Haley Construction Inc. observing 80th anniversary

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    SANGERVILLE — In today’s fast-paced and volatile economy, it’s unusual for a company to be operated by the same family for 80 years.
    But Haley Construction prides itself on customer service, attention to detail and — above all — hiring and retaining quality employees, said vice president and general manager Rob Haley.

Observer photo/Mike Lange

   ROB HALEY — Vice-president and general manager.

    “When our local economy was thriving, we were able to grow with it,” said Haley. “But when things started to change, we shifted our focus and expanded.”
    Haley Construction was founded by Manley A. Haley, Rob’s uncle, in 1935.
    Rob started working part-time during his high school and college years, and has been continuously employed with the firm since he finished up a tour with the armed forces in 1972.
    Manley’s daughters, Jan Haley Carter and Mary Haley Dennis, serve as president and secretary/treasurer respectively.
    The first major expansion came in 1994 when they opened their second concrete plant in Greenville. “The potential for growth in that area was very strong. There was quite a housing boom at that time,” Rob Haley said.
    Next came the purchase of the former Dragon Cement plant in Hartland in 1998 and the acquisition of a plant in Farmington in 2003.
    Haley Construction may be best known for its ready-mix concrete, but its biggest growth area is Redi-Rock retaining and free-standing walls and Redi-Scapes for smaller landscape construction. It combines the beauty of natural stone with the structural benefit of Maine Department of Transportation-specification grade concrete.

Observer photo/Mike Lange

CONCRETE PLANT — Pictured is the Sangerville plant, one of four operated by Haley Construction.

    Haley is optimistic that with lower energy prices, people will be more apt to spend money on either new housing or improvements to their property.
    “The big thing right now is job security,” he explained. “People are not going into debt for a new home or a big renovation project if they’re unsure of their company’s future.”
    Even state projects aren’t immune to economic conditions, Haley noted. “A few years ago, the DOT was using about one million cubic yards of concrete statewide. Now they’re doing 635,000. That’s a huge drop,” he said. “This is also a competitive business, so you need to keep up with the trends.”
    Haley Construction’s projects are literally in every corner of the state. More than 20,000 Redi-Rock products were used in the construction of Maine General Medical Center in Augusta.
    Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor has installed a number of Redi-Rock walls in recent years, and the eye-catching retaining wall at Dunkin’ Donuts in Dexter is also a Haley Construction project.
    During peak season, Haley Construction has about 40 employees, said Haley. “Naturally, it slows down considerably this time of year. But the vast majority of them come back in the spring, so we have a minimum of retraining to do. That says a lot about our workers.”
    For more information about the company and its products, visit www.haleyconstructioninc.com or call 876-4412.

Observer photo/Mike Lange

    MAIN OFFICE — Haley Construction’s headquarters are conveniently located just off Route 23 in Sangerville.