Merced-Ventura-Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Polich, Tom P. 1888 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 13, 2006, 5:15 am Author: John Outcalt (1925) TOM P. POLICH Among the busy business men of California, one who has made his own way in the world is Tom P. Polich, a member of the corporation known as the United Concrete Pipe & Construction Company, with its main office in Ventura and branch factories in Merced, Woodland, and Santa Maria, besides the plant at Ventura. The beginning of this industry was made by Tom P. Polich in 1919, at Merced, when he started the Polich Construction Company. The business was carried on by him for a short time, and then, in 1920, he sold a half interest to B. J. Ukropina and Steve Krai, of Ventura, who are still his partners; and at this time the name became the Merced Concrete Pipe Company. This concern continued the business, gradually expanding year by year, until in 1924 they consolidated with the United Concrete Pipe Company of Ventura, which concern was owned by Steve Krai and B. J. Ukropina. Soon after the consolidation, the name became the United Concrete Pipe & Construction Company, Inc., with its principal business office in Ventura, as mentioned above. This corporation employ from sixty to 300 men in their work; and they are equipped to do all kinds of concrete work, manufacturing and laying concrete pipe, building concrete bridges, concrete roads, and foundations for buildings, and installing complete irrigation systems anywhere in California or elsewhere. In fact, no concrete job is too big for them to handle and successfully complete. Tom Polich was born in Serbia on March 22, 1888, and attended the common schools of his native land up to the time he decided he would come to the United States, which he did in 1905. He could not speak English, and he had only about forty dollars in his pocket after arriving in Los Angeles. He did not wait for a job to come to him, however; he sought the job, and worked at any employment that would yield an honest living, at first. He gradually worked into the concrete business, first in the employ of Bent Brothers, where he began by sprinkling newly made pipe; and from that he went through the various departments until he knew concrete pipe manufacture from start to finish and became a competent and experienced workman. He worked for G. T. McIntyre as general foreman, and later as superintendent of his business in Ventura. Then he was superintendent for Turner and Seppe, of Whittier, and afterwards went to Van Nuys as superintendent for the Valley Concrete Pipe Company, and remained with them for two and one-half years. Each year he had improved his opportunities and saved his money; and during the time he was in Van Nuys, he was deciding whether he would give up a salaried position to embark in business for himself. He decided upon the latter course. After giving due notice of his resignation, Mr. Polich spent five months traveling over the State looking for a suitable location in which to establish himself, and finally selected Merced as having the best future for his business. In 1919 he established the Polich Construction Company, and his first work was the installation of a complete irrigation system for the California Packing Corporation at their orchard at Tuttle. This contract consisted in laying sixty miles of concrete pipe throughout their 4000-acre orchard of peaches and apricots, the largest orchard in the world in one body. From that beginning, the concrete business of the company has steadily grown until it has reached its present proportions, and is still on the increase, for the company plan considerable extensions. Some of the contracts the company have filled in Merced County are the construction of the John Muir school building; a number of concrete bridges throughout the county; the large outfall and sanitary sewer for Merced, using 30,000 feet of concrete pipe of their own manufacture; eight miles of concrete highway; considerable work for the Merced Irrigation District, which required especially large pipe; work on the Titus ranch near Livingston; and many irrigation systems for ranchers throughout the county in general. In all this work, Mr. Polich has been a busy participant. Fraternally, Mr. Polich is a Mason, holding membership in Yosemite Lodge No. 99, F. & A. M., at Merced, and in the Oakland Consistory of the thirty-second degree, Scottish Rite Masons, and Aahmes Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., in Oakland. He is a member of the Long Beach Pyramid of Sciots, the Knights of Pythias of Merced, and the D. O. K. K., in Fresno. Mr. Polich believes in progress along all lines, and is an enthusiastic Californian by adoption. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY CALIFORNIA WITH A Biographical Review OF The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified with Its Growth and Development from the Early Days to the Present HISTORY BY JOHN OUTCALT ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 1925 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/merced/bios/polich723nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb