New for old

Headquartered in Gaffney, South Carolina, Randolph Trucking's extensive fleet includes more than 500 trailers for oversized and permitted loads. Among the components are 45- to 53-foot flats, 48- to 80-foot extendable trailers, double-drop 50-ton low boys, single-drop flat trailers, dry bulk tankers and dry box trailers. The tractor division operates from Greenville, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Nashville, Tennessee.

The dump fleet includes tri-axle and quad-axle dumps and dump, rip rap and demolition trailers. The dump division operates out of South Carolina facilities in Gaffney, Greenville, Pacolet and Columbia.

The $20 million a year operation that employs more than 200 began more than 70 years ago with one truck, when Joe Grady Randolph started transporting labourers to do work for local farmers. After World War II he hauled limestone from quarries to outlying farms, where it was used to neutralise the acidity of the soil.

By 1947 his company hauled aggregates in three flatbed trucks throughout Cherokee County and to neighboring counties while his wife, Martha, managed the offICe and handled book keeping.

In 1956 J. Grady Randolph, Inc. expanded from Gaffney to a new facility in the small town of Grover, North Carolina. It would become the company's headquarters, eventually housing a maintenance shop, tyre repair facility, and offICe space. As the company grew, satellite offICes were added in the surrounding area.

Grady and Martha's five children grew up learning the business by washing trucks, changing tyres and, eventually, driving loads. Different aspects of the business attracted each of the children, and they carved out their own areas of expertise.

Eldest son, Grady, took over leadership of the company when his father retired; Joe saw to the company's finances; Charles enjoyed the hands-on responsibility of fleet operations; Arthur preferred sales; and daughter, Marty, took on payroll and human resources. When the children purchased the company from their parents in 1989, they kept these roles through a period of rapid growth and unprecedented success.

As the number and size of South Carolina farms diminished, Randolph Trucking shifted its focus from hauling limestone to pre-cast concrete for building and stadium construction and gravel for road building and maintenance. As part of this transition, the company moved its headquarters back to Gaffney in 1994, opening a new offICe complex and state-of-the-art maintenance facility.

In 2005 Charles L. Randolph, the second youngest son of Grady and Martha, became president and chief executive offICer of the company. Prior to assuming his current role, he helped the company triple its gross revenue as vICe president of operations from 1994 to 2004. He also had served 11 years as director of maintenance and 10 years as manager of the Pacolet, South Carolina facility, a position he assumed after starting his career with the company as a dump truck driver.

Charles Randolph is now joined on the executive team by the third generation of family members. Jimmy and Mark Randolph - the children of Grady and Martha's eldest son, James Grady - stepped up to the roles of chief financial offICer and chief operating offICer, respectively, on their father's retirement.

Jimmy Randolph is responsible for all accounting and administrative functions, including human resources, fleet management, payroll, and collections. In his 20 years with the company, he has held positions in billing, accounts payable, and accounts receivable, before becoming accounting supervisor in 1996.

Mark Randolph supervises all tractor and dump truck operations from the Greenville location, where he has worked since 1987 and was formerly facility manager. Prior to this he was a maintenance supervisor and dispatcher.

The fourth member of the executive team, Ronnie Humphries, is dump division manager. He epitomises the company's many employees who have worked for the family for decades and have become like Randolph family members themselves. He has directed all sales, dispatch, and maintenance functions for the division from the Gaffney offICe since 1997. He began his career with the company in 1988, becoming sales manager in 1990.

Randolph Trucking helps earn employee loyalty with benefits that include major medICal and dental insurance, company-paid life and disability insurance, a Safe Harbor 401 (k) retirement package and paid vacations.