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Weaver-Bailey Contractors, Inc.
originated in 1960 when two brothers-in-law began contracting
subdivision work in the Little Rock, Arkansas. From Voyne Weaver and Joe Bailey's
start, the family business has grown to become Arkansas's largest
mainline concrete contractor. In 1967 the business incorporated so
it could bid on projects being let by the Arkansas Highway Department.
Fred Weaver joined the company in the early 1960's and was President of
Weaver-Bailey Contractors, Inc. until 1987. Shortly after their
first attempt to bid state projects, the company diversified and bought
their own concrete plant. Charles Weaver joined his brother and
brother-in-law to manage the ready mix operation.
The company has progressively grown and expanded since its inception.
They bought Arkansas' first slip form curb and gutter machine in 1971
and purchased their first slip form paving machine in the late 1970's.
(This method, due to its vastly increased productivity, has all but
eliminated hand formed curb and gutter. In addition, Charlie
Weaver was instrumental in bringing slip form concrete pavement for
residential areas to Arkansas in 1980.) Weaver Bailey Contractors,
Inc. have been responsible for constructing volumes of streets and
parking areas using this method. With the acquisition of L & S
Ready Mix Company and Gilliam Brothers Ready Mix Company and the
formation of WEBCO Inc., the Weaver family business has grown to include
four companies.
Primary activities of the businesses were
production and sales of ready concrete, everything involved in
sub-division construction (earthwork, drainage, water and sewer, curb
and gutter and concrete paving) parking lots, reinforced concrete box
bridges and culverts and road and highway projects.
In 1986 Charles Weaver bought the family business. Charles Weaver
continued to manage the ready mix operations and Don Weaver took over
the reins of Weaver-Bailey Contractors, Inc. After operating a
ready mix business for 31 years, in 1998 Charles Weaver sold the ready
mix businesses and entered new horizons becoming an aggregate producer.
He opened a quarry on his ranch near El Paso, Arkansas. Webco
Mining began production in 1999 and thousands of tons of quality crushed
rock are now being furnished to Arkansas customers.
Charles
Weaver remains President of the Weaver-Bailey Contractors Inc., and maintains an active role in the
management. Don L. Weaver is Vice President and runs the day to
day operations. Together, they have forty years of construction
experience in all aspects of highway and concrete construction.
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Today Weaver-Bailey is is
recognized as the largest main line concrete paver in Arkansas.
The company employs' 100, and a sister company, Webco Mining, employs an additional 15. The 44 year old enterprise
has been awarded the largest highway contract ever from the state
highway department, a $57.9 million joint-venture with Jensen
Construction Co. of Des Moines, Iowa. We are licensed to work in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Mississippi |
| Charlie Weaver at the
original batch plant location on Smokey Lane in North Little Rock in
1972. |
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Charles
T. Weaver
Associated General Contractors
2003
HALL of FAME Inductee |
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Charles T. Weaver was born in Vilonia Arkansas on November 6, 1934
to Cordie Tucker Weaver and Darrell Weaver. Charlie attended Vilonia
Schools graduating in 1952. He later graduated from Paducah Jr. College
and attended Southern Illinois University and Murry State University.
Upon graduating from high school, Charlie left Arkansas for Western
Kentucky where he married and had three children: Douglas William,
Donald Lee and Charla Sue. Charlie was employed with the Tennessee
Valley Authority as a Chemist performing water and coal analysis. During
the same period he served 12 years in the Army Reserve reaching the
level of Sergeant. During the Berlin Crisis he was called up to active
duty where he was stationed at Fort Gordon Georgia. |
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In 1967 Charlie along with his brothers, Voyne and Fred and brother
in-law Joe Bailey bought Gants Motel in Conway, which was promptly
renamed the Continental Motel. Charlie moved back to Arkansas to run the
motel. It was during this period that he purchased an interest in
Weaver-Bailey Contractors, Inc. In 1969 the Weavers and Bailey bought
into a small, not yet operating Redi-Mix operation named L & S Concrete.
It was quickly decided that it would be in the best interest of the
company if Charlie would go to work for L & S as a salesman/batch man. At
this time L & S Concrete had one location and six concrete trucks. Charlie
immediately began growing the business by adding new trucks, placing
plants at centralized locations and increasing personnel.
In 1986, Charlie bought out the other three partners and assumed
ownership of all three companies: L & S Concrete, Weaver-Bailey
Contractors and Webco. Shortly after this acquisition, he purchased
Gilliam Brothers Redi-Mix, which made him the largest producer in the
Little Rock market, a position he would maintain for the next ten years.
It would be impossible to look around Arkansas and not see projects
that Charlie either provided the concrete for or built. Some of the more
notable projects are: the TCBY Tower, the Arkansas River Bridges on
I-440 and I-4230, I-440, Little Rock and North Little Rock Airports and
Entergy’s Power Plants at Newark and Redfield.
Charlie currently lives on his farm in Faulkner County with his
wife, Linda. He is a member of the Vilonia Planning Commission, the
Arkansas Forestry Association, The Faulkner County Cattle Association,
the Little Rock Executives Association and First Baptist Church in
Vilonia. In addition to the active roles he plays in these
organizations, Charlie persists to develop subdivisions in Little Rock,
Jacksonville, Conway and Vilonia. He currently has the two leading
subdivisions in Vilonia; Quail Hollow and Fox Run. He also had two land
development companies Genco and Vilonia Land Company.
Charlie
continues to provide unparalleled leadership in the construction
industry and will be a continuing force in shaping the future of the
concrete industry in Arkansas.
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