Gaunt & Son is a small, family-run firm with a custom-built batch plant rated at 150 tons per hour, 25 employees during season and a crew that works hard at multiple jobs in a day. “Sam Knight is extremely knowledgeable, but very humble; he’s not big on public speaking. He’s a blue collar, smart working class man who gets the job done right the first time.

Longtime contractor, Mike Hileman and his wife Georgianna started the company in 1981. At that time, Hileman had a partner who owned Gaunt & Son. “They were a general contractor that had a gravel pit,” Knight explained. “After a year, Mike bought out the partner but kept the Gaunt & Son Asphalt Inc. name because they had gotten state highway pre-qualification in that name.” The plant produces hot mix asphalt base, intermediate and surface mixes for customers and its own paving crew.

Knight joined the company in 1986 as an estimator. His responsibilities then included job management. “Mike passed away in 2009 and Georgianna took over as president,” Knight shared. “I run the day-to-day operations for her.”