- March 25, 2025
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Over more than a decade in the concrete contracting business, Terry Drake Jr. and his father, Terry Drake Sr., experienced many frustrating situations with concrete ready mix companies.
“The ready mix companies were consistently late to every job, and it was eating into our profits,” says Terry Drake Jr., 40. “It was a lot of dead time cutting into jobs, and when we called them and voiced our concerns about it, there was complete disregard for any of the issues they were causing. That told us that there is a need and a space for a new ready mix company that prioritizes customers differently than the industry standard.”
While still running their contracting business, the Drakes found an old concrete batch plant in Ohio, brought it down to Fort Myers, and began setting up their new business venture in 2004. In 2006, they officially opened their doors as Drake Ready Mix.
Today the company operates out a 10-acre, state-of-the-art production facility in Fort Myers and has a fleet of more than 100 trucks serving residential and commercial projects of all sizes in Lee, Collier, Hendry, and Charlotte counties. More than 100 employees make everything happen, and keeping them happy is critical to the company’s success. (Company officials declined to disclose revenue data.)
“This is where the benefit of being a family business comes in,” says Drake Jr. “Since inception, we’ve always treated our drivers as a critical part of the team. They’re never just a number or employee ID.”
He recalls his mom bringing in a big pot roast to feed the staff when the company only had five drivers. “We can’t do that anymore; that would be a lot of pot roast,” Drake Jr. laughs. “But our mentality hasn’t changed. If our team is happy, they go to the job site and they’re happy. I want them to look forward to coming to work in the morning. When I go to the office, I have drivers give me a thumbs up or prayer hands. Or they hug me and say, ‘Thank you; this is the best place I’ve ever worked.’ That’s what drives us.”
When a building or construction project needs concrete for a foundation, roadway or other elements, a company like Drake Ready Mix supplies and pours that concrete, which is premixed in a factory and then delivered to a construction site. Time is money on these kinds of projects, and it’s easy to see how a late, incomplete or low-quality ready mix delivery could cause problems. The Drakes saw that firsthand.
“By being contractors, we saw where customer service was lacking,” says Drake Jr. “We saw where material quality was lacking. We saw where the attitudes of drivers would have a negative effect on our job site. If the drivers were cranky and unhappy, they were not easy to work with on our job site.”
Because they knew the problems, they also knew how to fix them. “When we got into the ready mix business, we knew what spaces needed to be filled,” says Drake Jr. “And we had the contractors and finishers in mind. For example, if you have a job going out in the late afternoon, concrete sets slower in the late afternoon. So we’d send it out a little drier, so that way the customer isn’t sitting there waiting for the concrete to get hard all night. That’s not considered by other companies; they just want to get the concrete out the door.”
The Drakes also focused on creating a quality product for customers. “Concrete mixes we would get from competitors when we poured concrete were very lean,” says Drake Jr. “There was just enough cement material to get strength, but not enough to really finish it nicely. One thing we always emphasize is we want a concrete mix that not only exceeds standards but also has a top-notch finishability. That makes it easier on the crew and makes it easy to finish the concrete. The job looks better when they’re done, and that makes us look good.”
It took some time for Drake Ready Mix to lay its own foundation in the industry, especially in competing against big companies and conglomerates. “No one knew who we were, but everyone knew who our competitors were,” says Drake Jr. “We had to really sell ourselves and help customers understand the value of having concrete on the job site when it’s supposed to be there. We had to show how that cuts down on overhead, how it cuts down on costs, and how you’re able to take on more work by having a reliable source for concrete.”
Drake Jr. recalls when competitors would follow the company’s trucks to job sites and then try to undercut Drake Ready Mix’s prices. “Trying to get rid of the reputation as the new guy and establishing ourselves as a reliable business was challenging,” he says. “But now the results are speaking for themselves.”
Many of the initial relationships the company established still exist today. David Lundin, owner/president of Marco Island–based General Concrete Corporation, is one of those early customers. “When they opened up their salesperson came and talked to me, and I gave them a chance because they’re locally-owned,” says Lundin.
Since then, he’s used Drake Ready Mix for “99%” of his projects. “Their service is number one,” says Lundin. “The main thing with them compared to other companies is if the concrete order is for 12, they’re always on time. … And they always have great drivers.”
Cody Griffith, owner of Southwest Structural Inc., has also been working with Drake Ready Mix for years. “We’ve used them for everything from one-yard pours to 1,200-yard pours,” he says. “They do what they say, and they show up when they say they’re going to be there. They’re just easy to work with. And the quality of the concrete is good, for sure. I’ve never had any issues.”
Two recent honors suggest Drake Ready Mix has fully cemented itself in the concrete industry and the business world in general. Last October it was named to the GrowFL Florida “Companies to Watch” list. And in November, it was named the Large Manufacturer of the Year at the 32nd annual Industry Appreciation Awards from The Horizon Foundation, Horizon Council and Lee County Economic Development Office.
“It just emboldens us,” says Drake Jr. “It tells us that what we’re doing is the right way to do things, and that our formula for success is working and we must continue doing what we’re doing.”
The company, looking to grow its model and presence, is seeking out property for future locations or plants in strategic sites. “Finding real estate for future growth has been a challenge,” says Drake Jr. “But we want to have all of our regional locations locked up, whether we develop it into a concrete plant or sit on it.” Within about two years, he expects the company’s regional footprint to extend from Marco Island up to the Sarasota-Manatee region.
The company has survived recessions, housing downturns, and hurricanes over the years and has learned a thing or two about enjoying the good times and preparing for the worst. It’s invested in an oversize generator for its plant and always keeps at least 15,000 gallons of fuel on site to weather any supply chain issues. “We look at wherever the issue is, and we try to deal with it as early on as we can,” says Drake Jr.
Leaning into what makes the company different will continue to be a strategy for growth. “Give us a shot on one job, and the results will be undeniable,” says Drake Jr. “If you’ve never used us before, you’ll be surprised at how concrete delivery is supposed to work.
“The way we’re doing it should be the standard in ready mix, and unfortunately it’s not,” he continues. “Customers all too often are okay with waiting for concrete and just sitting on the same job site all day. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how different we are from our competitors.”
