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PCCA Journal|1

st

Quarter 2015

21

Continued on page 22

He brought new skills and experience to the job as well as

the Sellenriek penchant for hard work, but there were some

growing pains in the new job. “Being the boss’s son means

that you constantly have to prove yourself, whether it’s with

employees or clients,” Steve said. “People think we’ve had it

handed to us.”

Steve’s solution to the situation came directly from his

upbringing. “Dad’s theory is that you have to outwork every-

one on the jobsite,” he said. “I wanted to outwork everyone.

If one crew put in 2,500 feet in a day, my crew had to get

2,800. I’m a competitive person.”

“Nobody is going to outwork us,” he said. “We’ll never ask

any of our people to do what we wouldn’t do, and haven’t

done, ourselves. Sometimes it surprises the new guys.”

When asked about Steve handling that situation with hard

work, Bob said, “Oh yeah, that’s what we do. We like to play,

but we work even harder. It was a learning experience for

everyone, a growing thing. But he and Heath are outgrowing

that. They’ve proven themselves.”

The Importance of

Family and Community

Hard work was just one of the values that Bob and Dixie in-

stilled in their children, and Steve credits them for balance in

his life. “Mom and Dad taught us early on to trust your moral

compass, which means do the right things, help others when

you can, be involved with the community, and everything

else should work out,” he said. “And it is awesome to be able

to work with Heath, Joy, and Joe on a daily basis.”

When asked about what he likes best in the industry,

Steve’s first answer is, “the people, from the clients to the

employees I work with.” And that, too, is part of his DNA.

“It’s an old family tradition,” Bob said. “Without people,

you’ve got nothing.”

Steve also mentions two other people when asked about

influences in his career: his brother, Heath, and his late uncle

Timmy Garrett. Whether it’s on the job, at PCCA, or even

at a Cardinals game, “Heath is great at keeping me out of

trouble,” Steve said. “I can always bounce an idea off of him

and get honest feedback, whether it’s what I want to hear or

not.”

“Timmy has been gone seven years, and when I have a

problem I still ask myself how would Timmy approach it,”

Steve said. “I also still use his line from time to time: ‘If it

was easy the Girl Scouts would do it, and we would be sell-

ing cookies.’”

Community service is another Sellenriek family tradition

and one that they all take very seriously. Steve sits on the

board of the Jonesburg-High Hill Fire Protection District,

Heath is on the Board of Education for the Montgomery

County R-II School District, and Bob has been the mayor of

Jonesburg for 22 years, was an alderman before that, and is a

charter member of the Optimists Club of Joneburg.

All three belong to the Jonesburg Lions Club to serve their

community. And they don’t just write checks or make a few

appearances; they actively serve. The whole family helps

with the Annual Jonesburg “Worlds” Fair & Homecoming,

the Christmas Parade (last year they gave away more than

180 bicycles to local kids), and other events that raise funds

for area schools, scholarships, families in need, assistance

for retirees, and many other vital community needs. The club

spent some $100,000 over the last several years to improve

Lions Park, a fantastic playground for the children of Jones-

burg. The Lions Club raises approximately $100,000 a year

for charity, which as Steve said, “isn’t bad for a town of 750

people.”

And though Steve logs lots of hours on the job and in the

community, he also carves out some important time for fun.

He coaches little league, enjoys spending time at the Lake of

the Ozarks, and loves the St. Louis Cardinals (and therefore

hates the Chicago Cubs, in case you missed that at the start

The Jonseburg Christmas Parade

With Ron Tag and John Fluharty supervising, Bob, Heath, and Steve provide the muscle.