SRM stands for Smyrna Ready Mix. SRM Concrete, which lays claim to the “largest privately-owned ready-mix concrete manufacturer in the country,” is owned by the Hollingshead family of Smyrna, Tennessee. The company’s founders, Mike and Melissa Hollingshead, got into the ready-mix concrete business as a way to improve the supply of concrete to Hollingshead Concrete. Mike Hollingshead started Hollingshead Concrete early in his career as a concrete finishing business that stands as the Hollingsheads’ first company, although recent iterations of that business are known as Hollingshead Cement.

In 1999, frustrated with the poor customer service he received from local concrete suppliers, Mike and Melissa bought their own ready-mix concrete plant, assembled it in their backyard, and acquired five used concrete trucks at an auction to start SRM Concrete. Even that first backyard operation likely exceeded the capacity of mixing multiple bags of concrete in a Harbor Freight cement mixer.

The Hollingsheads launched SRM Concrete with a tight budget and immediately had obstacles to overcome. While assembling SRM’s first ready-mix plant at their home in the backyard was a sizable commitment to the project, Mike had little knowledge of operating a ready-mix plant or the formula for making a quality mix. To make matters worse, two of the five used concrete trucks bought at auction, meant to deliver SRM’s product, suffered engine failure before making it back to the SRM Concrete plant.

What started in Mike and Melissa Hollingshead’s backyard in 1999 has expanded dramatically over the past quarter-century. It took six months for word to spread that SRM Concrete was open for business. What started as a way for Mike to get the concrete he needed for his concrete finishing business quickly expanded to serving other concrete finishers in the area and across Middle Tennessee.

Today, SRM Concrete and Hollingshead Cement operate in 24 states across the U.S. with 563 concrete plants, 33 quarries, and 12 cement terminals. The company’s rapid growth is the result of a mixture of expansion and acquisition. SRM Concrete boasts the opening of 21 new facilities in 2025 alone, with three more announced in the first quarter of 2026. 

Like many family-owned businesses in the building trade, Mike and Melissa’s sons have grown up with the business and become part of the leadership team at SRM. Jeff took on the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2014, and Ryan is the President of the company’s materials division. Mike Hollingshead is still involved in the business. He’s currently serving as the company Chairman while still making deals with suppliers, overseeing the Smyrna quarry, and driving the occasional concrete truck.