LE SILLON
A John Deere PublicationCJ Huges Construction | John Deere Construction
Spring 2025
Never Say Never
Aiming High in the West Virginia Underground
5 MIN READ
The Challenges of the West Virginia Underground Industry Are No Match for the Specialized Expertise of One Longstanding General Contractor
In the late-morning hours of a blustery day, it seems as if every possible distraction is coming together to complicate the task at hand.
A small crew from contractor CJ Hughes is replacing an underground gas line in Parkersburg, West Virginia. It's a job that requires flawless execution and painstaking attention to detail.
Just a few yards away from the crew, four lanes of traffic rush by at a breakneck pace. Intermittent gusts of wind bring a harsh chill to the hectic worksite. Then suddenly, a wall of gray clouds opens up, sending a sideways stream of frigid rain to the ground below.
Foreman Derrek Smith is unbothered by the elements. As he stares intently at a 20-foot stretch of underground gas pipe, he refuses to let the conditions deter him.
"When you're doing this kind of work, nothing's going to be easy," says Smith, as rain drips off his weathered hard hat. "You have to stay on your toes, and you need to remember the bigger picture. The work we do matters to a lot of people."
For Smith, a young worker who has quickly risen in the company ranks, a distraction can never turn into downtime and a challenge can never be used as an excuse.
The work must go on.
It's a mentality that drives him, his crew, and his company.
"From an early age, my father and grandfather taught me all about hard work," Smith says. "You never say never. You show up to work and get the job done."
"I want to do anything I can to make sure [CJ Hughes is] always up and running."
Digging Deep
For CJ Hughes, an unrelenting work ethic and incessant focus on the little things have led to big-time growth.
The company was founded in 1946 as a drilling contractor focused on the gas and petroleum industries. Over time, CJ Hughes evolved into a full service construction company with a presence in the water, sanitary sewer, natural gas, and petroleum industries.
Even as its duties expanded, the company's guiding principles remained simple and straightforward.
"Our motto is safety, quality, and production," says Jonathan Crow, a human resources manager for the company. "Those three things are imperative."
Guided by these principles, the company has swiftly expanded its footprint. While West Virginia has remained its home base since day one, CJ Hughes now tackles work as far north as Michigan and as far south as Alabama.
"We're at 400 people now and still growing," Crow says. "But that growth doesn't affect how we go about each job. Every detail on every job matters."
Today's work on a small stretch of gas line is part of a broader effort to replace outdated infrastructure throughout a vast part of Parkersburg.
Aging gas lines can lead to myriad problems, including leaks, corrosion, blockages, and poor pressure. These issues result in both environmental and safety concerns, something felt acutely by those living in neighborhoods with outdated infrastructure.
"That's a big part of what we love," Crow says, glancing around at the properties abutting the company's jobsite. "We come into areas and leave them cleaner, safer, and more efficient than when we arrived."
"Our motto is safety, quality, and production."
High Stakes
Underground work isn't easy work. The stakes are high and the margin for error is small.
Operators must dig below the earth's surface, move large volumes of material, intricately remove old pipes, carefully place new lines where they belong, then methodically backfill the area. To replace large stretches of gas line, this process must be repeated again and again, all with an unwavering attention to detail.
The John Deere 331 P-Tier Compact Track Loader is one of the machines Smith and his crew rely on to get the job done right. A relatively new addition to the fleet, the staff at CJ Hughes is still wrapping its collective mind around what the compact machine can accomplish.
"What you notice right out of the gate is the 331 has plenty of power," Smith says, nodding emphatically to emphasize the point. "And I love the size of the bucket. When you have a powerful loader, you can haul bigger loads and get the work done quicker. It speeds up the whole process."
Power alone isn't enough in the underground business, though.
"Most of the time, with the work we're doing, we don't have a lot of space to work with," says Smith. "We're working in tight spaces. This machine was built with that in mind. It's easy to maneuver and, with the increased glass area in the cab, the visibility is great."
The 331 works together with the John Deere 50 P-Tier Excavator, another compact machine that packs a major punch. As one operator uses the 50 P-Tier to dig below the surface, another moves material and loads trucks with the 331.
"We expect the same things out of our machines that we do from our people," says Smith with a slight chuckle. "We need our equipment to get the job done — to be dependable and reliable."
Forming a Brotherhood
In the rare moments when there's a break in the action, the camaraderie of the CJ Hughes crew shines through. Workers exchange jobs, ask about each other's families, and keep the mood light.
"We think of it as a brotherhood," Smith says, pausing to take a look at the crew around him. "When you think about it, we spend as much time around each other as we do with our own families. There's an understanding that we're in this together."
Smith and the rest of the CJ Hughes team view their John Deere dealer, Leslie Equipment Co., as an extension of their tight-knit crew.
Sales Representative Pete Culicerto relishes that role. A former college football player at Marshall University, Culicerto landed a job at the Leslie office in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, shortly after earning his degree. He's been a mainstay at the business for over a dozen years and has worked directly with CJ Hughes for over a decade.
"What really stands out to me is, even with how large they've become, they still seem like a family operation," says Culicerto.
And he takes immense pride in being an extension of that family, "You can offer a good product, but if you're not there to support your customer and to back them up, it doesn't mean anything," Culicerto says. "Downtime is something that can derail any company. So I want to do anything I can to make sure they are always up and running."
It's a mindset that dovetails perfectly with Smith's approach.
As the afternoon comes to a close and the rain gives way to a clear blue sky, Smith surveys the jobsite and takes a second to appreciate the progress made.
"I'm sure there will be more obstacles to deal with tomorrow," he says, a wry smile stretching across his face. "We'll find a way to get it done."
CJ Hughes is serviced by Leslie Equipment Co., Cross Lanes, West Virginia.
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A John Deere 50P Tier Compact Excavator is effortlessly digging a trench with its bucket.
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The lights of the John Deere 331P Compact Track Loader shine brightly in the morning dawn.
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