Emery Sapp & Sons buys Joplin firm

Emery Sapp & Sons Inc. has acquired Swift Construction Co., a Joplin asphalt and construction material recycling firm.

The employee-owned Columbia-based heavy civil construction company, which operates branches in Springfield and Kansas City, closed on the purchase Dec. 31 for an undisclosed amount, according to a news release.

Swift Asphalt will continue to operate under the same name and same management, though it will be under the supervision of David Roling, branch manager and vice president of Emery Sapp & Sons Inc. in Springfield.

“Emery Sapp & Sons has been evaluating the expansion into the asphalt paving business for quite some time," said Keith Bennett, chief financial officer for Emery Sapp & Sons, in the release. "It has been important to us that if we expanded in to this market, we find the right partner in the right location and more importantly, a partner that shares our core values and dedication to excellence. We believe that Swift and its employees will be a perfect fit into our company culture."

Founded in 1977, Swift now employs 50. The employees join Emery Sapp & Sons' staff of roughly 450.