Tex Bidwell had an idea. He built a machine that could level and finish concrete faster, and therefore cheaper, than conventional methods. A trip Tex Bidwell took with Murray Rowe, a Canton, South Dakota, businessman, to look at another piece of equipment led to the beginning of Bid-Well Corporation, a worldwide manufacturing business located in Canton.

During the trip, Bidwell and Rowe talked about Tex's idea for a machine with a longitudinal oscillating bull float hooked up to an internal moving carriage. It was a machine that would be used in road and bridge construction to smooth out poured concrete.

Murray Rowe told Tex Bidwell he would like to have a chance to manufacture the machine. The first machine built by Bid-Well was sold in late 1962 to Peter Kiewit of Omaha and was shipped to California.

The second Bid-Well paver was sent to Lexington, Kentucky for Ace Dawson, a "grand old man of bridges" in the United States. The construction industry studied Dawson constuction. His purchase of a Bid-Well paver helped the young company gain credibility. By the time the third Bid-Well paver went to Memphis, Tennessee, Bid-Well was on its way to being a major player in the road construction business.

Success has meant continued growth for Bid-Well. The physical plant in Canton has expanded into a campus over the years. Bid-Well has been in the small, central USA city of Canton, South Dakota, since its inception in 1962, which is one of the reasons for its success. The work ethic of the people of the area...their attitude, honesty, loyalty and integrity, have helped make Bid-Well's reputation a legend in the industry.

Employees in Canton receive raw steel to begin the process of creating Bid-Well pavers. They cut it, shape it, drill it, weld, paint and assemble it. Some items, like the engines and hydraulic components that power the units, are sourced. But most components of a Bid-Well paver are made in Canton.

Every employee at Bid-Well has ideas and each works hard to contribute to the company's success. Company policy reflects the confidence management has in its people.

Bid-Well is one of the top paving companies in the world. Over 1,000 Bid-Well paving machines have been shipped to customers all over the world from the plant in Canton.

Bid-Well works directly with their customers, develops new technology and continues to adapt and change to market conditions. This entrepreneurial spirit is as strong today as it was when the company began, and is a key to Bid-Well's success. As it has been since 1962, Bid-Well is changing the way the world paves.