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M & J Underground Inc. President and CEO Janice Reading and her son, Josh Reading, who is Secretary of the company.

M & J Underground Inc. fills an auger pit with concrete as part of a six-mile water main extension for Aqua, a water and wastewater services company.

Janice Reading grew up watching her father build sewer repair and septic businesses in the southern suburbs of Chicago. Today, she’s applying the same sense of urgency in responding to customers’ needs to continue his legacy and build her own successful company: M & J Underground Inc. (M & J), a thriving business offering a complete range of utility services.

Established in 1990, M & J serves communities surrounding Chicago with site utility and underground construction services. It specializes in hydro excavation, septic installation and repair, sewer cleaning and jetting, as well as installation and repair of sanitary sewer, storm sewer, water main and waterline projects.

The company has built a reputation for its swift response time and superior services performed for customers of all shapes and sizes. “We still go to customers ranging from a single-family residence to repair a water leak to working major underground utility projects for the Army Corps of Engineers,” Janice says.

Following in Father’s Footsteps

Growing up in Monee, Illinois, Janice’s father had his own utility construction business, Stelter Sanitary Service, focusing on homeowners and smaller commercial projects. He later started a second company, Jean’s Septic, Inc.

Janice worked for him, and as her father started doing more union work for commercial clients and municipalities, she started her own firm in 1990 to take care of smaller residential clients. When her father retired in 1999, she bought out Jean’s Septic from him and helped him handle the liquidation of assets. Eventually, she moved 
M & J into her father’s former office and shop while continuing to run Jean’s Septic from the same facility.

The growth of M & J took off in the early 2000s. “M & J started out taking on service calls for homeowners with clogged drains and a variety of small residential jobs, just like my father’s business had,” she says. “We originally made just enough to put food on the table and a roof over our family’s heads. By 2019, we had revenues of $10 million.”

M & J has built a large presence in the local municipal market, doing emergency water main repairs and sewer breaks on time-and-materials contracts, as well as handling municipalities’ larger road and infrastructure improvements.

“We have always had a service provider backbone. It does not matter what time of day or night or day of the week. When a customer calls with an emergency, M & J will be there within two hours to get to work,” Janice says. That’s especially important when a city experiences a water main break, especially during the wintertime when staff is shorthanded. “We earned a reputation for getting there within two hours to fix it for them,” she adds.

Janice credits the company’s commitment to always answer the phone and produce results to be the lifeblood of her business. “Logistically, we placed our company in the center of our work radius and can deliver timely service to our customers. With over 60 years of family history in the industry, we have the knowledge to solve complex projects and problems because we have seen a lot. Plus, we are committed to continuing education,” she says.

As the company’s reputation grew, it landed its first job for the Army Corps of Engineers in 2017. M & J was tasked with replacing the water main for the city of Country Club Hills. The 
$1.2 million project involved upgrading approximately 1 mile of water main and repaving a couple of roads. “We were both excited and nervous at the same time because it was our first job with the Corps,” Janice says. “What made it special is that we just went to work and checked off each task. At the end of the job, we received a great review.” Since then, 
M & J has handled numerous projects for the federal agency.

Another noteworthy project involved installing approximately 6 miles of 24-inch ductile iron water main for a transmission line for Aqua, a water and wastewater services company. The company was extending its ability to provide water from the Kankakee River from its main location to 12 miles north to University Park. The $4.5 million project to supply river water to Aqua’s northern customers lasted approximately three years. “At the end of the project, we played a huge role in transporting water from an endless supply sourced from the Kankakee River to communities 20-plus miles away. It’s a great feeling knowing that our hard work and determination to complete difficult projects will have a lasting effect on so many people,” Janice says.

“We have always had a service provider backbone. It does not matter what time of day or night or day of the week. When a customer calls with an emergency, M & J will be there within two hours to get to work.” Janice Reading, President and CEO,
M & J Underground Inc.

A Family Affair

M & J continues to be a family affair. Janice’s son, Josh, is company Secretary. He joined the operation in 2001 after graduating from Eastern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. Janice’s husband, Michael, is an Operator. Daughter, Angela Chalmers, runs Jean’s Septic and is presently buying the company from her mother. Daughter-in-law Shannon Reading previously worked for M & J and Jean’s Septic and son-in-law Calab Chalmers currently works at Jean’s Septic.

Although separate companies, the two firms work hand in hand, complementing their various specialties of work. “Jean’s Septic does a lot of residential work that we don’t do. So if we get a residential call, we refer them to Jean’s. And if Jean’s gets septic work that requires union labor, M & J can work on the job to meet the terms of the contract,” Janice says. M & J is affiliated with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 and the Construction & General Laborers’ District Council of Chicago & Vicinity Local 5 as well as various cement finishers and carpenters unions and is also an Illinois Department of Transportation-certified disadvantaged business enterprise 
(DBE) subcontractor.

M & J’s core staff of 12 employees ramps up to as many as 30 people in the summertime, when warmer weather is more conducive for completing projects. Seasonal repair work keeps the team busy during winter months. Four years ago, M & J opened up a concrete division, which has taken off, growing from $100,000 a year in gross sales to $4 million in 2019. The division specializes in concrete flatwork for driveways and sidewalks, curb and gutters for many roadway improvements projects.

“Having great people is the key to our success,” Janice says. “We have always tried to accommodate all employees so they can enjoy their families and their time at work, whether that means letting an employee take off during the middle of the day to eat lunch or attend an event at their child’s school or to take a vacation in the middle of our busy season. We have always tried to create an environment where our employees feel respected and valued.”

She and her husband take a hands-on approach to the business, working on job sites with key employees in order to pass down knowledge through on-the-job training. “We bring on people who have the same mindset and goals. We believe in treating people the way we would want to be treated,” she says. “We try to find what is most important to an employee and reward what they value most, rather than have the same cookie-cutter approach for all employees. Some value time off more than more dollars in their paycheck. Being flexible to their needs has helped make us unique.”

Giving Back

Another way Janice has followed in her father’s footsteps is service to the Monee Volunteer Fire Department. Her father retired as assistant chief from the department and became an officer in the Monee Fire Protection District. Janice served as a volunteer firefighter for 15 years, alongside her husband, who retired as captain after 20 years of service. She also served as treasurer for the fire department, helping put on a carnival for the village of Monee.

In addition to sponsoring local baseball, softball, football and cheer programs, the company has donated funds to help those in need pay their utility bills through a community charity program with Aqua Illinois and completed projects for churches and local sports programs at no cost.

M & J’s biggest challenge has been weathering the ups and downs of business successes and setbacks. During the Great Recession of 2008, Janice says the greatest obstacle was keeping the company alive after losing more than 50% of its revenue. And there were trials when the company almost doubled in size last year. “Both situations presented similar problems: How do we come up with payroll to keep employees working and pay the bills to our lenders?” says her son, Josh. “In both cases, we stuck to our main business of answering the call when emergencies come up. That sometimes meant that my dad and I went to the job site to perform the work and none of us took a paycheck so we could pay our employees and creditors. Having the resolve to keep pushing through the tough times and never throwing in the towel is what makes us successful. We like to live by the motto ‘The fight is never lost if you never give up.’ When it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s important to persevere and continue to move forward until that darkness turns into light.”

Janice continues to pass down a strong work ethic and commitment to her customers to a new generation. “My parents and children have always worked as hard as they could to not only provide for their families, but also to create something that can be passed down generation to generation. Trust me, it’s not easy to keep anything going year after year, and working with family can sometimes be difficult,” she says. “But to keep a business alive and growing, and pass it along to your son or daughter is something that not everyone can do. The amount of sacrifice and commitment that it takes to accomplish this is what we are proud of most.”