Company at a glance
Name: Simpson Construction Co.Headquarters: Cleveland, Tenn.Started: 1948 by Carlos SimpsonBusiness line: Bridge construction across the SoutheastStaff: About 100 employeesPresident: Larry EskewOwnership change: The Simpson family, which owned the business for 70 years, is selling the company on April 1 to Summers-Taylor Inc., an 86-year-old company based in Elizabethton, Tenn.
One of Tennessee's oldest family owned road and bridge building companies is buying Simpson Construction Co., a Cleveland, Tenn.-based bridge construction company founded in 1948.
Summers-Taylor Inc., an Elizabethton, Tenn.-based bridge, asphalt and road building firm, will aquire Simpson Construction on April 1 and will operate the Cleveland business as the Simpson divison of Summers-Taylor.
Simpson is one of the largest bridge building companies in the region with about 100 employees. The company was founded by Carlos Simpson shortly after the end of World War II with his sons, Gene, Joe, Hugh and Claude. Through its history, Simpson Construction has built bridges across Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky and North Carolina.
Claude Simpson was active in the company from its beginning until his death, at age 87, in March 2016.
Summers-Taylor Inc., currently has about 375 employees. Lines Taylor started the company in 1932 and the company has expanded since with locations in Watauga, Johnson City, Kingsport, Blountville, Erwin, Greeneville and Morristown, Tenn., and has been managed by the same family over four generations.
Grant Summers is the company president and seeks to continue the Simpson tradition of building bridges.
The new division of Summers Taylor, Inc. will be led by Cleveland-based veteran Simpson employees David Denham and Lee Hamrick.
"The driving force behind the transaction is to keep a highly skilled and motivated work force together and to broaden Summers-Taylor's territory and suite of services offered," Hamrick said.
Hamrick said Simpson Construction has tried to avoid the layoffs of many bridge builders during downturns.
"Simpson always continued to support its supervisors," he said. "The loyalty of the company was rewarded in turn by its' entire work force, who on average have worked for the company for more than 16 years each."
Some of the Cleveland- based employees with long service include Sharon Bowen (45 years), Larry Eskew (40 years), Sherry Raines (34 years), and Paul Hawkins (35 years).