In October 1955, Two brothers, T.O. Kelley and E.L. Kelley, founded the main division in which would be one of the most well-known companies around. They called it Kelley Companies, and the main branch's name was called Kelley Brothers Contracting. On that day, the Kelley brothers changed the lives of many people for better. There was a famous statement which defined the way of life for the Kelleys. That statement goes like this, “ What sets ordinary men from extroadinary men is the limits of their dreams”. The dreams erupting from these men were without limits, their goals were high, and their determination was colossal. These attributes set them apart from the known world and helped them to succeed.
As business was going well for the brothers, A distributorship in Wayne County for propane went up for bids, and the Kelley brothers took advantage of the opportunity and used it well. They acquired it and deemed the name to be Local LP Gas and it became the second division of the company.
As time went on, there was a particular pattern that caught the eye of the young Kelley brothers. That pattern was that their highest cost per month was fuel! So the brothers decided to buy the next oil distributorship that came up for bids. That's when the oil industry was mixed into the propane industry and Local LP Gas came to its full height in Kelley Company history. This was in exciting moment for the brothers.
As the oil industry boomed, The need for another office was apparent to the Kelley brothers and they acted upon it swiftly. In the late 1970s, An office was was established in Flomaton, Alabama to support the demand for oil contracting in that area. They began to realize that timber was also a major expense , so the brothers made the decision to station Al-Tom Forest Products in Green County, MS.
With the second generation holding the reins, the companies began to expand even further. In order to enlarge the sawmill and logging operations, they purchased an existing sawmill in Clarke County, MS which came to be known as Kelwood Products. Today, the two sawmills produce over 3 million feet of lumber per year and each have their own logging crews.
As the oilfield industry thrived in Mississippi and surrounding states, many of the operators of these fields began to see an increase in the environmental regulations that the government issued. From oil spills and soil contamination to NORM concerns, the Kelley brothers recognized another business opportunity. In 1998, Complete Environmental & Remediation Company was created. Since then, Complete has expanded and now has two service sites, one in Mississippi and the other in Alabama.
As the saying goes, “like father, like son” Tommy, Jerry, and Terry Kelley noticed that the largest expense that Complete paid every month was for testing. In 2000, EDL Labs, a full service environmental laboratory was acquired. The lab is conveniently located in Hattiesburg, MS
In the past 50 years, Kelley Brothers Contractors has evolved into a highly respected, multi-faceted organization. Our company has a unique knack for recognizing business opportunities that result in synergies which contribute to each other.