It’s not often that childhood friends become reacquainted as coworkers decades later, but that’s exactly what happened when Bryan Bailey rekindled his friendship with Robyn Gardner.
“Bryan lived across the street from me growing up,” Robyn said. “After high school, we all went our separate ways. I went to college and was a teacher for 32 years. After I retired from that, I came back to work for Geneva Rock. I didn’t even know he was working here until another childhood friend mentioned that Bryan worked there too.
“One day Bryan came into the office, and I told him that I remembered playing with him in his sandbox growing up—he had all kinds of bulldozers and dump truck toys in there. To which he replied, while gesturing with his arms, ‘I never would have imagined that I would have a sandbox this big to play in now.’”
As a heavy equipment operator for Geneva Rock, Bryan does get to play in a bigger sandbox each and every day on the job. And he’s been doing it with the company for 31 years.
“I got started in the industry in the 1980s during a recession,” Bryan said. “Construction was one of the first things that came back at that time. When I got my start, I was with my first company for 10 years, but I knew I wanted something better. That’s when I came across Geneva Rock. My philosophy has always been to go with what you know. I know construction and Geneva Rock knows the industry better than anyone else, so it seemed like a good pairing.”
Bryan has excelled at Geneva Rock, in part, because of his willingness to do anything and everything asked of him.
“If it’s a day where we have to pick up a shovel and do manual labor, Bryan’s up for that,” said Shane Robertson, Bryan’s supervisor. “In his career, Bryan has gone all the way up to foreman responsibilities, which really means taking the responsibility of directing guys. I have always appreciated that about him. I oversee a lot of our workforce and we all want to be close to home, but Bryan has willingly traveled anywhere needed.”
Whether the day’s work means heading north to Logan or south to Payson, Bryan enjoys his job responsibilities at Geneva Rock because of the variety.
“I tell everybody for the style of work we do, this is the best gig in town,” Bryan said. “That’s why I’m still here so many years later.”
“One of my favorite memories with the company was hearing Wilford Clyde (current Chairman of Clyde Companies) speak at an event. A few guys had vocally complained about their jobs, and he made a statement along the lines of, ‘If you don’t enjoy working here, you’re welcome to find employment elsewhere.’ I realized then that there wasn’t the slightest temptation for me to find another company to work for. I love it here.”
From renewing his friendship with Robyn to remembering fond moments with company executives, Bryan will forever be grateful for his time and the relationships he has forged at Geneva Rock.
