Westside Story – Tucci & Sons

Story & Photos – Joseph Boyle

Boy oh boy, do I have a deal for my readers.  Yes, indeed, two stories for the price of one.

Story 1 – Tucci & Sons Company Truck.  During the past couple of years there have been a number of occasions when I ran into my friend, Mike Tucci, at our home base Starbucks.  During those times our conversations veered off in the direction of classic collector cars.  With great excitement I listened intently as Mike shared what he was doing with a 1950 Ford pickup truck.  I told him I could hardly wait to see his new – old truck.

This past August 2012, I saw the Tucci & Sons truck at the South Tacoma Way Car Show.  I have included a couple of photos so you can see what Mike accomplished.

This particular truck is significant in two ways.  One, it was the first truck Mike’s dad purchased for his new company back in 1950.  Two, as a 12 year old kid; Mike learned to drive in the new 1950 Ford company truck when the foreman took him out to Fort Lewis.  He could learn to drive the stick shift without entering the public roadways.

With that history in mind, Mike went on a search for a 1950 Ford pickup truck.  He found what he was looking for on E-Bay.  The truck, which was in good shape, was located in Boise, Idaho. It was not a rust bucket.  Mike, using this good truck as a platform, took it from “good truck” towards beautiful brand new condition truck.  One year later the truck had been completely reconditioned with new exterior, interior and rebuilt V-8 motor.  The truck uses the original company colors.  It must have been around Christmas 2010 that Mike unveiled the truck for his two sons, Mike and Tim.

Now that Mike senior has retired, his two sons run the company.  Mike senior kept this project secrete for the entire year.  It was great fun to surprise his sons.  The family now enjoys the truck for parades, car shows and pleasure drives.

Mike, thanks for your efforts to save this rolling piece of history.

Story 2 – Tucci & Sons Company History:  You might wonder, what does Tucci & Sons mean to me?  Let’s put it this way.  Tucci & Sons is important to all of us even when most of us do not realize it.  Some examples are the asphalt paving of the I-5 Freeway from the Puyallup River Bridge to the King County Line.  The 19th Street interchange on SR-16.  And how about Tucci & Sons participation in a joint venture that helped Jimmy Zarelli build the Tacoma Dome where we go to have fun?  Tucci & Sons made all of these projects possible.

Tucci & Sons is omnipresent, which is a fancy word meaning Tucci & Sons is everywhere.  They may be behind the scenes, but they are behind our scenes.

1948: There was a construction company known as Burrows & Milone.  When Mr. Burrows died Mike’s father, Mr. Mike Tucci, bought Mr. Burrows’ 50% share in Burrows & Milone to form Milone & Tucci.

1950: Mr. Tucci, bought the company’s first new vehicle, a 1950 Ford pickup truck, which was used by the company foreman to supervise projects and to pickup and deliver many of the items that were needed on the various job sites.

1953: Mr. Tucci bought Mr. Jim Milone’s 50% interest.

Once Mr. Tucci owned 100% of the company, he gave his company a new name, Tucci & Sons.  Looking back, it is obvious that Mr. Tucci could see into the future.  I say this because Mr. Tucci only had one son, a young 10-year-old Mike.  Later, along came two more sons, Jim and Tom, so the name Tucci & Sons ultimately was a perfect fit.

Originally, the company specialized in utility work, which involved sewer mains, water mains and storm sewer lines for both installation and repair.

1960: Mr. Tucci bought Harrison Brothers Earth Moving.  Tucci & Sons was then involved with utility work along with earth grading.

1973: After Mr. Tucci died, his eldest son, Mike Tucci took over running the company.  Mike was only 33 years old.   Having grown up in the company and not knowing he should be scared, Mike charged ahead in spite of his young age.

1975: Mike bought another company, Asphalt Paving and Engineering, comically known as “APE”.

Now Tucci & Sons was in the utility business, earth grading business and paving business.

1980: Mike purchased Shotwell Paving

The results of the two Mike’s, father and son, efforts were a fine successful family run company that provides jobs to many members of the Tucci family and to many more people outside the Tucci family.  When you consider that any one of us might have a very difficult time finding one job for ourselves, I always consider someone like Tucci & Sons, who create numerous jobs for others, to be my hero.

2009: Mike’s two sons, Mike and Tim, took over running Tucci & Sons after Mike retired.

Sons Mike and Tim did not have the company handed to them.  They both trained, starting in the field in the mud and then worked their way up.  Their entire lives involved working in the company.

What does the future hold?  No one knows, but Mr. Tucci’s great grandson, Tim, who is a 20-year-old college student, works at the company during the summers.  Time will tell.

Most of us have no idea how a well-run family business impacts on us every day.  We enjoy the benefits of the work Tucci & Sons accomplishes, but we simply do not know whom to thank.

If you would like to learn more check out Tucci & Sons web site at http://www.tucciandsons.com.

Thank you Tucci & Sons and congratulations on your historical 1950 Tucci & Sons Ford pickup truck!