Growing up on a dairy farm, Cody Clark’s background made working at Geneva Rock the perfect fit.
“The farm taught me the importance of having a good work ethic,” Cody said. “I always enjoyed working with the heavy equipment and that helped me realize that I wanted to do something like construction for my career. Construction would allow me to continue working with big machines.”
Cody’s career path was also shaped by his father, David Clark, a Geneva Rock employee for 23 years. Those influences led Cody to start with the company right out of high school in 1998. He has since taken on a variety of different roles, most recently as a general foreman.
“I help schedule all the paving jobs,” Cody said. “What crews go to what jobs, how many trucks they need, etc. There are a lot of changes that happen on the fly. It’s a never-ending obstacle, and I enjoy the challenge. I believe that doing your best and giving 100% in all you do pays off in the workforce. I teach that to all of our crew members.”
There have been plenty of other unique challenges throughout Cody’s career, including helping save lives one night on the job.
“I was working the night shift when we noticed a large apartment complex on fire,” Cody said. “We immediately stopped our work and started pounding on doors to get people out of their apartments. Afterwards, I received the Silver Barrel Award from UDOT—one of the first individuals to get that award outside of the UDOT organization. It made me feel like a hero.”
Cody has noticed that the leadership of Geneva Rock also works hard every week to make each employee feel as special as if they were deserving of their own Silver Barrell Award.
“Jay Ritchie (President of Geneva Rock) constantly goes around greeting every single team member by name, asking them how they and their families are doing,” Cody said. “That really makes us feel valued. Someone in that position has a lot to worry about, and for him to take five minutes and make every individual feel important, that’s huge.”
That kind of encouragement has led Cody to truly believe that Geneva Rock can set up anyone for success, as demonstrated by his father’s career.
“After working together for 18 years, I was able to dump the last load of asphalt in his career,” Cody said. “It was a pretty special moment for both of us. There are so many opportunities just like that for you when you work at this company. You are trained to be able to do your job well and do it in a great team atmosphere. Everyone is very encouraging which is a huge confidence booster.”
That confidence has carried over into his personal business where Cody and his wife are striving to look out for the community.
“My wife and I started a pair of daycare centers in Eagle Mountain,” Cody said. “Once I retire from Geneva Rock, I hope to be a bigger part of it. Our main goal is to guide future generations by helping to teach them morals and standards. That’s a big part of our life and a lot of the kids and their families have become like family. We like looking out for our community.”
Caring for the community is at the heart of Geneva Rock’s mission of Building a Better Community. Cody believes he does this in each and every one of the jobs that he’s involved in.
“It’s pretty special to see roads you worked on when you’re with your family,” Cody said. “It’s fun to say, ‘Hey, I helped pave that road.’ It drives my wife and children nuts sometimes, but I take a lot of pride in the work that I do. I couldn’t ask for anything more from my employer—I love it here.”
