An industry pioneer known for its iconic and unmistakable yellow bag of concrete, The Quikrete Cos. turned 80 May 22. This historic milestone celebrates the journey from fledgling building materials supplier in Columbus, Ohio, to the largest manufacturer of pre-blended, packaged concrete and cementitious products in North America. On its 80th anniversary, The Quikrete Cos. is a comprehensive building solutions powerhouse proudly contributing to both the growth and health of our country’s structure and infrastructure every day.
“Following the vision of our founder, Gene Winchester, The Quikrete Cos. remains true to its roots as the innovator of pre-blended materials that make building, repair and home improvement projects efficient, consistent and profitable,” said Will Magill, CEO of The Quikrete Cos. “Building on an unmatched network that allows us to provide products anywhere within 24 hours, we’ve diversified and strengthen our portfolio, manufacturing capabilities, quality control, technical expertise and geographic footprint to best serve the marketplace. This approach and a dedicated team of associates has allowed us to live up to being ‘What America’s Made Of’ for 80 years.”
Under the leadership of Winchester’s sons Jim, Jack and Dennis, who remain active Board members, The Quikrete Cos. then realized a transformational evolution grounded in developing, producing and delivering high-quality, commercial-grade materials that meet the demands of a constantly emerging industry. What began on the heels of a prosperous post-World War II economy that drove building across the country, Quikrete prospered.
The Quikrete Cos. made trademark advancements in every decade, highlighted by:
1940s
The precursor to The Quikrete Cos., Maintenance Products Inc. was founded
1950s
First pre-blended, branded product called Gemaco Quikrete manufactured
Quikrete brand trademarked
1960s
Quikrete Hydraulic Water Stop introduced
Quikrete Do-It-Yourself with both Packaged Concrete and Mortar Guide produced
1970s
Quikrete Quikwall Surface Bonding Cement introduced
20th Quikrete plant opened
1980s
Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete in the Red Bag introduced
Quikrete ad campaign starring Don Knotts launched
1990s
Quikrete Commercial Grade FastSet Products introduced
70th Quikrete plant opened
2000s
Quikrete Concrete Resurfacer introduced
Quikrete logo updated to current version
2010s
100th Quikrete plant opened
Quikrete acquires industry-leading companies in adjacent categories
Today, The Quikrete Cos. is able to effectively serve its customers as a scalable, single source for commercial, residential and also industrial building, repair and rehabilitation projects across North America.
The Quikrete Cos. includes:
- Quikrete – pre-blended, packaged concrete mortars, grouts, stuccos, and also other related cementitious and repair products
- Custom Building Products – flooring preparation products, and also tile and stone installation systems
- Contech Engineered Solutions – infrastructure solutions including stormwater management systems, corrugated metal and plastic pipe, erosion control, and also bridge structures
- Rinker Materials – concrete pipe, concrete box culverts and related products for the collection, both storage and controlled release of stormwater
- Pavestone – retaining walls, pavers, patios stones and other segmental concrete products serving the consumer retail market
- Keystone – concrete segmental retaining walls, concrete pavers and other hardscape products serving the commercial, residential and also the industrial markets
- Best Block – architectural block, standard block, retaining walls, and both masonry and concrete accessories
- SPEC MIX – pre-blended, packaged mortars, grouts and also stuccos available in both standard bags and 3,000-pound bulk bags delivered through silo systems
- Premier Building Solutions – high-performance sealants, adhesives, foams and also flashing products for commercial, residential, industrial and transportation applications
- QPR (Quality Pavement Repair) – permanent pavement repair and also asphalt repair materials
For more information about The Quikrete Companies, either visit www.quikrete .com or connect at Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
