Wendy Bush is part of an increasingly rare species: the lifelong employee.
Bush started work for Dyke Industries Inc. of Little Rock the month after she received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Arkansas Tech University at Russellville in 1983. Thirty-two years later, she still feels no need to look anywhere else for career fulfillment.
“It was amazing,” she said. “You don’t realize when you start a job where your future is going to take you. I’ve just been very blessed that this job has continued to challenge me.”
Dyke Industries is a fourth-generation family-owned business that sells building materials through 13 locations in nine states. The headquarters in Little Rock employs about 20 people, including Bush and her seven direct reports, most of whom have also worked for Dyke Industries for many years.
The company is a perennial entry on Arkansas Business’ list of the state’s largest private companies, although its revenue is estimated since the ownership is intensely private about those things. The most recent list, which appeared in May, estimated Dyke’s 2014 revenue at $100 million.
Bush started as assistant treasurer and was promoted to treasurer in 1992. “I never have two days alike, never,” Bush said. “There’s always something new.”
The new things often fall in the categories of technology and regulation. Embracing technology allows Dyke Industries to become more efficient. Regulation — not so much. Understanding and adapting to government requirements like the Affordable Care Act “is the most difficult challenge,” Bush said.
As a manager, she looks for people with the right attitude who can fit into the corporate culture. “When I hire people I tell them, ‘I am not a micromanager,’” Bush said. “I like to have people who can think for themselves, who can take a project and run with it.”
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