Salco Industries, Inc.
Suncrest Area Licensed Contractors, Incorporated, otherwise known as SALCO, Inc., was started in 1988, when entrepreneur, jack-of-all-trades, and local resident, Dwayne Radtke, began doing what he really loved and that is working with large equipment. Dwayne Radtke was born and raised in Steven's County. He grew up just down the road off Highway 291 near mile marker 29.
After finishing high school in 1979, he joined the United States Army and found himself in Stuttgart, Germany working in the communications field. However, upon completing his enlistment, he decided to return home to the Pacific Northwest. Here he began looking for land to purchase.
Radtke bought his first 20-acre parcel in 1982 just minutes from his childhood home. A couple of years later in 1984, he bought another large parcel. He bought with the intent to live modestly in a 10'x55' trailer that was simply powered by a 12 volt electrical system. As he started improving his land, he soon realized he needed to gravel his rather long driveway.
Radtke started investigating rock and discovered he could gravel his own driveway with literally his own rock. So he hired a one-man crushing machine and began graveling the driveway. The project was so successful that Dwayne Radtke eventually hired a larger crushing machine resulting in an initial production of 130,000 tons of gravel and aggregate.
In 1988, he started SALCO, which is a state-of-the-art excavation business. Radtke is able to provide his excavation business customers with professional excavation equipment and services. At the same time, he can provide high-grade, top-quality basalt and granite rock, which has been drawn from the ground right on his own property.
Dwayne Radtke married his wife of 23 years, Angela, in 1988. Angela Marie Radtke is the office manager and bookkeeper for SALCO. Their business includes a fleet of excavating vehicles such as backhoes, dump trucks, and bulldozers in order to professionally excavate areas within and around states from Oregon and Washington to Idaho and Montana.
SALCO mostly performs commercial excavation work including site preparation, utilities, septic system digs, water line installation, road builds, and road enhancements. They perform some residential site work as well providing 5/8”, 3/4”, and/or 1 1/4” basalt rock. SALCO also can provide bull rock and landscaping boulders to area customers if requested.
On the surface, Dwayne Radtke seems to be just a regular guy living the American dream. Yet, after talking with him, he struck me as a modern day renaissance man. He not only owns and operates the excavating and gravel business but he also has been an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), he loves to build, weld, and fabricate, he is a quasi-mechanic, and he is a landlord.
In fact, Dwayne built the facility that houses the SALCO business office and maintenance bays. At the recommendation of a friend, Radtke built enough rooms in his shop facility to rent out space to interested tenants. The Suncrest Library and the Counseling Center currently occupy spaces in his facility. He also built his family home that far exceeds the original trailer in size and comfort.
Furthermore, when one of his vehicles “goes down” and needs repair, Dwayne and his crew typically fix the downed equipment themselves. He explained, “You learn how to do a lot of things in this line of work. Fortunately, I love what I do and it really doesn't seem like work at all.”
I asked Dwayne what was the secret to his success. He enthusiastically responded with heartfelt sincerity, “The customers and people of this community have been absolutely awesome to me! Not to mention, I have a really great family and network of friends that have given me some really good advice that I ran with.”
Excavator, gravel pit owner¸ EMT, welder, fabricator, mechanic, builder, and landlord….quite a lengthy resume but it doesn't stop there. Dwayne and Angela are the proud parents of Amanda, a junior at Washington State University in Pullman, and Brandon, a senior at Lakeside High School. Brandon will be attending Eastern Washington University in Cheney in the Fall on an academic scholarship. Both kids seem to be continuing the family legacy of multi-tasking and high achievement.
As the old saying goes, “Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life!” “That's me!” Dwayne exclaimed. He continued, “I love what I do and I love the customers I support. I have quite a blessed life.”
Call 509-276-6420 or email Salcoindustiresinc@comcast.net for high quality excavating service and support.