Just north of Boston, the Wilmington landscape is defined not by skyscrapers, but by the towering stockpiles and jagged gray benches of the Benevento Companies quarry.
Here, the air is thick with the rhythmic hum of primary crushers and the roar of the 45-ton orange articulated haulers navigating the steep, winding haul roads. It’s a choreography of heavy steel: Massive wheel loaders use buckets to dip into mounds of crushed ledge with surgical precision and keep the steady stream of material moving toward the asphalt and concrete plants that feed the region’s infrastructure.
Benevento Companies is a family-owned pillar of the New England aggregate market. It has carved its legacy into the local landscape for more than nine decades.
What Michael Benevento began in 1934 has evolved into a powerhouse of vertical integration, where raw ledge is transformed into essential stone, sand, asphalt and concrete. Michael’s son, John, eventually joined his father after serving in World War II. Later, John’s son, Charlie, became the third-generation Benevento to work for the company.
Today, the company is transitioning into its fourth generation of leadership, with Johnny Benevento, 32, serving as COO and Michael Benevento (great-grandson of the founder).
“Growing up, we always had skid steers, bulldozers and excavators in our yard,” Johnny says. “I just thought that was normal, like having a lawn tractor. I remember coming to the quarry as a kid, getting up early to go to work with my dad, grabbing some Dunkin’ Donuts and rubbing the crusties out of my eyes at 5:00 in the morning wondering: ‘What are we doing?’”
Johnny and Michael are taking the reins alongside longtime veterans like Tim Allard, general manager of the Benevento sand and stone division.
“I oversee the Wilmington quarries and all the New Hampshire sandpits and quarries, plus all the trucking and sales for the sand and stone side of the business,” Allard says.
While the company has experienced significant growth in the last 10 years – adding more employees and equipment – the core philosophy remains rooted in a simple, old-school Benevento family mantra: “Don’t be lazy,” Johnny says.
This grit is paired with a strategic shift in machinery. As the company expands its footprint into the New Hampshire market with new sandpits and concrete plants, it is increasingly relying on a fleet of Develon construction equipment to keep pace with demand.
This includes DL550-7 wheel loaders and DA45-5 articulated dump trucks sourced from Equipment East. In an industry that can be resistant to change, the Benevento family is proving that nearly a century of tradition isn’t a weight to carry, but a platform upon which to build.
Operational philosophy
At Benevento Companies, the transition from the office to the quarry floor is more than just a commute; it’s a core component of the company’s leadership style.
For COO Johnny Benevento, the “get up and go to work” approach he learned as a child remains the driving force behind the company’s daily operations. While his title places him in the executive suite, Johnny is just as likely to be found in the seat of a dozer or grader, maintaining the haul roads that keep the Wilmington site humming.
This hands-on approach serves a dual purpose: It keeps leadership connected to the realities of the field and fosters a culture of mutual respect with the crew.
“I’m in the office a little more than I’d like to be, but I need to be,” Johnny says. “I’m always happy to spend a few hours helping the guys wherever I can in a piece of equipment. It’s kind of my happy place.”
