Product Description

ASPHALT, BUILDING MATERIALS, READY MIX CONCRETE, CONSTRUCTION, TRANSPORTATION

The construction business that Julian Gerken founded in 1959 now includes multiple subsidiaries and more than 600 hardworking men and women.

The story of The Gerken Companies begins with Julian Gerken, a homegrown native of Napoleon, Ohio. Early in his career, Julian tried his hand at farming, serving in the military, and working in his father Carl’s excavating business, C.F. Gerken and Sons.

Julian left the family business to launch his own construction company in 1959. Although Gerken Materials, Inc. was rooted in the asphalt industry, Julian quickly recognized that aggregate production and supply would eventually be vital to keeping his new enterprise competitive.

In the late 1960s and early 70s, Gerken Materials acquired its first aggregate production operation. That company, purchased from Leo Eberwine, was located on the Maumee River near Gerken’s material yard. The dredging operation provided sand to Gerken’s Napoleon asphalt plant and various local ready-mixed concrete yards.

Julian envisioned quickly doubling the size of the dredging operation and lessening its commute up and down the river. That strategy helped sustain the company’s growth throughout the century.

While the dredging operation gave Gerken a taste for the aggregate business, it was through prior connections to his father’s business that Julian learned of a limestone quarry in Bluffton, Ohio. In 1989, Julian purchased The Bluffton Stone Company, an operation in existence since 1940. Its favorable proximity to I-75, stone quality, and ample reserves made it an ideal fit for Gerken’s initial step into aggregate production.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Gerken is a proud member of the following organizations. The professional development, networking, and educational opportunities these memberships provide strengthen our company, team, and ability to deliver exceptional customer service.