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PCCA Journal|1
st
Quarter 2015
20
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Continued from page 19
The company expanded its work areas beyond east-central
Missouri, and employment grew to roughly 25 employees.
In addition to the company growth, Bob and Dixie now had
three children, Steve, Heath, and Joy.
The services Sellenriek Construction could provide grew in
1991 when it purchased its first horizontal directional boring
machine. In 1998, the corporation purchased Cable Plow,
Inc., in Lewistown, Mo., allowing them to better serve its
growing list of clients. In 1998, Steve began working fulltime
for the company, followed by Heath a year later.
In 2002, Sellenriek Construction opened its third office,
located in Columbia, Mo. The company’s services expanded
yet again to include electrical distribution and directional
boring of large-diameter pipe. In 2003, Joy’s future husband,
Joe Oden, started working for the company and was followed
by Joy in 2004.
During 2009, Sellenriek Construction’s 30th year in busi-
ness, major changes took place. The company opened a con-
struction yard in Warrensburg and a fifth location in Jefferson
City, Mo. Sellenriek Construction currently has more than 100
dedicated employees throughout the state of Missouri.
Over the last couple of years, Sellenriek Construction has
started working for electric coops, installing fiber-to-the-
home systems and being introduced to a different type of cli-
ent. “The coops are very enjoyable to work for,” Steve said.
“There’s a more intimate feel with the coops. The people
involved have part ownership in it; they care about it. For
many of them, it’s their first telecom job, and they don’t have
preconceived notions. They’re open to new ideas.”
Sellenriek Construction remains a family owned and oper-
ated company. Bob is president of the corporation and is still
very active in the company. Besides being officers, Steve,
Heath, and Joy are actively involved in the company’s day-to-
day operations.
From its humble beginning through today, Sellenriek
Construction has done business with a simple motto: Do
what is right for the customer. Proof of this is the fact that
the company has many of the same clients for more than 35
years, and the Sellenrieks plan to work for these same clients
and more for the next 35.
Joining the Business
Being a family-owned business, Steve got a taste of the
construction industry fairly early. He started helping on the
job in 1991 at age 12. “Growing up, we worked all summer,
and in the winter we worked in the shop,” Steve said. “Dad
taught us every part of the business as kids--operating the
equipment, estimating, insurance, dealing with people, what-
ever there was to be done.”
After high school, Steve went to Linn State Technical
College, where he got a degree as a
truck and heavy equipment techni-
cian. Right out of Linn, he worked at
Mid Missouri Concrete for about 18
months, “turning wrenches, driving a
truck, and batching concrete.”
Steve said that time was very impor-
tant because he learned a lot of differ-
ent skills and had to answer to bosses
that weren’t part of the family. “It
was one of the better things I did,” he
said. “It was good to see how another
operation worked and see how other
people handled different situations.”
In 1998, Steve went back to work at
Sellenriek Construction as an operator.
Sellenriek Construction Founder Bob Sellenriek