The History of Orange Crush

Orange Crush, LLC’s entry into the highway and roadbuilding industry began with the awarding of the Irving Park Road paving project in 1930. However, the company’s roots actually go back more than 120 years, when Joseph Palumbo first immigrated to Chicago from Salerno, Italy in 1896.

Joe Palumbo was a horse-trader until the mid-1930s, when he and his sons, Samuel (Sam) and Antonio (Tony), started a scavenger hauling company. At the end of World War II, Sam and Tony, along with their father, expanded the business into a scavenger hauling and excavation business known as Palumbo Bros. Inc.

After that first Irving Park paving job, the company continued building a name for itself in the highway and roadbuilding industry by being among the first companies to implement the latest innovations in roadbuilding technology. These innovations included using pneumatic tires instead of hard tires on dump trucks and loading the trucks via high-lift machinery.

The company purchased its first asphalt plant in 1968 and began supplying hot asphalt to other contractors in addition to paving its own projects. In 1991 its name was changed to Orange Crush, LLC, commemorating the purchase of its first crusher (an asphalt and concrete recycler) as well as its orange company color.

Orange Crush, LLC is currently owned and managed by Sebastian (Sam) Palumbo. Its total of five asphalt plant and crusher facilities makes Orange Crush, LLC one of the largest asphalt producers in Illinois.

With its asphalt-producing capabilities, fleet of more than 100 trucks and several hundred pieces of heavy construction equipment, Orange Crush, LLC has completed thousands of highway and roadbuilding projects. It’s also provided services and materials for more than 500 customers in Cook County, Dupage County, Lake County, Kane County and Will County. It continues to deliver high quality craftsmanship on time and within budget.

Orange Crush, LLC’s success is also due to the experience and dedication of its more than 200 laborers, operators and teamsters, as well as 35 full-time accounting, estimating, project management and support staff employees. Most employees have an average of 20 years with the company.

“The integration of clearly defined professional and family values has always been the foundation of our thriving business,” says Sam Palumbo. “The Palumbo family’s primary focus has been to embed their family values into their business policies and practices. This has been the cornerstone of our multi-generational success. Employees that have worked for the Palumbo family over the years have been able to grow and learn because the family was right there in the midst of the action — by fitting the right tools, equipment and resources with the right employees.

“We’ve also succeeded by making customer satisfaction our top priority. We are willing to do whatever is necessary to get the project completed, whether it’s working long hours or on a Saturday, keeping the plant open late, opening it on a weekend, or providing extra equipment, crews and trucking when necessary.”

We are willing to do whatever is necessary to get the project completed, whether it’s working long hours or on a Saturday, keeping the plant open late, opening it on a weekend, or providing extra equipment, crews and trucking when necessary.

Sam Palumbo