A Mack truck waits for a load at Lakeview Rock Products in North Salt Lake, Utah. (Photo courtesy of Lakeview Rock Products)
By Carmen K. Sisson | Randall-Reilly Publishing/Mack Trucks
NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah — Scott Hughes, president of Lakeview Rock Products and Hughes General Contractors, has owned Mack® trucks since 1977 and says he considers Mack Trucks a crucial business partner in the company’s quest for continued success.
Located in North Salt Lake, Utah, Hughes’ company operates a number of quarries and provides sand, gravel and aggregate materials for use in everything from roads to park trails. Hughes General Contractors serves as the building and heavy construction arm and their latest division, Lakeview Asphalt, provides hot mix asphalt to paving contractors along the Wasatch front.
They’re tough trucks, and they can handle anything we throw at them. They fit the rugged construction environment. ~ Scott Hughes, president of Lakeview Rock Products
Hughes keeps his 14 Mack trucks working hard between the three divisions. His Mack Titans and Granite®models are spec’d from 454 to 605-horsepower, with 1,650-2,060-lb.-ft. torque and are subject to particularly harsh conditions. That’s why Hughes trusts Mack.
“They’re tough trucks, and they can handle anything we throw at them,” Hughes says. “They fit the rugged construction environment. We have to keep the wheels rolling through severe winters and brutal hot summers. We’ve got mud and snow and dust, but our Macks have held up well for us over the years. They’re good at hauling heavy in boggy conditions.”
That reliability and durability is important, and it has helped the companies develop a 90 percent repeat customer record.
“People like us when we start to work for them, and they love us when we’re done,” Hughes says with a laugh.
Some of their biggest projects include Legacy Parkway in Davis County, Utah, the Beck Street/I-15 widening in Salt Lake City, the YWCA Center for Families in Salt Lake City, the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Palisades State Park in Sterling, Utah, Tunnel Springs Park in North Salt Lake, Utah and a number of schools and other education facilities.
They are also one of only three companies in the northwest — and only 14 in the nation — certified in architectural tilt-up concrete construction.
The family-owned company, established in 1952, has transitioned well throughout the years, always staying a step ahead of trends as well as market sentiment. During the economic downturn, they flourished due to their already lean business model.
“We’ve always been a very conservative, close, family-owned business,” Hughes says. “When the economy took a hit, we didn’t have to change course. When the belt got tight, we already had a tight belt. We actually grew through the downturn and stayed busy. Our last job gets us the next job.”
When the economy took a hit, we didn’t have to change course. When the belt got tight, we already had a tight belt. We actually grew through the downturn and stayed busy. Our last job gets us the next job. ~ Scott Hughes, president of Lakeview Rock Products
Hughes credits his local Mack dealer, Ronnie Johnson at Mountain West Truck Center, with not only sourcing the specs he needs but also keeping his trucks in good working order. Though his staff performs routine maintenance, the majority of the repairs are handled by the Mountain West Truck Center.
Johnson says he works closely with Hughes to make sure he is getting the trucks he needs.
“Hughes listens to his customers and observes trends at industry trade shows, and we usually sit down and figure out if we can work that into his business model,” Johnson says. “We try to deliver trucks that are as light-weight as they can be and make them look good without being too showboat or too shiny. The equipment looks both professional and good-looking.”
And that’s exactly the way Hughes wants them. After all, his Macks are the “face” of the company.
“We try to keep our trucks clean and well-maintained, because they are a driving billboard,” Hughes says. “All of our trucks are easily identified. You can see them from a distance and immediately know they are our trucks.”
