As a young man, Charles Blalock dreamed of providing for his family. He was fourth in a family of thirteen children, and he wanted to ensure that he and his siblings all had an opportunity to better themselves and their own families. Armed with little formal education but with the gifts of vision and perseverance, he set out to build a profitable business that would support the family he held so dear. Little did he realize his venture would grow into several multi-million dollar companies operating in two states and employing more than 700 people.

During his teen years and early twenties, Charlie held various odd jobs in an effort to help support his younger siblings and to build his own future. During the Depression he found work in Ohio with his brother Lillard and one of their cousins. After returning home, Charlie joined the WPA and worked on building roads in the mountains. Later he enlisted with the Civilian Conservation Corps and worked on various projects in the East Tennessee area. However, it was his earlier experience on a road crew that sparked an interest in Charlie, and after the Depression he started building roads through the mountains under the supervision of John Humburg.

Charlie gave most of his earnings to his family, but he was able to save a little for himself. He decided to start his own business, so in 1935 Charlie started Blalock Lumber Company with the purchase of a steam-powered portable sawmill. As his business grew, Charlie began looking toward the future and to establishing some permanency in his life. He married Lila Blanche Watson in 1937, and within two years they had two sons, Charles Bryan and Sidney.

Charlie Blalock, however, was never a man to sit still. With the threat of another world war looming overhead, Charlie saw an opportunity to help the war effort and his family at the same time. He moved his young family into the town of Sevierville, where he established a permanent sawmill. With his new sawmill, Charlie manufactured pallets for the war effort over the next several years.

After World War II, Charlie decided to expand both his business and his family. His third son, Jim, was born at the same time Charlie added a planer mill and a dry kiln to the sawmill. He also opened a grocery store beside the sawmill, which his brother Bill helped operate. Next he formed a new company, Blalock Hardware, with his brother Ralph. Then Charlie entered into residential/commercial construction with his brother, Clyde. Finally, Charlie and his youngest brother, Ted, branched into excavation with the purchase of his first Cat D-6 bulldozer (still covered with military paint). Blanche supported all of Charlie’s endeavors by acting as bookkeeper in addition to caring for their growing family.

In 1950, Charlie purchased property on the south side of Gatlinburg Highway near the middle prong of the Little Pigeon River. He used this property to construct a ready-mix concrete plant. Blanche gave up her bookkeeping duties and became the concrete plant manager and truck dispatcher. In 1953, he moved his family to his present home overlooking the ready-mix plant and the river.

Charlie believed in working hard to grow a business, and he instilled this strong work ethic into his sons. As young teenagers, Bryan and Sid (and later Jim) worked in the business during summer vacations from school. In 1955, Blalock Lumber Company was awarded its first contract from the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and Bryan and Sid worked with their father on this project. After graduating in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1961, Bryan and Sid returned to the company determined to help their father expand into road building.

In 1963, Charlie joined his sons in forming Charles Blalock & Sons, Inc., a new venture dedicated to road construction. Charlie, Bryan, and Sid managed this young company, with Jim joining them upon his graduation from the University of Tennessee. In the middle 1970’s, Charlie decided his sons were doing a good job running the road construction business and that it was time he moved on to other things. By this time Charles Blalock & Sons had expanded to include an asphalt division, concrete structures division, and a utilities division. Blalock Lumber Company was selling ready-mix concrete and concrete block exclusively, and Blalock Hardware sold other building materials and hardware to area contractors.

Today the companies Charles Blalock helped to build are still going strong. All are well established in the Sevier County area, with Charles Blalock & Sons, Inc. operating throughout East Tennessee and into Western North Carolina. When taken together the Blalock companies employ over 700 people year round, adding an additional 200 during the busy summer months. Since Bryan Blalock's death in 1998, Sid and Jim have remained active in the businesses and now share their responsibilities with an expanded management team. Doug Blalock (Bryan's son) and Allen Blalock (Ted's son) supervise large private developments and state highway excavation projects. Kevin Blalock (Sid's son) oversees the concrete and building materials operations. Dan Blalock (Clyde's son) serves as the corporate treasurer. Julie Hardin (Sid's daughter) and Nikelle Burke (Jim's daughter) manage several administrative areas of the companies. Today's management team merges Charlie Blalock's vision and his sons' commitment to customers to position the Blalock companies for many more years of sustainable growth.

The story of the Blalock companies is a true American success story. One man’s vision of what could be, brought to fruition by hard work, is today a thriving, forward-looking enterprise that has helped shape the progress of an entire region.