Rock around the clock

Bob Tolk looked down at the ground, searching for an answer when posed with the question of what it means to be running the business his father founded 50 years ago. “It’s really hard for me to answer that,” he replied, looking back up.

“I worked for my dad for a long time and now it’s a pride thing that I have taken over for him. I know he would be happy that the business stayed in the family.”

Tolk Graveling is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer for its nearly 900 clients over the years with a Customer Appreciation Day that includes a pork roast supper from 2-6 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Sportsmen’s Park in Minneota. The company was founded in 1969 by Ardeen and Sandy Tolk, along with their investment partner Kenneth Thompson, who sold out after two years.

“When we first started out, we had two 1963 International trucks, one conveyor and one Cat,” said Sandy.

“All of our trucks in the early years were gas trucks and now they are all diesel.” Tolk Graveling now has four trucks in its arsenal; two Belly Dumpers and two Truck ‘n Puffs, plus several conveyors, as well as other heavy equipment such as a skid-loaders, backhoes, rock crushers, and a rock wash plant.

Sandy has been the company’s bookkeeper since the beginning of the operation. She also worked at the post office in Minneota for 30 years before retiring in 2003.

“I did have my license (to drive truck) and Ardeen tried to talk me into driving,” Sandy said. “But I never did haul gravel. I only moved a truck out of the way if they needed me to.”

Ardeen had worked as a gravel hauler since he had been 18 years old. He worked for Thompson, who owned a construction company that built roads. “There was a need for gravel haulers in this area and it was something Ardeen liked,” said the personable Sandy. “So he and Kenneth decided to go into business together.”

Thompson became an investor in the company, while Ardeen and Sandy operated the business. The Tolks built their house and shop east of town in 1977. They had three children, Bob, Barbara and Cynthia (who passed away in 2016), nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Ardeen passed away in 2009, leaving Sandy as the sole owner of Tolk Graveling.

Bob, who started working for his parents when he was 16 years old and started driving truck when he got his license two years later, bought the company from Sandy in 2011. “I’m still the bookkeeper for Bob,” laughed Sandy. “Over the 50 years, we’ve had 90 employees.”

Bob and his wife, Tami, live in Minneota and have eight children.

One of those children Dylan, works for Tolk Graveling, making it a third-generation family business. There are seven employees in all now working for the company. In the early years, gravel was screened and removed from several smaller pits scattered around the area. If an impatient customer called the business phone and wanted gravel as soon as possible, Sandy would have to jump in her vehicle and find Ardeen to let him know. “There were no cell phones or anything then, so I had to drive somewhere to tell him,” she explained.

“I usually knew where he was, but sometimes I had to drive around to find him.” Since 1990, Tolk Graveling mines its gravel from a pit located north of Russell; approximately 20 miles from Minneota. “There just wasn’t enough gravel around Minneota,” said Sandy. “It’s more of a sandy area. So we had to find another place to get the gravel and Ardeen located this one by Russell.”

If viewed from the sky, the current pit would resemble a large ant colony with activity going on around numerous hills of gravel and rock throughout the large pit. One of the newest additions to the company came last year when Bob purchased a triple-decker rock wash plant which produces a silt-free product.

“When I an considering buying something for the business, I always think about what my dad would do,” said Bob.

“He was a bit more conservative than I am, but I always wonder what he would do. I also talk to mom about buying things for the company, too.” The previous wash plant used by the company was purchased in 2014 from Minnesota Iron Range Co. in northern Minnesota. Tolk Graveling offers screened and Class 5 crushed gravel, which are used mainly for roads, farm driveways or fill. “We had seven trucks hauling gravel to Lake Benton recently to fill a water access area,” Sandy said.

“Bob had to hire three trucks. The main area we haul is from Hanley Falls to Florence, and from Milroy to Canby.” Tolk Graveling also sells and hauls washed sand, pea rock, three-quarter, and landscape rock. And the company also handles township blading, as well as snow removal in parking lots in town during the winter months. When talking about a longtime newspaper writer, they often are referred to as having “ink in their veins”. So what do you refer to someone who has hauled gravel for a long time?

“Either having gravel in their veins or rocks in their head,” laughed Sandy. Bob Tolk looked down at the ground, searching for an answer when posed with the question of what it means to be running the business his father founded 50 years ago. “It’s really hard for me to answer that,” he replied, looking back up.

“I worked for my dad for a long time and now it’s a pride thing that I have taken over for him. I know he would be happy that the business stayed in the family.”

Tolk Graveling is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer for its nearly 900 clients over the years with a Customer Appreciation Day that includes a pork roast supper from 2-6 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Sportsmen’s Park in Minneota.

The company was founded in 1969 by Ardeen and Sandy Tolk, along with their investment partner Kenneth Thompson, who sold out after two years.

“When we first started out, we had two 1963 International trucks, one conveyor and one Cat,” said Sandy. “All of our trucks in the early years were gas trucks and now they are all diesel.” Tolk Graveling now has four trucks in its arsenal; two Belly Dumpers and two Truck ‘n Puffs, plus several conveyors, as well as other heavy equipment such as a skid-loaders, backhoes, rock crushers, and a rock wash plant. Sandy has been the company’s bookkeeper since the beginning of the operation. She also worked at the post office in Minneota for 30 years before retiring in 2003.

“I did have my license (to drive truck) and Ardeen tried to talk me into driving,” Sandy said.

“But I never did haul gravel. I only moved a truck out of the way if they needed me to.” Ardeen had worked as a gravel hauler since he had been 18 years old. He worked for Thompson, who owned a construction company that built roads. “There was a need for gravel haulers in this area and it was something Ardeen liked,” said the personable Sandy.

“So he and Kenneth decided to go into business together.” Thompson became an investor in the company, while Ardeen and Sandy operated the business. The Tolks built their house and shop east of town in 1977. They had three children, Bob, Barbara and Cynthia (who passed away in 2016), nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Ardeen passed away in 2009, leaving Sandy as the sole owner of Tolk Graveling. Bob, who started working for his parents when he was 16 years old and started driving truck when he got his license two years later, bought the company from Sandy in 2011. “I’m still the bookkeeper for Bob,” laughed Sandy.

“Over the 50 years, we’ve had 90 employees.” Bob and his wife, Tami, live in Minneota and have eight children. One of those children Dylan, works for Tolk Graveling, making it a third-generation family business. There are seven employees in all now working for the company. In the early years, gravel was screened and removed from several smaller pits scattered around the area. If an impatient customer called the business phone and wanted gravel as soon as possible, Sandy would have to jump in her vehicle and find Ardeen to let him know. “There were no cell phones or anything then, so I had to drive somewhere to tell him,” she explained.

“I usually knew where he was, but sometimes I had to drive around to find him.” Since 1990, Tolk Graveling mines its gravel from a pit located north of Russell; approximately 20 miles from Minneota.

“There just wasn’t enough gravel around Minneota,” said Sandy. “It’s more of a sandy area. So we had to find another place to get the gravel and Ardeen located this one by Russell.”

If viewed from the sky, the current pit would resemble a large ant colony with activity going on around numerous hills of gravel and rock throughout the large pit. One of the newest additions to the company came last year when Bob purchased a triple-decker rock wash plant which produces a silt-free product.

“When I an considering buying something for the business, I always think about what my dad would do,” said Bob. “He was a bit more conservative than I am, but I always wonder what he would do. I also talk to mom about buying things for the company, too.”

The previous wash plant used by the company was purchased in 2014 from Minnesota Iron Range Co. in northern Minnesota. Tolk Graveling offers screened and Class 5 crushed gravel, which are used mainly for roads, farm driveways or fill.

“We had seven trucks hauling gravel to Lake Benton recently to fill a water access area,” Sandy said. “Bob had to hire three trucks. The main area we haul is from Hanley Falls to Florence, and from Milroy to Canby.”

Tolk Graveling also sells and hauls washed sand, pea rock, three-quarter, and landscape rock. And the company also handles township blading, as well as snow removal in parking lots in town during the winter months. When talking about a longtime newspaper writer, they often are referred to as having “ink in their veins”.

So what do you refer to someone who has hauled gravel for a long time? “Either having gravel in their veins or rocks in their head,” laughed Sandy.