Weatherton Scholarship Awarded to Three Inspiring Students

The American Concrete Pumping Association is proud to present the 2024 recipients of the Bob Weatherton Scholarship: Leighton Landreth, Isabella Guerini and Katie Glasco. These students embody the leadership and spirit that is integral to the legacy of the late “Big Bob” Weatherton of The Concrete Pump Store in California. Bob served on the ACPA board of directors for more than 40 years and was one of the industry’s most avid champions.

Open to eligible members and their employees and respective families, the Bob Weatherton Scholarship Fund was created for undergraduate, graduate and vocational students in fields related to concrete, concrete pumping, construction and engineering, construction management, and administration and vocational studies related to concrete pumps and trucks.  The scholarship award is paid directly to the school to fund tuition, fees, books and/or room and board provided by the institution.

In its sixth year, the scholarship drew highly qualified and diverse candidates. Members of the ACPA Scholarship Committee served as judges, evaluating submissions separately and submitting scores individually to an independent accounting firm to tabulate the results. The three individuals receiving the greatest number of points were selected as the winners.

LEIGHTON LANDRETH

Being born and raised in the concrete business has certainly shaped my life in more ways than one. My father was a superintendent for a flatwork company when I was born, and when I was seven, my parents opened their own flatwork and foundation company, Landreth Construction. I even learned how to operate a skid-steer when I was nine years old — so you could say I have been around the business for a while! In 2019, my parents decided to start pumping their own slabs, so they opened Bigfoot Concrete Pumping. I have been involved with Bigfoot since the very beginning, and I have seen it grow from just one pump truck, now to 58 pumps in our fleet — ranging from line pumps to placing booms to some of the largest boom trucks in the business!

In high school, I worked in the office at Bigfoot Concrete Pumping. I helped with invoicing, assisted in accounting, sat in on meetings and learned the ins and outs of the business. I also attended the World of Concrete Convention in 2021, and I went with my father to the Betonstar facilities in Wisconsin to buy some pumps in 2022. Since I have been around professionals in the concrete industry my entire life, I have learned more than I ever imagined about the concrete business, and this knowledge has made me fall in love with it.

My passion for our family business has driven me to pursue my bachelor’s degree in business management, with a minor in marketing, at LeTourneau University. I knew I would end up studying on a business pathway as soon as I entered high school. My brain has always been tuned into this entrepreneurial mindset, and it has been fixed on the concrete industry for a long time now. I am always coming up with new business ideas and ways to make my family’s current companies stronger! The skills I am currently learning within LeTourneau’s prestigious school of business are going to assist me in my future endeavors with Bigfoot Concrete Pumping and the rest of Landreth Enterprises.

In addition to my academics, I am also a part of the University’s NCAA DIII softball team. I have been playing softball since I was nine years old, and it is one of my greatest loves. It has developed my athleticism, my mental strength, my leadership capabilities and my determination. Softball has shaped me into who I am today, and I would not be the same without it, as I have learned so much through this challenging sport. I will be going into my senior year of collegiate softball, and I am excited to see what this upcoming season brings!

Although softball is an important part of my life, my family and my faith are even more important. Being a follower of Christ is a huge part of who I am and what I stand for, and my family has helped shape this firm foundation within me. Since my family opened their own businesses, they have always put following God at the center of them. Because of this, they have not only expanded their company, but they have changed countless lives and supported many families. This is such an important part of who my parents are. Their goal and their purpose as business leaders are to provide for families, create a fulfilling working environment, build relationships and develop the character of more business leaders.

As the founder of my school, R.G. LeTourneau, said, “God needs business leaders too.” This statement brought tears to my eyes the first time I read it because it is so true, and it is truly what my family believes in. 

When I graduate college, I will be ready to jump in feet first as a leader and a world-changer within the family businesses and the concrete industry at large. I plan to help develop and expand Bigfoot Concrete Pumping, and through this, I hope to make a positive impact on the lives of those around me. #PumpOn!

ISABELLA GUERINI

Aggregate, cement and water. The three main ingredients of concrete. That’s all I knew growing up.

My name is Isabella Guerini and I am from Pembroke, Massachusetts. This fall I will be a junior at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts, majoring in construction management along with a minor in business management. Growing up with my family being in the construction and design industry inspired my interest to attend Wentworth for construction management. My father is co-owner of our family business, L. Guerini Group Inc., a concrete pumping company out of Mattapan, Massachusetts. L. Guerini has been in business for over 100 years, encompassing three generations. My mother, a freelance artist and designer, ignited my appreciation for design, structure and building. Combining all of these inspirations led me to pursue construction. I am also intrigued by my oldest brother, Nick, who graduated from Wentworth in 2019 majoring in construction management. He now owns his own construction and landscaping company on the south shore, where I also work with him and his crews.

The most important extracurricular activity to me while being at Wentworth has been being a part of the CM Club. I have been an active member of the CM Club since my freshman year, allowing me to create new relationships, not only with students and professors at Wentworth, but also with alumni who are currently in the construction industry. The CM Club has opened so many doors for me, such as attending site visits, alumni nights, women in construction events and company visitations. Taking part in all these activities has helped me gain more knowledge and information about the construction industry and also build my confidence. In the fall of 2022, selected students were able to go to the seaport to visit a construction company, Corderman & Company.

Upon attending, I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere and applied to do a summer co-op there. That summer of my freshman year, I was their summer intern and was able to dip my feet in all construction positions. This summer, I am back for a second co-op and could not be happier! I work two days a week in the offices and two days in the field. I thank the CM Club and club advisor, Professor Michael D’Agostino, for providing such great opportunities at Wentworth for women in construction.

Please consider me for the “Big Bob” Weatherton Scholarship. My dream of being a superintendent in the city of Boston will soon be fulfilled as a result of my hard work, commitment and determination as a woman in construction. This scholarship is desired and will be put to good use toward my education and the inflation of Wentworth’s tuition. My college expenses are my responsibility and I’m working hard to keep up with costs. Thank you for your consideration.

KATIE GLASCO

When I was in high school and getting to know my new boyfriend and his family, I was noticing a theme — a theme of concrete. My boyfriend was just getting started as a line pumper, his dad was a mixer driver and countless other family members were in the industry as well. I remember going to his family functions where everyone was talking about concrete and having no clue what they were talking about: shortrigging this, booming that, mud, z-boom and so forth.  

Shortly after I graduated high school, I was hired as a dispatcher where my boyfriend was working. I was now a part of all their conversations about concrete and began learning what all the different concrete lingo meant. Thankfully I did quite well for myself as a new dispatcher and through the small world of concrete, my name got out there and I received a job offer from another company that was much closer to home and offered substantially higher wages. Shortly after, amid the 2007–2008 recession, I lost my job and decided to dabble in the medical field, which I ultimately decided wasn’t for me. 

One day, I received a voicemail from Brett Young of Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping, asking me if I was interested in coming in for an interview. I immediately called him back, interviewed and got the job. The rest is history. I have now been dispatching at Brundage-Bone for over a decade, I absolutely love my job, and many of the people I am blessed to work with are like family.

I am thankful for that blind date that led me to my husband, and the life we have built together. It has certainly been a rollercoaster of a ride, filled with the adoption of our two boys, my husband’s double lung transplant, going to school for nursing, deciding to change my educational path, and concrete, we can’t forget concrete. I regularly volunteer at my church and local clothing bank. I take pride in giving 100 percent in all that I do and thoroughly enjoy learning. I strive to fill my free time with learning the guitar, piano and Spanish, along with many other things.

I have decided to go back to school for business management in hopes of moving up the ladder and learning other aspects of the pumping industry. I have almost 13 years of experience as a dispatcher. I have owned and helped operate a concrete delivery company, which entailed sales, invoicing, tax preparation and truck maintenance. I have helped line pump and helped with boom parties. I have no problem hopping in and getting my hands dirty to help others, learning along the way.

Over 20 years later, more of my family is in the concrete industry than ever before, and I look forward to seeing what the next 20 years have in store for my family and myself.