Gravel company sold.

Byline: Joe Mosley The Register-Guard

Eugene Sand & Gravel, a local gravel mining and road construction enterprise for more than a century, has owners from a different zip code for the first time in company history.

The Alltucker family of Eugene, which has owned Eugene Sand since 1959, said Monday that it has sold all of its Oregon operations to Oldcastle Materials Inc., a division of the Irish construction materials company CRH. The price was not disclosed.

"From the family's point of view, we had the dilemma that many family-owned businesses do," said Mike Alltucker, formerly the company's chief executive. "We had no third generation coming up behind my generation.

"My children ... I joke and say they were smarter than I, and went into different careers. But that leaves the management continuum of a family business in the lurch, so we addressed it."

The deal includes Eugene Sand & Gravel, as well as the Alltucker family's Green & White Rock Products in Corvallis, Viking Redi-Mix in Florence and Bandon Concrete in Bandon.

Oldcastle, which purchased Eugene's Egge Sand & Gravel less than a year ago, has put Mike Alltucker in charge of overseeing the two companies' complementary operations.

"We've been looking for good opportunities in Oregon, and (Eugene Sand) fits very nicely with the Egge operations," said Jeff Schaffer, who is based in Spokane as Oldcastle's Northwest Group president.

"There's basically a synergy of like-organizations, and a good asset base," Schaffer said. "And we see Eugene as a market we'd like to participate in."

Oldcastle has more than 25,000 employees in 41 states and generated over $6 billion in revenues in 2006. The company makes aggregates, asphalt and ready-mix concrete, and provides construction and paving services.

None of Eugene Sand's 300 Oregon employees are expected to be affected by the ownership change, and the contracts of union-represented employees in Eugene Sand's heavy highway construction arm have transferred to the new owner.

"They (Oldcastle) purchase successful family businesses like ours, keep the brand name in place, and keep the local autonomy, management teams and value systems we felt were important," Alltucker said. "All those are still in place."

The integration of operations at Eugene Sand and Egge Sand & Gravel may initially seem a bit awkward for employees of the longtime business rivals.

"It's going to be a challenge," said Alltucker, whose new title is Eugene operations executive. "I'm reminding everyone we all need to wave with five fingers now."

The sale occurred after the company's future was discussed by family members, he said. But only Mike Alltucker and his father, John, remained in the business after a brother left to be a teacher about five years ago, and no members of the family's next generation chose careers with the company.

"It's bittersweet, but we all realized it's something that some day you have to do," Mike Alltucker said. "We think it's a great company and we want to see it survive long into the future, so we took some steps.

"We're excited. It's something I think is going to be good for our employees, the community and the family."

Schaffer, the Oldcastle regional president, said it's too early to know whether his company's acquisition will lead to consolidation of any operations at Egge and Eugene Sand.

"I wouldn't say it's likely or unlikely," Schaffer said. "We're evaluating what's the best way to operate in the Eugene area."