Searching “Dolese” and not sure if it’s a person, a place or a business? It’s a company. Dolese Bros. Co. is a construction materials producer based in Oklahoma City, making ready-mix concrete, crushed stone, sand and gravel for builders across Oklahoma and North Texas.

Founded in 1902, Dolese has grown from a small contracting outfit into one of the largest aggregate and concrete producers in the country, with more than 60 facilities and over 1,000 employees. It’s also structured in an unusual way: the company’s non-voting stock is owned by three university foundations rather than a parent corporation or private equity firm.

This guide covers what Dolese actually produces, where it operates, who owns and runs it, what it’s like to work there, and how to get a quote if you need materials for a project.

Is Dolese?

Dolese is a privately held construction materials company that produces ready-mix concrete, aggregate, sand, gravel, crushed stone and concrete block products. It supplies materials used in everything from residential driveways to highways, bridges and large commercial developments.

The company is headquartered at 8300 N Oklahoma Avenue in Oklahoma City, and its full legal name is Dolese Bros. Co. You’ll also see it referred to as Dolese Bros, Dolese Brothers Co, or simply “the Dolese Co” across business directories, though the company itself just goes by Dolese.

Industry trackers place Dolese among the top 20 aggregate producers and top 20 concrete producers in the United States, based on annual output rather than revenue alone. Reported annual revenue sits at roughly $451 million, though private companies don’t publish audited figures the way public ones do, so treat that number as an estimate from third-party business data providers rather than an official filing.

History of Dolese Bros. Co.

Dolese traces back to John Dolese, who ran a contracting and quarrying business called Dolese and Shepard in the Chicago area from around 1868 to the late 1890s. In 1902, his four sons, William, John, Henry and Peter, founded Dolese Bros. Co. to build streets and sewer systems near Chicago.

William left the partnership early, leaving Peter, John and Henry to shift the business from contracting into operating quarries along railroad lines in Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The company was already running quarries in Oklahoma Territory before statehood arrived in 1907.

Peter’s son Roger Dolese joined the business in 1940 and took over leadership in 1944, running the company for 58 years until his death in late 2002. Roger is the reason Dolese has such an unusual ownership setup today, which we’ll get to below.

Tony Basolo, Roger’s longtime right-hand man, became president after him and led the company through several acquisitions, including Joe Brown Concrete and Wills Ready Mix, before retiring in 2010. Mark Helm took over as president and CEO in February 2010 and remains in that role as of this year.

What Does Dolese Make and Sell?

Ready-Mix Concrete

This is Dolese’s core product: concrete mixed to order and delivered by truck directly to a job site. It’s used for foundations, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots and structural work on everything from single homes to high-rise buildings.

Aggregates: Crushed Stone, Sand and Gravel

Dolese mines and processes crushed stone, sand and gravel at quarries across Oklahoma. These materials go into concrete production itself, road base, drainage projects and general construction fill.

Concrete Block, Pavers and Hardscape

Beyond ready-mix and raw aggregate, Dolese also produces structural concrete block, retaining and patio wall systems, and pavers, including Coronado Stone Products, a manufactured stone veneer line. These serve landscaping and masonry projects rather than large-scale structural work.

Where Does Dolese Operate?

Dolese’s footprint covers more than 60 facilities across Oklahoma and Fort Worth, Texas, including quarries, sand and gravel pits, and ready-mix concrete plants. Oklahoma remains the company’s core market, with the Fort Worth expansion representing its main move outside the state.

Job listings on Indeed show current Dolese operations in Oklahoma City, Davis, Elgin, Ada, Stillwater, Guthrie, Drumright, Coleman, Ardmore and Yukon, alongside the Fort Worth, Texas location. If you need to find your nearest plant or quarry, Dolese’s own site (dolese.com) has a location finder, and it’s worth checking that directly since facility lists change as the company grows.

Who Owns Dolese?

This is where Dolese stands out from most construction materials companies. After Roger Dolese died in 2002, the company faced a large estate tax bill that could have forced a sale. Rather than let that happen, Roger’s estate plan donated the company’s non-voting stock to three university foundations: Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma.

The three portions of stock were each valued at roughly $70 million when the arrangement was rolled out privately in 2010, and publicly announced in 2013, putting the total gift at around $210 million. Dolese buys back stock from the foundations each year when the company is profitable, which gives the universities ongoing income for scholarships and programmes, mostly aimed at growing engineering enrolment.

The buyback structure also gradually shifts ownership toward employees over time, which is why some directories describe Dolese as “employee-owned.” It’s not a traditional ESOP in the way that term is usually used, so it’s more accurate to say Dolese is independently owned with a profit-sharing structure that benefits both employees and the three university foundations.

Dolese Leadership

Mark Helm has served as president and CEO since February 2010. He succeeded Tony Basolo, who led the company from 2002 (following Roger Dolese’s death) until his retirement in 2010. Some business databases list a different name for the current president, likely reflecting outdated records, so if you need a confirmed, current leadership list for business purposes, check Dolese’s own site or a recent press release rather than a third-party aggregator.

What’s It Like Working at Dolese?

Dolese employs more than 1,000 people, mostly across Oklahoma, in roles ranging from plant labourers and equipment operators to mining engineers, welders and concrete delivery drivers. On Indeed, the company holds a rating in the region of 3.3 out of 5 stars based on around 120 employee reviews, with plant-level roles making up the bulk of open positions at any given time.

Recent job postings include roles like Retail Operator (Fort Worth), Mining Engineer and Corporate Mine Planning Engineer (Oklahoma City), Plant Laborer (Guthrie and Yukon), Area Manager for Ready Mix (Ada), and Diesel Technician (Stillwater). If you’re job hunting, Dolese lists current openings on its own careers page as well as on Indeed and LinkedIn, and it’s worth checking both since postings turn over quickly at a company this size.

Dolese and Community Involvement

Beyond the university gift, Dolese describes its community mission as improving the areas it operates in “through our products, actions, and support.” In practice, this shows up as local sponsorships, safety and quality certification programmes for its plants, and continued funding of the KSU, OSU and OU engineering partnerships a decade after the original gift was announced.

The company also takes part in industry trade groups. Employees and leadership have historically held positions with organisations like the National Stone Association, reflecting Dolese’s standing within the wider aggregates and concrete industry rather than just its size.

How to Get a Quote or Buy From Dolese

Dolese sells primarily to contractors, builders and industrial customers rather than direct retail customers, though some yards do serve walk-in trade for smaller aggregate purchases. To get pricing, contact your nearest Dolese plant or ready-mix facility directly, since concrete and aggregate pricing depends heavily on volume, delivery distance and current material costs, which shift more often than most products.

The company’s website lists contact details by region, and for larger commercial projects, most customers work through an account representative rather than a general enquiry line. Prices for ready-mix concrete and aggregates aren’t published openly online, so budget for a direct quote rather than expecting a fixed price list.

Dolese vs Other Construction Materials Companies

Dolese competes regionally against larger national players like Martin Marietta and Vulcan Materials, both of which operate aggregate and concrete businesses across many more states. Dolese’s advantage is depth rather than breadth: it’s concentrated almost entirely in Oklahoma and North Texas, which lets it run a tighter distribution network and, according to the company, faster delivery times within its core markets compared with national competitors covering a much wider area.

Where a national producer might treat Oklahoma as one region among dozens, Dolese treats it as the whole business, and that focus is central to how the company positions itself against bigger rivals.

FAQs

What is Dolese Bros. Co.?

Dolese Bros. Co. is a construction materials company founded in 1902, based in Oklahoma City, that produces ready-mix concrete, crushed stone, sand, gravel and concrete block products for builders across Oklahoma and Fort Worth, Texas.

Is Dolese a public company?

No, Dolese is privately held. Its non-voting stock is owned by three university foundations (Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma) rather than being traded on a public stock exchange.

Who owns Dolese Bros. Co.?

Dolese’s stock is owned by university foundations at Kansas State, Oklahoma State and the University of Oklahoma, following a gift arranged as part of founder Roger Dolese’s estate plan after his death in 2002. The company buys back stock annually when profitable, gradually shifting more value toward employees over time.

Who is the CEO of Dolese?

Mark Helm has served as president and CEO of Dolese Bros. Co. since February 2010, having succeeded Tony Basolo, who led the company from 2002 to 2010.

Where is Dolese located?

Dolese’s headquarters is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at 8300 N Oklahoma Avenue, with more than 60 quarries, sand and gravel pits, and ready-mix plants spread across Oklahoma and into Fort Worth, Texas.

Does Dolese sell directly to homeowners?

Dolese mainly serves contractors, builders and industrial customers rather than individual homeowners, though some yards handle smaller walk-in trade purchases of aggregate. For most projects, you’d go through a contractor who already has a Dolese account.

How many employees does Dolese have?

Dolese employs more than 1,000 people across its Oklahoma and Texas operations, spanning plant labour, equipment operation, engineering, maintenance and delivery driving roles.

Is Dolese a good company to work for?

Employee reviews on Indeed put Dolese at roughly 3.3 out of 5 stars from around 120 reviews, which sits in the middle of the range for industrial employers of this size. As with any employer, it’s worth reading a spread of recent reviews rather than relying on the average score alone, since experience often varies by plant and role.