Teichert crews work on Sacramento’s city-wide water meter installation project.

Teichert Readymix has been supplying ready-mixed concrete products to the Sacramento region for over 70 years.

Teichert, Inc.’s influence and impact on California’s history is etched across nearly every major infrastructure evolution, from the first sidewalks around the State Capitol Building in the 1890s to the levees, airports and power systems constructed in the 20th and early 21st centuries around the state. Holding License No. 8, California’s oldest active contractor’s license, Teichert built the state’s first highways and was among the first in the nation to establish a comprehensive safety program, years before the federal government formed OSHA.

Yet, the story of its growth from a small concrete company to one of the state’s oldest and most successful general contractors is one best told by its people.

Through the eyes of multigenerational employees and the great-great-grandchildren of the company’s Founder, Adolph Teichert, the following paints a picture of a company that is not just integral to the construction of signature projects in its home state, but also to the communities that benefit from its longtime commitment to corporate citizenship.

A Stonemason’s Vision

Adolph Teichert learned stonemasonry from his father as a young man in Nienstedten, Germany. In 1871, he had completed his apprenticeship and immigrated to the United States, where he lived and worked in New York. He was just 17 years old. Four years later, he was hired by the Artificial Stone Co. and moved to San Francisco to supervise the construction of a new type of concrete pavement.

His responsibility was to build sidewalks for mansions in the city’s Nob Hill neighborhood and pave surfaces around the Mark Hopkins Hotel and Golden Gate Park. Adolph’s name can still be found stamped on concrete walkways. He became a naturalized citizen in 1879, married and had four children, three girls and one boy. In 1887, he decided to start his own business pouring artificial stone for sidewalks, garden walks and carriage drives.

When his son, Adolph Teichert Jr., a University of California, Berkeley-educated engineer, joined the company in 1912, he changed the name to A. Teichert & Son and expanded the company’s work scope to include highway construction. In fact, the newly organized State of California Highway Dept. (now the California Dept. of Transportation) awarded the company one of the earliest highway contracts.

In 1922, P.W. Schoeningh joined the firm as the administrative manager—becoming the first of many industry professionals to join the Teichert family. Schoeningh served Teichert for over 50 years in positions such as Executive Vice President, President, and Chairman of the Board.

The company was incorporated in 1927 with Adolph Teichert Sr. as President, Adolph Teichert Jr. as Vice President, and P.W. Schoeningh as Secretary-Treasurer. On August 24, 1929, A. Teichert & Son received the California State Contractors License No. 8.

Developed from Within

Through the years, Teichert has continued to grow its services and its leadership team.

For instance, the company began producing rock products in 1932 under the trade name of Perkins Gravel Co. (later Teichert Aggregates) and installed the state’s first asphalt paving machine. In 1936, the business added the production and delivery of ready-mixed concrete, and a second crushing operation in 1939.

Leadership of the company also turned over. In 1938, Frederick Teichert, son of Adolph Jr., joined the firm. By the 1940s, A. Teichert & Son employed 300 people, though after the war, the company’s leadership was hit hard: Frederick died at age 29 of cancer in 1944; Adolph Sr. died in 1946; and Adolph Jr. passed away in 1953.

Shortly after Adolph Jr.’s death, his son, Henry, joined the company as Executive Vice President and later became President, building on the core values established by his grandfather. With limited construction background, Henry began to develop professional managers from within the company. He even set up a management advisory committee of young employees to groom and train future managers. Henry was succeeded as President in 1973 by Louis (Lou) Riggs, hired in 1958 after completing his MBA at Stanford. The husband of the late Nancy Teichert Riggs, Lou brought many business innovations to the company, including establishing a purchasing division and creating a separate mobile equipment division to keep track of equipment requirements, costs and scheduled maintenance across divisions. In 1972, Lou succeeded Henry as President and later as Chairman of the Board. Lou remains an active board member to this day.

Lou’s son, Jud Riggs, took over the reins after Lou. Jud was hired as a Teichert Aggregates sales representative in 1980, and learned the business from the ground up. He became District Manager of the Sacramento district of Teichert Construction in 1992, initiating safety programs that have become part of the company’s core business philosophy. He has served as President of Teichert Aggregates, President of Teichert Construction, and now serves as President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Teichert, Inc. Under Jud’s leadership, the company survived the most devastating economic downturn in its history, reinventing itself in the process.

Today, the employees and leadership of the company, now Teichert Inc., continue to build on the values established by Henry, Lou and their predecessors. These values are formalized into three essential points: (1) Build a team of highly engaged people, (2) Be a trusted partner that is ethical, honest and straightforward, and (3) Build on tradition by taking care of customers so they return with repeat business.

“Throughout our history, we’ve kept in mind that we’re building communities, and, to fulfill our charge successfully, we must trust each other and stand behind what we do,” explains Mary (Teichert) Rotelli, current COO of Teichert. “Clients and employees are attracted to our company because of these values. I’m proud of our traditions and the trust that we’ve established with our clients, our employees and the community.”

Rooted in Tradition

Rotelli is especially proud that the company continues to be run by longtime employees with a strong feel for its longevity and body of work.

She joined her family’s company in 2004. Mary had recently earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard and she felt her business acumen and industry experience could benefit the company. Her first job with the company was as a miner working at a rock crushing plant. The job was an exciting and challenging first step to her future with the business. By 2013, after stepping through a number of jobs within the company, Rotelli accepted the COO position. Many others in the Teichert family have experienced similar professional growth paths.

For instance, Dave Swartz, Executive Vice President of Development, started as an intern while in college and hired in as an estimator after his graduation from University of California, Berkeley in 1978 and Tom Griffith, President of Teichert Construction, started with the company in 1995.

Echoing the sentiments of his colleagues, Griffith says, “I’m proud to work here. It’s a family business not only in name, but in practice. We’re a tight-knit group and we work at being a strong team. Our clients, our employees and our communities are part of our extended family. We definitely win through the power of the entire team and value every contribution by each person on our team.”

Foundation of Support

Throughout its history, Teichert has invested time and resources in its communities. To this day, Teichert senior managers serve on nonprofit boards that range from the Sacramento Tree Foundation and Rebuilding Together to the Salvation Army.

Teichert’s corporate commitment is best demonstrated through the Teichert Foundation, a nonprofit corporate foundation. The Teichert Foundation was formed in 1990 by Lou Riggs, Fred Teichert and the Teichert board to formalize the company’s sustained commitment to the community and to ensure greater equity in supporting the regions where the company does business. The foundation is currently run by Executive Director Frederick (Fred) Teichert, the fourth generation to be involved in the Teichert companies.

Fred explains that the company and its owners have always supported the community, each generation having a different emphasis. Back in the ‘40s and ‘50s, community service was more personal than corporate. Fred notes, “Prior to charitable service came absolute work integrity, the focus of Adolph Jr., who sternly retained the company’s core values of honesty and a job done well. He was a leader in his industry, most notably as President of the Associated General Contractors. His civic involvement was personal, such as raising the funds to build the YMCA gym and supporting Boy Scouts of America.”

When Fred’s father, Henry, took over the company in 1959, he took civic leadership one step further, making it an integral part of the company values.

“Dad believed it was important to connect with the communities where we worked,” recalls Fred. “He said we had a responsibility to minimize disruptions during construction and provide aesthetically pleasing facilities. More importantly, he recognized our corporate role as a leader to help resolve social issues.”

At the time, Henry was particularly focused on providing employment opportunities for all throughout what was a diverse community. He was involved with his peers to develop the Sacramento Urban Coalition, which evolved into the Sacramento Urban League. If Teichert had a project in a disadvantaged neighborhood, Henry found a way to hire local residents.

The Teichert Foundation continues the legacy of Adolph Jr., Henry and Lou. One of its signature activities was the establishment of the first Boys & Girls Club of Greater Sacramento in 1996.

“Since its inception,” Fred says, “the Teichert Foundation has contributed more than $10,000,000 on a competitive basis to nonprofit agencies that add to the quality of life for our communities. From the fragile beauty provided by symphony orchestras and the protection of our amazing natural resources to the joy of teaching a youngster how to read or helping others by volunteering at food banks and shelters, the Teichert Foundation has tried to support the company as a good neighbor wherever it goes.”

Asked about its most important project, Fred replies, “The Teichert Foundation firmly supported me as one of the founders of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento, an agency that helps young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to develop their interests and skills and attitudes in an environment of caring adults and solid values. We hope our actions and grants will contribute to happier people, great families and a successful workforce of tomorrow.”