The UCCEO traveled to Carbondale to visit the offices of E.T. Simonds Construction where we were honored to have Mr. Beck Simonds, President of The Simonds Group as our recent guest speaker. His presentation was engaging and informative—filled with history, economics, and fascinating insights into the remarkable growth and legacy of The Simonds Group.
In addition to E.T. Simonds Construction, the group includes Simonds Materials, Illini Asphalt, Kincaid Stone Company, and the Anna Quarry, located right here in Anna. What began as a small construction company founded by Beck’s grandfather and company namesake, Mr. E.T. Simonds, after his return from World War II in 1946, has grown into a thriving, multifaceted enterprise.
Over the decades, The Simonds Group has played an integral role in countless projects—both large and small—across Southern Illinois. Their impressive portfolio includes foundation work for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Du Quoin, contributions to the Lake of Egypt Spillway, the pedestrian bridges at SIU, I-24 and I-57, and many more. Their expertise spans drainage structures, bridgework, stage construction, structural steel setting, paving, and asphalt. With approximately 75 full-time and over 300 seasonal employees, they remain one of the region’s key employers.
Beyond their business success, E.T. Simonds is deeply committed to supporting the local community. They prioritize purchasing materials, fuel, and supplies from local vendors and continually invest in community programs—including the Union County CEO Program. They have been proud investors since our inception, and we are sincerely grateful for their ongoing generosity and partnership.
AJCHS student, Drue Teske shared this reflection of our visit:
“Even though I am not well versed in my knowledge of construction, learning about this local business and what they offer to the region was astonishing.
First, I learned that E.T. Simonds owns various smaller branches to their business, such as mining and materials, asphalt, stone, and general construction. Although the business has only been through three generations of Simonds, starting in 1946, they have still expanded exponentially and with great success.
E.T. Simonds has continuously worked on our major roadways, parking lots, bridges, storm sewers, and even driveways. One thing that I found most interesting about the construction business is that E.T. Simonds grinds old asphalt roof shingles into chips that are reused to pave roads. I did not know that shingles were made out of asphalt in the first place, and I love the idea of recycling materials that can easily tarnish the environment if we let its waste get out of control.
Some words of advice that Beck made sure to add at the end of his presentation were that customer satisfaction holds the highest value, finding your niche in business is key, and always looking for ways to improve will only make you a better entrepreneur.
Overall, today was very interesting for me. I am very thankful for this experience and what it has taught me.”
A heartfelt thank you to Beck and the entire Simonds Group for all you do to strengthen and support Southern Illinois. We appreciate you!
🎥 Enjoy this video Beck shared with us—a wonderful look at the people and projects that make The Simonds Group such an incredible part of our region:
👉 Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/sKkjXCweUxM
