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October 12, 2026
WAUPACA – Brothers Sid and Oliver Faulks returned home to Weyauwega in 1946 after fighting in World War II.
They grabbed a couple of shovels, an old military flatbed truck and started what is now a multi-division business that is helmed by another set of brothers – their grandsons, Jon and Joseph Faulks.
Now, Faulks Bros. Construction, which later moved to its current location in Waupaca, is celebrating its 80th anniversary.
This long tenure is largely due to the Faulks family’s belief in “smart growth,” President Jon Faulks said.
While those early days with Oliver and Sid were focused on hauling sand and gravel for customers one truckload at a time, Jon said today, the business is home to several divisions, covering excavation, concrete, trucking, sandblasting, crane and other services.
Faulks Bros. through three generations
Jon said his grandfather and great-uncle were “very entrepreneurial.”
“They never really said ‘no’ to someone,” he said. “They always tried different things, from digging basements by hand to buying their first stone-crusher a couple of years later.”
Eventually, he said, Sid and Oliver also purchased a ready-mix plant for making concrete.
The two started processing and washing materials from local pits and quarries to make sand and gravel aggregates for concrete and stone production, Jon said, and also got into the asphalt business.
He said his and Joseph’s father – Randy Faulks – and their uncle/Randy’s brother – Bob Faulks – joined the business leadership team in the 1980s.
Together, Jon said, this second generation launched a new division called GreensMix, which supplied ground materials for golf courses.
“One of our first jobs was Black Wolf Run in Kohler,” he said. “What we do is blend sand with organics for the tees and greens. This blend is the growing medium for the grass. [Randy and Bob] built that division into a worldwide business doing courses in Guam, Mexico, Aruba, Barbados and the Philippines.”
As an offshoot of the GreensMix business, Jon said his father and uncle developed Northwoods Organics, which packaged the soil as well as decorative stone for big-box retail.
In the late 1980s/early 1990s, he said, the Faulks Bros.’ smart growth philosophy led them to sell the ready-mix and asphalt divisions of the business.
These divestments, Jon said, allowed Faulks Bros. to start prioritizing new businesses, such as concrete for residential and commercial customers and crane services for commercial, agriculture, construction and other sectors.
Further diversification
One of the company’s new priorities, Jon said, included Waupaca Sand & Solutions, which was added more than 30 years ago.
Nineteen years ago, he said, Faulks Bros. re-entered the soil-blending service industry with a new company: Sportzmix.
“And in 2023, we acquired Kempker Greens Mix Blending,” he said, “which expanded our blending capabilities, customer base and reach across the country.”
Jon said Waupaca Sand & Solutions serves golf courses, sports fields, landscaping, stormwater projects, industrial abrasives and other specialty sand markets.
At one point, he said, the company was set to partner with Tiger Woods on a new golf course in Dubai – but the 2008 recession derailed the project.
Notable sports-related projects that were completed, Jon said, include Faulks Bros.’ work at American Family Field, Lambeau Field, Whistling Straits and SentryWorld golf courses and the Churchill Downs racetrack in Kentucky.
The company also rolled out Seawall Solutions this year, he said, which entails shoreline repair, riprap for seawalls and new docks.
“That has complemented our business well, because we had been doing some riprap, shoreline and pond work already,” he said. “All of our new services help support the work we do in the other divisions.”
Diversification and integration, Jon said, are “what truly gives us a competitive edge.”
“And that’s how we’ve grown over the years, with each generation knowing in the moment which direction to take,” he said. “We’ve all been very entrepreneurial and very focused on opportunities.”
Future-focused, with strong foundation
Jon said community giving has been foundational to the business throughout its 80 years.
“Our impact in the community has always been very important to us,” he said. “We see needs in the community that we’re always trying to meet.”
One of those projects that needed help, Jon said, was Swan Park in Waupaca, which features a four-field baseball and softball complex and splash pad.
“Faulks Bros. helped make Swan Park a reality through both financial support and construction work,” he said. “We donated materials, equipment and labor toward the development of the park, and have continued to support improvements over the years.”
As the third generation leading Faulks Bros. Construction and its roughly 125-person team, Jon said he still values the experience and perspective of the generations before him – particularly his father, who remains someone he can turn to when needed.
Jon said his own career at Faulks Bros. started when he was 11 or 12, sweeping floors and helping in the shop.
“As I got older, I became more involved in the business and learned from my dad, Randy, my uncle Bob and others around the company,” he said. “My grandpa was starting to step away by then, but one thing he always stressed was that you can’t do everything yourself – you need good people around you who bring different strengths to the table. That lesson has stuck with me as the company has grown.”
For more information, visit faulksbrothers.com.
