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2009 Kenworth with 2014 Raynmaker Tank
2015 Raynmaker PavementSaver Buggy
2005 Freightliner distributor with Bearcat Distributor body
Sam’ s son, Paul Zimmerly, grew up around that discipline, but he wanted to build something different. He wanted to do more than dairy and farming. He was drawn to equipment and the kind of work that built communities from the ground up. With Sam’ s early help, Paul started Paul Zimmerly Excavation in 1958. Like most strong companies, it began with the jobs that were available and the reputation that had to be earned. Paul started with U. S. Forest Service work, along with county and city projects, and he worked his way up steadily into larger State and Federal highway jobs. In 1962, he changed the company name to Paul Zimmerly Road Construction, reflecting both the scale of the work and the direction he was taking it. By 1976, after selling his highway construction company, Paul launched Paul
Zimmerly Rock Products. The business operated out of five different locations and supplied rock, sand, and gravel. It was the kind of operation that quietly supports everything people depend on, from small local improvements to major infrastructure work. It was also where Paul’ s son David Zimmerly began learning the trade in the most hands-on way possible. David started working for his dad at the rock pits when he was 13 years old. He did not step into the business with a shortcut or a title. He worked the ground level and moved upward through effort and repetition, learning what it takes to do difficult work consistently. He began as a ground laborer and eventually ran dump trucks, dozers, rock crushers, and front-end loaders full time once he graduated from high school. As David grew, so did his interest in the bigger picture. He began spending time in
David and his wife Janice
the office learning from his father what it takes to run a business. It is one thing to operate equipment. It is another thing entirely to build a company that can sustain itself through changing markets, difficult seasons, and the constant pressure to deliver. Then, in 1982, tragedy reshaped the family’ s path. Paul was killed in a helicopter crash alongside his brother Danny, who served as General Superintendent at Paul Zimmerly Rock Products.
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