LEADERS OF THE Midwest family of companies outside the office at 1910 N. Stephenson Ave. in Iron Mountain. From left are Dave Steinbeck, manager of Verso Operations for Gauthier Excavating; Nick Krackenberger, estimator, IT tech and office coordinator; Bob Broullire, supervisor/manager of Midwest Redi Mix; Taylor Basile, manager of the Asphalt Doctor; Julie Osieczonek, office manager/accountant; Kevin Romitti, owner, Diane Stanley, CFO/business advisor; Doug Lantagne, shop manager; Leonard Santi, supervisor/manager of Midwest Gravel; and John Bal, supervisor of Gauthier Excavating. Not shown is Thomas Bowden, supervisor/manager of Wilbert Burial Vaults. (Theresa Proudfit/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — “The key to running a successful business,” said Kevin Romitti of Iron Mountain, “is finding the right people who really care and then giving them the opportunity to earn a decent living.”

He should know. After two decades, his Midwest family of companies employs 40 people and provides nearly $3 million dollars in payroll wages to the area.

But while Romitti is sole owner of this multi-million-dollar conglomerate, he quickly gives the credit to the solid leadership in all eight divisions of the organization.

“The reason it is succeeding,” he insists, “is we are able to have this synergy with all these companies, and I have terrific, fabulous leaders.”

Dave Steinbeck is the manager of Verso operations for Gauthier Excavating, who heads up the industrial division of hydro excavation and water blasting. “Dave Steinbeck is unbelievable; he is personable, smart and he can do anything,” Romitti said.

John Bal, supervisor of Gauthier Excavating, oversees multiple projects for Gauthier and Midwest, “Johnny Bal — the guy started here as a mechanic and now he is running a multi-million dollar division,” Romitti said.

Leonard Santi is supervisor/manager of Midwest Gravel. “Len is a self-taught guru of the asphalt plant, crushing and screening operations,” Romitti said.

With a condensed office staff for the eight divisions — Midwest Gravel Inc., Midwest Asphalt & Gravel Inc., Midwest Redi Mix, Wilbert Burial Vaults of Escanaba, Gauthier Excavating LLC, Asphalt Doctor, Best Sweep and Romitti Properties — under one roof in Iron Mountain, Romitti made sure to have influential leaders in place.

Along with Steinbeck, Bal and Santi, he has Nick Krackenberger, estimator, IT tech and office coordinator; Thomas Bowden, supervisor/manager of Wilbert Burial Vaults; Bob Broullire, supervisor/manager of Midwest Redi Mix; Taylor Basile, manager of the Asphalt Doctor; Doug Lantagne, shop manager; Julie Osieczonek, office manager/accountant; and Diane Stanley, chief financial officer/business advisor.

Romitti didn’t take a direct route to becoming a regional force in asphalt and concrete.

After graduating from Niagara High School in 1974, Romitti went to barber school and business school, graduating from Northeastern Wisconsin Technical Institute in 1975 and Fox Valley Tech in 1977. He earned a bachelor degree in business before starting Hairlines in 1981 and was in the hair business for 20 years.

But something wasn’t right. A life coach recommended Romitti go back to “playing in the dirt.”

“I was not happy going to work, and I decided I needed to do something different. I started building garages and doing dirt work, and I really liked the dirt work,” Romitti said.

In 1998, he established Kevin Romitti DBA Midwest Gravel with his two sons, Mario and Angelo, selling crushed gravel for site preparation, basements, road building and concrete work.

They eventually picked up asphalt paving, which soon became a passion for Romitti.

“I started doing cement, and my kids were with me, and they just loved it,” he said.

But in 2005, the economy was slowing down and after much “thought and struggle,” Romitti disbanded the company and returned to barbering and teaching at the former Guidelines hair styling school in Iron Mountain.

At the same time, several of his former employees and business associates, including Dave Steinbeck, formed Midwest Asphalt & Gravel Inc., specializing in asphalt paving and driveway preparations.

But Romitti couldn’t stay away long. After about a year, he returned to the business selling trucked gravel and sand as Midwest Gravel Inc.

When the housing crash came in 2007, seasonal businesses were in peril and Steinbeck decided to take a year-round job, selling the remainder of Asphalt & Gravel Inc. back to Romitti.

Romitti told Steinbeck at the time, “I think the economy is going to come back, and I have some equity. I’m gonna try to keep this thing going, and I can cut hair in the winter.”

So he continued his hair business in the offseason while riding out the recession.

“Everybody’s got a take a risk,” Romitti explained, adding, “You can starve to death in a seasonal business and never retain good employees.”

However, to be successful in the long run, Romitti knew they needed to diversify. “We had to somehow make this a year-round company, so we could grow and retain great employees,” he said.

So in 2008, they added Fayas and Sons Asphalt Paving and Twin City Concrete. “This allowed the company to grow with seasoned employees and diversification,” Romitti said.

Wilbert Burial Vaults of Escanaba was purchased in 2010, the former Ed Gauthier and Sons in 2012 and then he eventually picked up The Asphalt Doctor and Best Sweep.

With each acquisition, Romitti said he kept a solid team in place.

“These guys that are our division heads, our company, every year, sets money aside for these guys, that stays in within the company and the company is actually giving them the down payment to buy them out eventually. We have guys that have vested interest. And then they will be able to sell their shares to the next owners,” Romitti said.

He is grateful that, with their assistance, those businesses have remained successful.

“The reason this works is I have great people,” Romitti said. “It’s been a helluva’ ride, and I love it.”