Our Story

Charles V. Harker (1918-1995) started in the concrete business in May 1946, incorporating under the name of Mid-States Concrete Products Co. Today, his son, Charles H. Harker is CEO and his grandson, C. Hagen Harker is President. The company, which employs about 175 people, manufactures prestressed hollowcore concrete slabs, precast/prestressed concrete beams and columns, insulated architectural finished wall panels as well as custom precast elements. Precast/prestressed products are widely accepted by the construction industry today as a competitive, dependable and quality building system.

Mid-States Concrete Industries original product (hollowcore) and hollowcore territory encompassed the State of Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Eastern Iowa and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The hollowcore precast concrete floor and roof slabs were initially produced in 1938. The development occurred after Price Brothers Company, Dayton, Ohio, acquired rights from Dr. Henry E. Lindas of Wichita, Kansas for an inflatable rubber tube which was used as a means of forming voids in the casting of concrete underground conduit, culvert and sewer pipe. For these purposes, the tube proved to be only a limited success. However, it triggered the development of hollowcore floor and roof slabs and its use for forming the slabs’ voids has been both practical and economical. In 1939, the Illinois-Wisconsin Concrete Pipe Company of South Beloit, Illinois, purchased the hollowcore franchise from Price Brothers Company. At 20 years of age, Charles V. Harker went to work for the company and helped set up and supervise the hollowcore operation. Since the company’s main business was the manufacture and sale of concrete sewer and culvert pipe, the hollowcore business never received the needed marketing help to gain product acceptance. When World War II started, Harker enlisted in the army and in 1941 the company decided to cease production of hollowcore slabs. After the War, Harker returned to South Beloit to find that the Illinois-Wisconsin Concrete Pipe Company had given up the hollowcore franchise. With the encouragement and financial help of Dan and Bud Osborn and the legal advice of W.H. Arnold, Attorney at Law, Harker negotiated a licensing agreement with the hollowcore Company, Inc. Dayton, Ohio. hollowcore precast concrete slabs were quickly accepted by design professionals and construction companies.

Together with dedicated sales/estimating, project management, engineering, production and construction employees, the company is growing and continuing its commitment to excellence in precast.

Mid-States received regional attention from its first major project, University Houses, Inc. George A. Fuller Co. of Chicago contracted with Mid-States to provide hollowcore for a University of Wisconsin faculty housing project, which consisted of 150 units in 31 separate structures at Shorewood Hills, a village outside of Madison. Construction money was loaned at 2.5% interest, with an amortization period of 50 years, by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which had accumulated millions administering funds obtained as a result of the Vitamin D process that was developed at this University. Today, under the guidance of an experienced management team, together with dedicated sales/estimating, project management, engineering, production and construction employees, the company continues to exceed customer expectations. In addition to the ability to deliver total structural building systems, including architectural and structural precast components, Mid-States Concrete Industries also provides the engineering and project management expertise needed in today’s construction environment.