Featured photo: Cement trucks at rest in the Desert Construction yard after a long day of delivering concrete. Photo by Becky Foster
KINGMAN – At a time when many businesses are closing or struggling, one Kingman business is going strong after six decades.
This 4th generation concrete, paving and sand/gravel company has been family owned for those 60 years; and continues generation after generation.
“The business has provided a living to four generations of the Short family as well as countless others who have lived in Kingman and worked at Desert over the years,” said Ray Short (Kenneth’s son who has also worked in the family business). “There is nothing that makes me feel better than seeing my family succeed.”
The current owners/heirs of Desert Construction are Jolene Short Fulton and her brother Brian Short. They are the children of Tom and Linda Short, previous co-owners with Jimmy and Jeri Short.
Tom and Linda are now retired. Sort of. Both Tom and Linda help out when needed and Linda works in the office occasionally. Linda is also President of the Hospital Foundation.
“Celebrating 60 years in Kingman is both humbling and exciting. Our success has always come from hard work, honesty, and treating every project—big or small—with the same care,” said Jolene. “We’re proud to have built not just roads and foundations, but lasting relationships; and we’re committed to carrying that legacy forward for the next generation.” She said the key to having happy employees is treating them fairly and with respect.
It all began in 1965 when brothers Kenneth and Virgil Short purchased the company assets of Kingman Transit Mix after the tragic death of the owner, John Covarubias.
Desert Construction was originally located on Bank Street and Beverly Avenue next to the I-40 frontage road and Freiday Construction. Annotated Photo by Becky Foster of a framed photo in the Construction office.
Kenneth was working for Kingman Transit Mix in 1963 when they decided to get into the asphalt paving business. Covarubias contacted his friend, Bob Mendenhall, who owned Las Vegas Paving, for help.
Kenneth hired his brother, Virgil, who was working for ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) at the time, to help with the asphalt operation.
In 1981, cousins Tommy and Jimmy bought out Mendenhall; then In April of 1984 they bought Desert Construction from their fathers (Kenneth and Virgil).
Asked about the secret to the company’s success, Tom Short said it is taking care of the core business.
“If you don’t take care of your local people, somebody else will come along and do it for you,” said Short. “When Desert Construction started, there was barely anybody in the Kingman area that did ready-mix concrete, and there really wasn’t a paving company.
“So, Desert Construction started the first paving company to be local and also added ready-mix concrete…the community was growing, and a growing community, a community of any kind, has to have concrete and asphalt.
“That’s the backbone…and we just maintained that through the years, and it wasn’t until just recently…in the last ten years, before anybody else came into the Kingman area to do paving.
“We were the only show in town, so we basically paved everything that there was to be paved, parking lot-wise, city streets, some county streets and roads…that was the mainstay in our business.”
Linda Short, Jolene’s mother and former co-owner is on hand to help with office tasks and to provide background on the family business. Photo by Becky Foster.
One of the most stressful challenges for any small business is being audited. Desert was audited a few years back and prevailed in an IRS (Internal Revenue Service) hearing. As a result, the tax code was amended.
The IRS agent said Desert Construction owed back taxes due to the way their stockpiles of aggregate were accounted for (as supplies rather than inventory on the accrual method). Additionally, the IRS agent argued Desert had underpaid the diesel fuel tax.
They hired a high-powered tax accountant from Phoenix, Ira Feldman, who helped cement their case. So, instead of paying the IRS $356,000 plus penalties, they were, instead, reimbursed $40,000 by the IRS with a much smaller tax liability. It turned out they also overpaid, rather than underpaid, the diesel fuel tax.
Tom, Jim and Desert Construction were subsequently featured in Money Guide Magazine with the headline, “They Fought the IRS and Won.” They were also featured in another magazine but declined further media requests. “I mean, we celebrated our little victory nice and quietly and they went off and licked their wounds,” said Short, “That was a good choice, I think.
“We have our own crushers and screens and we have three or four different pits that we operate out of; and we make all of our own materials,” said Short.” We make everything for the asphalt and concrete.
“That’s another whole business, you might say, that employs a certain amount of people year-round; and so, a big part of our success is the fact that we actually make our own material. We don’t have to rely on anybody to supply it.”
The company currently has 40 employees, down from the 80 they had during the last construction boom. Back in 1965, the company began operations on Bank Street with 4 cement trucks. They were located next to Freiday Construction and the new section of I-40. In their current location on East Highway 66 they are running at least 12 trucks almost every day.
“Over the last 15 years, or maybe longer, we maintained a fleet of anywhere from 15 to 20 mixture trucks. They don’t all get used every day, but some days you don’t have enough and some days you’ve got way too many,” Short noted.
The company gives back to the community through a $1,000 scholarship fund for the trades as well as an internship program which began this year. They also have sponsored the county 4-H program for more than 50 years.
Those interested in the scholarship fund or internship opportunities, may contact the company at desert1965@gmail.com or 928-757-2213.
