While growing up in Thompson, Ohio, Robert C. Sidley learned every aspect of his family’s mining and gravel business. Bob’s hardworking nature and desire to become accomplished were evident at age nine when he negotiated his first weekly paycheck at a $1.00 per day rate with his father, R.W. Sidley.

Bob attended Cleveland’s Case Institute of Technology and earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Upon graduating from Case, he served three years in the U.S. Air Force. Bob became President of R.W. Sidley in 1961, succeeding his late father in a leadership role that would help propel the company into a multi-faceted organization capable of supporting mega-scale building and construction projects across the country and Canada. During Bob’s tenure, he expanded the family-owned business to include Precast Concrete, Block Manufacturing, J.P. Jenks Commercial Trucking, and numerous Building Supply Centers throughout Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

Bob is an avid equestrian lover and pillar of Ohio’s standardbred industry. His devotion to horse racing spans six decades. Together with his wife, Polly, the couple has raised and managed over 1,000 standardbreds on their farms in Lake County and beyond. Bob is a former recipient of the U.S. Trotting Association’s (USTA) President’s Award, and served as the Association’s Treasurer for over 20 years. He is a past President of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association and a current member of the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame.

Bob has always been quick to attribute much of the company’s success to the talents and commitment of its employees, whom he encourages to have a propensity for profit, a sense of accountability, and treat everyone with respect. Over the years, he has shared his favorite piece of advice with practically everyone he encounters: “Enjoy every day, and if you don’t, do something about it.”

In 2002, Bob stepped down as President and became R.W. Sidley’s Chairman of the Board. The transition provided the continuity for the company to deliver on its integrated approach as a customer-focused construction material supplier and solutions provider.

Today, Bob remains active in the company leading our aggregates and mining division. Bob’s devotion to the company is strong as ever and his forward thinking can be seen throughout the silica operations. He continually drives his team to focus on the customer’s specification to ensure they get the highest quality products possible.