Joseph J. Grieve, Sr. (Joe) grew up in the area of north Denver, Colorado. Joe began working at a young age with his father in his ice delivery business. From his father he learned the meaning of hard work and customer service, sometimes delivering ice around the clock and through the weekend. Beginning full-time employment at a young age, Joe worked for Federal Produce located in the Denargo Market, then later he worked for H&B Lumber Company. Joe, much like his father, had a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to own his own business. Joe utilized the profit sharing benefits he earned at the H&B Lumber company to buy his first dump truck in April of 1974. On April 10, 1979, Joseph J. Grieve Trucking became incorporated as Joseph J. Grieve, Inc.
Working hard and saving money, Joe was able to purchase a second truck within his first few years of operation. Finding a driver for the new truck was easy. Joe’s brother Ron was raised with the same work ethic and sense of family loyalty, so he was the perfect choice.
Adding a truck periodically throughout the years and having as many as eight trucks parked in front of his parents’ house made him, at times, unpopular with the neighbors. Soon, he was forced to find a yard and shop to house his growing business. Joe found his first location for his trucks by renting from Tom Martinez Trucking Co. in Denver. In 1982, eager to own his own property, Joe found a one-acre lot and built a shop to house his growing fleet at 5535 Logan St. in Denver. By purchasing additional equipment such as tandems, adding pup trailers and end dump trailers, Joe’s services diversified into hauling asphalt, aggregates and dirt for housing developments and pipeline projects.
Due to industry trends, and demands, Joe’s forward thinking and ability to always look for the next opportunity to grow, he purchased his first belly dump trailer, allowing him to haul dirt and other materials more efficiently, while simultaneously opening avenues in order to gain a much larger customer base.
As the company grew, Joe began working on larger projects around Colorado such as the Hidden Lake/ I-76 project, running day and night shifts. His trucks also worked on the Presbyterian St. Luke’s hospital, C-470 construction and countless other projects. Continuing to add trucks due to growing demand, he moved his business to 5390 Tennyson in 1989. Through the 90s Joe’s trucks worked on the demolition of Stapleton Airport and on the new Denver International Airport. With the booming Denver Metro housing market, his trucks were always on the go. In the 2000s, his trucks worked on Northwest Parkway and I-25 North expansion. Once again, due to customer demand and the desire to be on the forefront of efficient earth moving and aggregate hauling, Joe purchased his first side dump in 2004. Seeing the versatility to haul material quickly it became an essential piece of equipment to meet customer needs.
We tragically lost Joe to cancer in 2008. Knowing his desire to be a family owned and operated company his children have successfully ran Joseph J. Grieve, Inc. since his passing. From 2008 forward, the fleet of Grieve Trucking has grown to 30 trucks, with access to over 20 independent haulers through our partners at Grieve Logistics, Inc. Recent office remodeling and service shop expansions have been necessary due to the company’s growth. We are so proud to continue the family-owned business our Dad worked so hard to build.