Shockey CEO ends 31-year run

WINCHESTER — The Shockey Cos. CEO William F. Simmons III officially retired this week as one of the firm’s longest-tenured leaders.

Simmons first joined Shockey in 1978 as operations manager with then-affiliate Crider & Shockey Inc. He rose through the ranks, becoming Crider & Shockey’s chief operating officer in 1993. That same year, Simmons was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of both Crider & Shockey and its sister companies, Howard Shockey & Sons Inc. and The Shockey Precast Group.

In 1999, Simmons was named president of The Shockey Cos. In 2003, he became chief executive.

During Simmons’ tenure as CEO, geographic expansion, capital investment projects and the sale of a major division were key areas of focus, according to a press release. His management style valued employee participation and led to top performance in safety, quality, profitability, timely project completion and customer satisfaction, the release says.

Twice in recent years, Shockey employees reached the 1 million-manhour threshold without a lost-time accident, it says.

“He was a visionary leader at a progressive time for our companies, the first CEO of our companies whose last name was not Shockey,” says Shockey Cos. President J. Donald Shockey Jr. “Bill’s 31 years’ worth of contributions will long be visible in the quality of our work, the quality of our facilities and — most importantly — the quality of our people.”

— Daily Staff Report