As He Takes The Helm Of Luck Companies As The Fourth-Generation Of Family Leadership, Richard Luck Reflects On The Mission Ahead.
By Mark S. Kuhar
This is the second in a two-part feature. The first part appeared in the April issue of Rock Products.
RP: As you move into the presidency of Luck Companies, what other transitions are happening in the company?
A decade ago, we anticipated a significant wave of retirements across our leadership team. In response, we launched a strategic succession planning initiative to proactively develop our next generation of leaders.
This program included intentional role overlaps, allowing outgoing and incoming leaders to work side by side and facilitate the transfer of their wisdom and experiences. For example, we had two chief financial officers and two chief growth officers in place for a full year – an investment in leadership continuity and a deliberate effort to ensure the meaningful exchange of insights, guidance and support.
RP: Luck has always prided itself on being an integral part of the community; being a good neighbor has always been part of the equation. How do you see that continuing or even growing as you look forward?
Investing in our people and the communities where we live and work is at the heart of everything we do. Our company’s mission is to make a positive impact, and our community engagement team wakes up every day thinking about how to bring this mission to life in our communities. They have a deep understanding of the unique needs of each community we’re a part of and have cultivated lasting relationships to continue to identify impactful ways to support them.
We also recognize the importance of helping our communities understand who we are and the value we can bring as neighbors. By building awareness of our work, we also hope to inspire the next generation to consider careers in our industry. To that end, our community engagement team and our local plant teams actively pursue opportunities to share our expertise in aggregates production, equipment operation, geology, blasting, engineering and more – whether through school visits or plant tours.
We are incredibly passionate about partnering with the communities we serve and get to be a part of, which has enabled us to turn many exciting possibilities into collaborative realities.
RP: Luck Stone has always been known for being on the cutting edge of adopting technology for the betterment of its aggregates operations, and technology is increasing at a ridiculous pace now with digitalization and AI. How are you preparing the company to embrace the technologically advanced future?
We are constantly evaluating the most significant opportunities to leverage technology across our business. We see tremendous potential to enhance safety, drive productivity, and support our teams in meaningful ways. In recent years, we’ve also focused on building a culture that embraces technological advancement as a core part of how we work.
We recognized early on that empowering our associates to make data-driven decisions required more than just providing access to data – it also meant helping them trust the data. We’ve made significant progress in this area, and we’re now moving to a more predictive space, where data not only informs decisions but helps them answer the questions.
This is a huge initiative for us, and it positions us to continue to evolve our business. It’s a cultural journey – one that involves equipping our people with the right tools, building strong and reliable data sets, and helping them understand that the combination of data with their experience and wisdom is where the greatest value lies.
For example, when a crusher makes an unusual sound, and an experienced operator knows something’s wrong, they can turn to technology and data to problem-solve and adjust with precision.
We’re energized by the possibilities technology brings. As a company, we’re in the pursuit of excellence and we want to continuously improve in all aspects of our business. Being on the leading edge of technology advancements is a core component of this.
RP: Anything else you would like to add with regard to the beginning of your leadership journey?
When I think about families and family dynamics, I’m reminded of how certain values are passed down through generations – shaping who we are and how we lead. This holds true for me. My dad and grandpa always cared deeply about people above all else. In addition, they worked to ensure that as a company we’re consistently staying on the leading edge, sophisticating our business and pursuing excellence – and my intentions are the same.
They took the responsibility of growing the business and stewarding our people-focused mission to heart. This is deeply rooted in our family DNA, and I want people to know that’s what they can expect from me: a steadfast commitment to what this company stands for, which is creating opportunities for people – inside and outside of our organization.
I want people to see this time in our company’s history as an inflection point. I share a belief with many of my colleagues that we are in the best spot we’ve ever been in. We’re putting our leaders in roles that they are more prepared for than they’ve ever been.
Culturally and technically, we’re performing at the highest level. When I look to the future, I see extraordinary potential built on the core beliefs that have always guided us for generations.
Luck Stone
A Positive & Enduring Impact
Luck Stone is the nation’s largest family owned and operated producer of crushed stone, sand and gravel. A responsive and creative partner to the construction, civil engineering and environmental industries, we provide consistent, quality aggregate materials and services that serve as the foundation of roads, bridges and buildings.
Our Vision
As One Team, we build value inspired by our customers to be the preferred choice.
We contribute to our customers’ success through partnerships built on service and simplicity, while continually innovating to find value for our customers’ operations and ensure stewardship of the land.
Our Mission
We will ignite human potential through Values Based Leadership and positively impact the lives of others around the world.