2024 Profiles DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION |
Kanawha Stone |
Contact Information :
( 304 ) 729-9176
Leadership :
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Office Locations :
• Poca , WV
• Salem , VA
• Elkins , WV
• Charlotte , NC
Tom Kittredge , PMP
CEO & President
Ashley Lioi , PE , MS
COO & Shareholder
Amelia Randolph , MBA
Shareholder
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When crews began work in Paris , TX , this past spring , it became the seventh state in which Kanawha Stone Company ( KSC ) has built critical infrastructure . Based in the Kanawha Valley , the heavy civil construction company is responsible for building many of West Virginia ’ s most notable projects including Nucor Steel , The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve and sections of nearly every major route and interstate in the Mountain State . Founded in 1973 by Art and Virginia King , KSC employs more than 300 team members . A staple in West Virginia ’ s construction industry , KSC is also finding success outside state borders , due in part to the second generation of family leadership .
In the early 1990s , Art and Virginia crafted and began implementation of a succession plan with the well-being of the company and its employees at heart . The plan produced a sibling team comprised of Art and Virginia ’ s children : Tom Kittredge , Ashley Lioi and Amelia Randolph , who are at the helm of the firm in 2024 .
“ We began gradually with family meetings incorporating business and financial education ,” says Virginia . “ I guess you could say those meetings served as a means of recruiting our children to work at Kanawha Stone Company .”
The second generation trio is largely responsible for KSC ’ s growth in recent years .
“ It ’ s been challenging yet extremely rewarding to carry on my parents ’
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legacy ,” says Lioi , who serves as KSC ’ s chief operating officer .
All three siblings cut their teeth as field employees at KSC in their early years , with Kittredge being the first to step into a leadership role . As then vice president , he helped guide the firm through the energy boom of the 2000s . Today , Kittredge is CEO and president and has overseen substantial corporate expansions in the last 10 years .
“ I enjoy working with my sisters to strategize , grow the business and solve problems while carrying on the first generation ’ s legacy of job creation and building infrastructure that are the pathways to economic prosperity for the region ,” says Kittredge .
Lioi and Randolph began their management duties serving as project managers for energy and transportation projects throughout West Virginia . Randolph , a geologist , managed much of KSC ’ s heavy presence in the Marcellus and Utica shale gas fields . Lioi , a licensed professional engineer , eventually led the evolution of KSC ’ s southern region , spearheading KSC ’ s successes in new market sectors and other states .
“ Being part of the second generation and the sibling team has been such a blessing ,” says Randolph . “ At times it can be difficult but it has been an honor to work with my siblings . I consider them two of my best friends .”
Virginia describes the transition as a meaningful and long-term process .
“ Succession planning is critical for the survival of any business , especially family businesses ,” she says . “ We chose to pass ours to the next generation to continue as family owned . We have a formal King Family Council and Board of Advisors that meet regularly to discuss strategy and other businessrelated topics .”
For 50 years , KSC navigated the everchanging construction landscape with mindful leadership decisions based on the longevity of the company . Art and Virginia founded KSC on safety and respect for employees , customers , subcontractors and vendors . Through its early years , the couple transformed KSC from a crushing operation to an excavation contractor , adapting the firm ’ s expertise and strengths to shifting market conditions . Their guidance positioned KSC as a well-known leader
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West Virginia Executive | Profiles | 2024 |