Have you ever driven in Broward County or Palm Beach County in Florida? If so, there’s a good chance that Bob Elmore paved those roads.
Elmore was born and raised in New Castle, PA, about 55 miles north of Pittsburgh. His grandparents had a farm, and Elmore lived beside the family farm until 1937 when he enrolled at Penn State University. He liked Penn State’s College of Physics and Chemistry and the overall feel of the university.
It was there Elmore joined the Epsilon chapter of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity in 1937. Life was not easy for him as money was an issue because his parents lost his education fund due to the Great Depression. Elmore knew he would have to work hard through college, and he did. He waited tables across the street from the Pink Elephant (Penn State’s chapter house), and this job helped reduce his “house bill” in half. In addition to waiting tables, Elmore also pressed the members’ clothes. “Delta Sig was the only chapter that had a press machine, and I knew how to work it,” Elmore stated. He pressed everyones clothes in just two hours that would last every brother a week. Elmore also worked hard on his leadership skills. In 1940, he became Epsilon Chapter’s president, and oversaw a healthy chapter of 50 men.
In 1941, Elmore graduated and started to work for Homestead Steel Work near Pittsburgh making $150/month (a new Chevy was $600 back then). During his time in the steel industry, he worked on the Manhattan Project, but no one knew what they were working on until the Manhattan Project was complete, which developed the Atomic bomb. After five years in the steel industry, he realized that this line of work would not be a career for him and submitted his notice in 1946.
While growing up, Elmore worked with an uncle who had a paving company, and in the summer of 1946, Elmore started his own paving company, Hardrives Co. His company started work in Mt. Lebanon, PA, just outside Pittsburgh. Shortly after starting his initial jobs, it rained for two weeks straight. He was down to $15 in his checking account and was worried about making payroll. On a Friday morning, it cleared and was dry enough to lay the asphalt. His first drive was for a man named Williamson who paid him $150 for Elmore’s excellent work. In 1946, he moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL and had a very successful winter. He sold his business in Pittsburgh and focused his efforts in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Hardrives paved service stations, parking lots, home driveways, and soon paved city streets, major highways and interstates. In the early days of his success, he also started a rock company and an excavation company. Through the years, his organization grew to 500 employees. Today, Elmore is in semi-retirement at 87 years old. He has sold his interest in the companies, but still goes to work every day.
Elmore believes very strongly that Delta Sigma Phi helped him become the successful man he is today. He learned how to solve problems effectively and the value of hard work. In addition to a solid work ethic, the Fraternity instilled manners into every man that was living in the Pink Elephant – everyone knew what being a gentleman meant.
Because Elmore has been fortunate throughout his life, he is able to give back. He provided a gift of one million dollars to Penn State and formed the Elmore Clinical Wing in the Noll Laboratory for medical research. He has recently assisted with some housing improvements to the Pink Elephant, and visits campus from time to time.
During the holiday season, all the brothers and pledges would get together and write inappropriate poems and jokes about one another. He didn’t feel this was appropriate and discussed it with their Faculty Advisor, Dr. Tom Ziggler. After 1937, their Pink Elephant Christmases were more appropriate with presents, decorations, and singing Christmas carols.
Over the years, Elmore has always been appreciative of several mentors. “My father taught me the value of hard work; my uncle introduced me to the paving industry, and Dr. Ziggler provided good support to me at Penn State.”
His advice to Delta Sigma Phi undergrads is “find something you like and find something that’s needed. If you find something that makes you happy and you find something that’s productive – that’s what counts. Work at it; be the best; be ethical; and be honest.
Elmore resides in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He has five children, fourteen grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
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