Atlas Foundation Company Celebrates 60 Years in Business
Burleson, Texas-based Atlas Foundation Company, Inc. is celebrating 60 years of providing expert foundation repair services to homeowners in the Greater Fort Worth area.
Atlas Foundation Company, Inc. was founded by Willard Murdock on three simple principles: Honesty, Quality, and Integrity. Prior to starting the foundation repair company, Murdock worked as a residential flooring contractor. He quickly realized that before new flooring could be installed, the homes he and his brothers worked on had to first be leveled. In 1958, Murdock left the flooring business and started Atlas Foundation Company, specializing in pier and beam foundation repair.
In 1978, Murdock handed control of the company to his daughter and son-in-law. Together, Glenn and Mary Ford worked tirelessly to carry on Murdock’s tradition of honest and excellent workmanship. To keep overhead low, Mary ran the office out of the couple’s home and passed the savings along to their growing list of clients.
In addition to growing the company, Glenn and Mary were also raising a family. In time their sons, Darrel and Lonnie, joined the family business. Darrel Ford says, “Our dad believed in making us start from the ground up when we decided to learn the business. You can’t do this job right if you do not understand every aspect of the repairs.” Through hard work and dedication, the brothers rose through the ranks from unskilled laborers to crew foremen, eventually helping write estimates and handling the day-to-day operations of the company.
In 1995, Glenn and Mary retired and passed the baton to the capable hands of their sons.
The brothers say a lot has changed over the years. “Originally we started with drilled piers,” says Lonnie. “Now we install concrete and steel pressed pilings. We find that they are much more affordable and reliable and they can be installed with minimal disturbance to the landscaping.”
Atlas Foundation Company has evolved and grown in order to stay at the forefront of the industry, but Willard Murdock’s core values of “Honesty, Quality and Integrity” are still the guiding principles by which the company operates. Those principles have served them well. The company continues to grow, in large part because of referrals by satisfied customers throughout Tarrant County. The company is listed on the Good Contractors website and maintains an A+ Rating by the Better Business Bureau. Atlas Foundation Company has been awarded the BBB Golden Torch award, was a finalist for the Greater Tarrant County Business Ethics Award presented by the Neeley School of Business and have twice received the coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, most recently in 2017.
Darrel Ford says, “We strive to treat our customers as we would a member of our family.” And that’s saying a lot. Atlas Foundation Company is a success story that was built on family loyalty. With Darrel and Lonnie at the helm, other family members help manage the day-to-day operations of the business. Darrel’s wife, Christy manages the office and their daughter, Lindsay, oversees marketing and works in the office helping customers as they call in. Lonnie’s son, Kyler, oversees a crew and is also being trained from the ground up. Phillip and Bobby, Superintendents, have both been with Atlas for over 18 years. They are an integral part in the day-to-day operations and oversee each job that is completed correctly.
Eventually, Darrel and Lonnie will hand the reins to Kyler and Lindsay who will take over as the fourth-generation of owners.
When you need reliable, affordable foundation repair in Fort Worth or the surrounding areas call Atlas Foundation Company at 817-478-1181.
