Published July 2003

Company has built concrete reputation for quality

Snohomish County Business Journal/JOHN WOLCOTT Wayne Zachry, president of Cuz Concrete Products in Arlington, produces concrete utility vaults, septic tanks and other products.

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

If you want to see Wayne Zachry’s products, the best place for viewing is at his Arlington production plant, before they’re delivered to customers — and buried.

Since 1969, Cuz Concrete Products has been making septic tanks, electrical utility vaults, storm-water catch basins, manhole shells and other products destined to fulfill their essential roles out of sight and, generally, out of mind.

“We handle a lot of septic-tank business in the rural areas, then when there’s enough people to start building subdivisions, we make the electrical boxes and catch basins,” said Zachry, president of the three-generation family company.

Over the years, the Zachry family has learned how to mass-produce quality concrete products at a profit for the Snohomish County PUD, homebuilders, subdivision developers and other clients, primarily in Snohomish and King counties but with occasional ventures into Skagit and Pierce counties.

Although the financial profile of the family-owned company remains private, Zachry said gross revenue has been around $9 million annually in each of the past four years. That’s a lot of concrete, considering that a single septic tank or electrical box weighs in around 4,000 pounds.

Today’s thriving business began when Zachry’s father, Glen, left the Great Northern railroad after 18 years, wanting to be his own boss. He and two cousins formed their own business to make concrete products, using the three-cousin link to name Cuz Concrete Products.

Within a few years, Glen Zachry had bought out his cousins’ business shares, moved the business from east of Marysville to a few acres of land at the Arlington Airport, then expanded the property to its present 8 acres southwest of downtown Arlington. For 25 years, Glen’s wife, Eilene, was the firm’s office manager.

Today, the 60-employee business includes Cuz Environmental Services for storm-drain cleaning, septic-tank pumping and petroleum removal, along with T&E Repair, a shop adjacent to Cuz Concrete where employees take care of company vehicles and hire out their expertise for truck repairs, aluminum fabrication, portable welding work, steel fabrication and heavy-equipment repair.

Wayne and his two sons — Brandon, vice president of production, and Aaron, vice president of sales — run the business today, each having a one-third interest in the business.

And, yes, Wayne said, there’s still a cousin on the payroll of Cuz Concrete.

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