MOUNT VERNON — A new design on an Ellis Brothers Concrete truck signals the company’s investment in the future and its pride in partnering with the Knox County Career Center building trades program.
The company sports the career center’s name, logo, and motto on the truck driven by John Bricker.
Jordan Ellis said the company wanted to show its support to the career center and future generations that will graduate through the building trades program.
“This partnership means a lot to us. Not only do we hire graduates regularly, but we also see this school as a cornerstone of our local workforce and our industry itself,” she said.
“We have hired a lot of talented people from here and would like to continue on this tradition and help in any way that we know how.”
Ellis presented a $2,000 check for the building trades student activity account. The donation will help cover costs associated with drug-free programming and job-related needs, such as boots or tools.
In the future, Ellis Brothers will donate 50 cents for every yard of concrete the truck hauls.
“We’re just very grateful for the partnership. It’s been a long one, and we’re so grateful that it’s continuing and that they’re showcasing our partnership on one of their trucks,” Career Center Supt. Katherine Greenich said.
John Ellis said the company is proud to train students, give them a position, and then hire them after graduation.
“It’s a platform for kids to launch from, and we want them to be successful in whatever career path they choose. If they stay with us, that’s great. If they want to springboard and go on to other things, that’s great, too,” he said.
Homegrown talent
“The truck represents not only our ongoing commitment, but it also is a sign of our pride in our own community and our own homegrown talent,” he said.
“Our homegrown kids are very important to all industries, and we depend on those future kids to help us build infrastructure and contribute to the community.”
Catherine Colopy began working for United Aggregates, the sand and gravel division of the Ellis Companies, at the age of 16.
“They have given me so many opportunities since the time I was a teenager, and they continue to do that,” the 2022 career center graduate said.
A couple of 2025 grads, Blake Green and Aiden Kennedy, also worked for Ellis Brothers while in school. One week after graduating, they took their commercial driver’s license test and now drive full-time for Ellis Brothers.
Green said the building and trades program taught him accountability, work ethic, and hard work.
“Clip [instructor Colby Clippinger] pushed us to work really hard,” he said.
“Concrete was a lot of the work we did. We got to get really good with using concrete, learning about it, and then come to Ellis and put that knowledge to use,” Kennedy said.
“I don’t think there was one kid coming out of our lab without an idea or a place that they were going. We were set up for the outside world.”
“I loved it. I really loved going to school. I’d wake up and wanted to go to school.”
Blake Green
“As an educator you want kids to love what they do and wow, you just heard it. They love coming to school,” Greenich said.
“They have put so many different talents into our community and have made a difference. That’s what we’re about: preparing students for success.”
Committing to the building trades program
Greenich said Ellis’ ongoing partnership is significant because it means the company is committing to the program, not an individual instructor.
“We are very, very grateful for that and grateful for the donation and the ongoing 50 cents per yard,” she said. “That will be great for the building trades program.”
