Paul “Bup” Minardi is an industry veteran of more than 27 years. Wheeler Machinery Company employed Bup before he started Mountain Regional Equipment Solutions, Inc. (MRES) in April 2004. As the owner and President of MRES, he built MRES into a national company that provides automated lubrication and safety solutions to the construction, transportation and mining industries. The company’s culture and reputation are reflected in Bup’s commitment to the industry and its people. In 2020, Bup sold MRES but stayed on in a consulting role. He now serves on numerous boards, including as the incoming President of UAPA.
When Bup isn’t working, he enjoys participating in endurance sports, traveling, and spending time with his wife, Janna, and his family. He is true to his own advice and enjoys life to its fullest, no matter where he is.
We recently sat down with Bup and talked to him. The following are excerpts from our conversation. We look forward to his leadership this year and hope you enjoy getting to know more about him.
Tell us about your childhood.
I was born in Morgan, Utah and lived there until I was seven. Then, my parents bought a small resort in the town of Alpine, WY. From there, our family moved to St. George, Utah, back to Wyoming, and finally settled in West Jordan, Utah. I was blessed with caring and loving parents, and remember many good times spent with my family throughout these years.
My high school years were spent in West Jordan. I had always been interested in vocational careers; my classes were focused on subjects like auto mechanics, auto body and welding. During this time, I became very active with the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), and I served as the President. I was also involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA).
How did your career begin?
After high school, I framed houses and worked at a window shop. I started building some apartments out in Elko, Nevada and once I got married, I came back to Utah and started my career in this industry at Wheeler Machinery Company. I worked there for 15 years and left to start my own business. They have been a great employer and a great customer.
In 2004, I saw a need for an automated lubrication company, so I started Groeneveld Mountain Regional and later changed the name to Mountain Regional Equipment Solutions, Inc. (MRES). The company started installing automated lubrication systems (greasing) on mobile heavy equipment and later added other types of equipment and products. We started in Utah, but soon had locations in Phoenix, Denver, and Reno. We worked consistently throughout many states in the Intermountain West, installing lube systems on all types of mobile, on-road, industrial, and fixed plant equipment. For paving, we install our systems for all equipment used in production, distribution, placement, and preservation. We also installed safety products for those industries, such as vision, radar, ultrasonic, and RFID. In 2014 we started MRES Imports and became the U.S. importer of high-tech safety products used in forklift and personnel detection and communication systems. These are used in manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution facilities throughout the U.S. In 2020, I sold the companies to Todd Miceli, who owned Pirtek franchises in SLC, Clearfield, and stayed on consulting and serving on boards such as UAPA. Since then, we have also started MRES Custom Hydraulics and Fabrication up-fitting vocational trucks and trailers and MRES Field Support Services performing maintenance and service for mobile equipment. We are continuing to grow and provide the products and services our customers are looking for.
What are the three most important lessons you’ve learned from starting a business?
- Stay true to yourself and others because it matters.
- Be grateful, open-minded, and work hard.
- Stay positive even in change because the glass is always half full, never half empty.
Did you have any mentors along the way?
My parents, Paul and Anna, were my ultimate mentors. They taught me how to work hard and how to keep a smile on my face through some really hard times.
I had many other mentors, too many to name. I listen intently to people who seek and achieve what they want without losing sight of their families, friends, and identity along the way. A good mentor teaches as much with their actions and personalities as they do with their words. I have been so blessed to have people mentor me in all aspects of my life. I think that is key — we shouldn’t live a personal life differently than we live our work life.
What three pieces of advice would you give to someone in the industry?
- Enjoy what you do. Nothing, including vacation, is fun 24/7, so make it fun. If you’re going to do something for long periods and get paid for it, then try to have fun.
- Be grateful you have the opportunity to work; some don’t. Be grateful you have inner motivation to better your life; some don’t. Make friends along the way; some don’t.
- Know that your work matters. We need quality roads, safe roads, scenic roads, lasting parking lots, and community bike paths. It all matters.
Why did you join UAPA, and how long have you been a member?
About nine years ago, Aaron Venz and Larry Brown came and told me I needed to join UAPA. I was already a member of multiple other associations, and I replied, “What is it? Do they have a purpose? I don’t want to be a member of something just because. But if there is a purpose behind UAPA, I’ll jump on board.” And the purpose of the UAPA was really good: to make roads better and safer. I joined the association and have been an active member ever since. I have served as Secretary for the association and have been known to drive the drink cart for the golf tournament.
What are the benefits of UAPA membership?
There are so many benefits for the type of member you are — whether you own a small- to mid-sized company or a large producer — UAPA has something for you. Everyone gets the networking benefit, but there is so much more … training, new products, enhancements to current practices, and legislative direction. Our legal efforts and push last year on the new “blue smoke” law will significantly save finances for our members and others. There are all kinds of benefits, but the biggest is that you have the ability to be heard about what is important to you. This changes from a producer to an engineer, a preservation specialist to an equipment dealer, but your voice matters to us. I don’t know if any of us will see every benefit, but we will see the ones that are on our priority list.
What are the biggest issues facing the industry today? How do you plan to address these challenges?
I think our issues again vary for each member. For some, this is workforce. For others, it is material availability, or, it’s adapting to the coming changes. My plan for addressing these would be to let our members highlight what their need is. I shouldn’t be telling them, I should be hearing them. Maybe if we hear each other and work on a solution together, we can be successful together. This may sound like a passive answer, but it’s not. We as members don’t all work on the same projects, with the same environments, the same challenges, or even the same goals, but I would like to address issues on a parking lot problem with the same passion as a highway problem. Everyone in this world needs transportation, and I think the perception out there is that our industry just wants to pave a road. Well, in some ways, we do, but it may be to get an ambulance safely to its destination, an outdoor enthusiast to their favorite spot, an athlete on a bike or run path, and someone not to trip in the parking lot. With all these needs, we will need members, and I look forward to watching those people step up and take on roles and positions to make them and UAPA better.
What goals do you have for the association this year?
My goals would be to travel to every county in the state, talk to members, and hear their needs. Utah is so diverse, so beautiful, and has many different needs. I’d like to set goals based on those discussions and have a lead from each type of member to highlight and address those goals. I also want to get our Technical Director hired to free up Reed so he can continue to focus on growing the association.
We also want to always keep quality at the top of this list. How do we make asphalt better, how do we place it better, and how do we preserve it better? I think after this winter, we will see that this is a major need in every size and scope of asphalt use.
What is the main takeaway you want people to remember after reading this article?
Your work, your opinions, and your membership matter. We need you and your direction. If it’s preservation in a parking lot, specifications for asphalt, working on high-traffic highways, or deciding what types of materials to use as RAP, we need your help. The cost for membership is extremely small, but the results you could generate by being active with your membership are extremely large.
