The history of McDonald Concrete dates back to the 1940’s when Clyde McDonald Sr., a foreman for McCarthy Brother’s Construction, decided to settle down in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. For years, Clyde Sr., had traveled around the country, assisting in building federal buildings and with a recommendation from his former employers to build a plant in Cape Girardeau, the vision for McDonald Concrete wa
s born. As ready-mix concrete was becoming popular in larger cities throughout the United States, Clyde Sr. knew that concrete would be a vital part of the future of construction. As luck would have it, Clyde was not only looking for a business location, but a great community to raise his family. In 1945, McDonald Concrete was founded and then fully incorporated in 1946. Clyde’s wife, Mary Lee McDonald, would also come to work for the company, starting a family tradition that continues to this day. and his late wife, Dorothy McDonald, ran the company operations while their children were growing up in Cape Girardeau. Today, the third and fourth generations of the McDonald Family are employed with the company. Son, David McDonald, is the company president and lead batcher and daughter, Susan Allee, is the company’s secretary and treasurer. Granddaughter Tara Allee works in the office and grandson Devin Wingo has taken over the role of quality assurance inspector, leading the way for future members of the McDonald family to continue the tradition. Susan’s husband, Clifton Allee, is also a member of the team, operating as one of the outside salesmen. And, although they may not be related, salesman Ronnie Jones and dispatcher Jared Smith have been accepted just like they were one of the family all the same. When the company was formed and incorporated, concrete was still being mixed by hand on site, which was rather strenuous work. Since those days, the ready-mix concrete world has grown by leaps and bounds. We now have two computer controlled batch plants on site and over a dozen concrete mixer trucks ready to deliver to your worksite. And during the growth of the ready-mix business, McDonald Concrete has helped with the growth of the Cape Girardeau and Jackson area. Businesses and institutions such as Saint Francis Hospital, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Southeast Missouri State University and Jackson Schools have grown and expanded thanks to McDonald Concrete. Along with Delta Concrete, McDonald Concrete also helped with completing the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in the early part of the 2000’s. Along with those expansions, McDonald Concrete has also earned several awards over the years. One such award was the Excellence in Paving Award from the Missouri/Kansas Chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association and the Missouri Department of Transportation for the high quality of concrete supplied on the resurfacing and widening of Spartech Drive and Jaycee Drive in Arena Park, which was completed in 2007. Not all concrete in Cape Girardeau County is McDonald concrete, but our concrete is everywhere. If you look outside, there’s a good chance that you are seeing our product. While the current generation continues expanding and the next generation is helping get ready for the future, there are no signs of slowing down. As long as the area is expanding, we will be here, just like we have been for almost 70 years. We have paved the way for many years before and will continue to do so for years to come.
