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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
Larry Sorden started his small, home-based business in 1976 building precast concrete septic tanks for the people in Washington County. He had two employees and gained great pleasure providing a needed service to the people in the St. George area.
Larry was the sole owner from 1976 until 1994 when Bob Riding purchased half of the company. Bob, his wife Marley and sons Mike and Brock all became active workers in the company and watched the company develop new products and experience great growth. Larry Sorden retired in 1996 and the Riding family took over sole management. Today the company has 23 employees and serves customers in Nevada, Colorado, Arizona and Utah. The company is still located adjacent to the old Sorden home in Washington but the plant and facilities have grown dramatically.
Bob walked me out in the yard to show me a new product line that should be a big seller. Precast walls are cast in vertical form and are very popular for decorative walls around housing developments, office complexes and any place where a structure is desired for privacy, safety or beauty. The wall that Sorden's has on display is cast to look like a rock wall. One side was in neutral color and the other was tinted to look like different colored rocks. They are also making a concrete window well that looks like stone.
The company still provides concrete septic tanks but has big business in precast manholes, grease traps, water tanks, catch basins, curb inlet boxes and custom concrete electrical vaults. Bob also showed me some precast light pole bases and traffic median barriers.
Contractors, home owners, excavation companies, municipalities and many other users appreciate that Sorden's can offer "same day" delivery in many cases because they operate their own fleet of boom trucks. For example, they can receive an order for a septic tank, move it to the site and even set it in the pre-dug hole.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
