of information for me. His equipment knowledge and experience are [second to none].”
We recently sat down with Tommy to hear his wisdom and experience firsthand:
HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE COMPANY?
“Actually, Clifford Epps was VP of Production at the time, and he got me on here when I was 21.” Tommy laughed, “I just hung around. Before that, I had worked in a truck shop and also a tow boat on the river and I came to work here. I started as a helper in the shop.”
WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT WORKING HERE?
He sat back and thought for a moment – “There’s a lot of things that stand out. I don’t know if I have one particular favorite. My favorite thing about working here is working for a family-oriented organization. It doesn’t feel corporate at all. It’s always been family-owned and family-run.”
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?
“The way I was raised, you got up in the morning and went to work. My dad worked in construction, and I saw him get up every morning whether it was raining or snowing. He always showed up. Getting up and not coming to work has never entered my mind. I come to work every day, I do the very best I can, and I try not to make the same mistake twice. I’m just like a million other guys who go to work every day and try to learn from my mistakes.”
PICK ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOUR TIME HERE.
“Grateful. This family of companies has been very good to me. I told Mr. Moore and Pat Nelson this many times, I appreciate everything they’ve done for me. They’ve been very generous to me [over the years].”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CULTURE TO SOMEONE THINKING OF JOINING OUR TEAM?
“My co-workers are very professional, knowledgeable, reliable, and filled with good work ethic. The one thing I don’t have to worry about is people not showing up.” Tommy added, “I would say the following to someone thinking of joining here: If they’re looking for somewhere to get in and build a career, this is a great place to do that.”
