Mr. Rowe was born on September 28, 1919 in Mount Airy, NC. He attended college at North Carolina State University graduating in 1941 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. Mr. Rowe served as editor of the NCSU newspaper, The Technician, during his senior year. Following college, Mr. Rowe worked briefly for DuPont in Richmond before being called into active duty for service in WWII. He served for four years as an intelligence officer behind German lines. After the war, Mr. Rowe returned home to Mount Airy to live near his mother and eventually founded Mount Airy Grading Company. He purchased his first pieces of equipment in December 1946 and started digging basements and doing small grading jobs. Through his leadership the company grew and eventually was incorporated as H.B. Rowe & Co., Inc. in 1962. Mr. Rowe was an active member in the VRTBA and served as Chairman of the National Highway Heavy Division of the Carolinas Branch of the AGC. Mr. Rowe continued to actively manage the company until his death in October 1997.
Mr. Rowe is universally known for his integrity, fairness, charity, and work ethic. The company strives to maintain these values as we move into the 21st century.
