About Us

Our Company

Operating with integrity since 1969

Operating with integrity since 1969

Makco, Inc. is a guardrail contractor located near Charlottesville, VA. With multiple crews strategically located throughout the Commonwealth we are able to efficiently service the entire region. In addition to installing all forms of guardrail we also do impact attenuators, shoulder restoration and shoulder paving. Founded on principles of honesty and quality, Makco continues to build upon that foundation on every job.

Our History

MAKCO founders, Dick Kerns and Jim Malloy met in 1967 while working for Whitmyer Bros. in Charlottesville, VA. Dick had come up through the field ranks and was brought in to the office to help handle the large volume of work. Jim Malloy was hired as a recent graduate from Penn State with a degree in Civil Engineering. It was a good time to be in the highway business as the interstate system was in full development.

While working together in the office, Dick and Jim realized that the company was passing on smaller projects due to larger commitments. Sensing an opportunity, Dick and Jim decided to venture out on their own and the idea of MAKCO began to take shape. Jim told his wife Louise about their plan and she begged him not to do it. Alternatively, Dick never mentioned a word about it to his wife Mary Lou until it was already done. On August 13, 1969 MAKCO was launched and they leapt in hopes that a net would appear … only the net never materialized. As Dick and Jim sat across from each other waiting for the phone to ring they realized something had to give.

This led to a variety of jobs to sustain their new business. From laying rebar for the new Interstate 64 to building fence in addition to guardrail work. Times were very lean in the early years with sky high interest rates and labor unrest. Finances were tight as they turned off the heat at home and opted for stocking caps and socks for their kids. Dick would go pick up loads of steel in the middle of the night to avoid the Teamsters’ protests during the day. When people were late paying, Jim would collect a stack of magazines and go sit in their office all day until he got a check. Dick’s hometown of Paw Paw, WV proved to be an invaluable source of labor through the years as the company grew.

Having survived the early years, Makco found their footing and established a reputation as an honest company that did quality work. Their word was their bond and most jobs were based upon a handshake.