Big Sandy Sand Company is located at 4746 S FM 14 in Hawkins.

HAWKINS — Throughout a combined 75-year history, Big Sandy Sand Company has been solely owned by the Wright family and taken pride in producing quality sands and products utilized in foundries, various masonry/cement applications and athletic turfgrass applications throughout Texas and beyond.

The original business was established in 1948 by G.C. “Doc” Wright and his son, J.T. Wright on the banks of Big Sandy Creek in Upshur County.

Big Sandy Sand’s original plant for processing sand consisted of a barge on Big Sandy Creek, a screening box and a few shovels powered by muscle.

The business grew and prospered throughout the 1960s and 1970s under the leadership of G.C. “Doc” Wright and J.T. Wright as they trained up J.T.’s sons in the ways of the sand business.

In 1971, Doc and J.T. moved the family operations to a modern sand plant, like no other in East Texas at the time to a location on a 100-acre tract of “sand beds” two miles north Big Sandy Texas adjacent to Big Sandy Creek.

In 1976 a new sand plant location was established 6 miles north of Hawkins in Wood County, Texas on State FM 14 to be operated and managed by J.T. Wright’s son Dennis Wright.

In 1981, the Wright family sold the plant north of Big Sandy, and they dissolved the original business entity established by Doc and J.T. In that same year, Dennis Wright pushed forward and established a new corporation that acquired the Hawkins plant and the right to operate his new corporation under the name of Big Sandy Sand.

The Hawkins plant and accompanying land proved to have a sand deposit, which consisted of the finest quality sands available in Texas and possibly the entire Southwest. From 1976 – 2018 under Dennis’ leadership Big Sandy Sand’s Hawkins plant became known for the quality of its sands for use as topdressing, in seedbed mixes, and as sand trap material for the turfgrass industry throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

In addition to being utilized by the turfgrass industry, sand produced by Big Sandy Sand has been utilized in construction projects throughout Texas and Big Sandy Sand’s white sand has been a favorite of cast stone producers.

Notably, in the early 1990s White Sand produced by Big Sandy Sand was used to manufacture cast stone products utilized in the construction of the ballpark in Arlington.

Customers and facilities that have utilized Big Sandy Sand’s sands and other products have included, the Cotton Bowl, Dallas Texas; Dallas Cowboys Training Facility at Valley Rach; Dallas Athletic Club, City of Dallas; City of Fort Worth; San Antonio Country Club; Tyler Junior College; Southern Methodist University; Louisiana Downs; Lonestar Park, Grand Prairie, Texas and many other valuable small business throughout Texas.

Dennis Wright took pride in providing for his employees and utilizing the resources provided to him through his success with Big Sandy Sand to give back and serve in leadership roles at Wood County Electric Cooperative, Inc., the First State Bank of Hawkins and in other leadership roles throughout Wood and Upshur Counties as well as in the community of Hawkins, Texas where the Wrights have called home for over 75 years and where Big Sandy Sand has had operations since its beginning.

Dennis Wright raised his children, John T. Wright, Lee Ann Bailey, Joshua Wright and Lauren Zahn around the family sand business and provided them with the training and tools that would prepare them to one day carry on with the family business founded by their great grandfather and grandfather.

In 2018, John T., Lee Ann, Josh and Lauren became the owners of Big Sandy Sand, Company upon the passing of their father, Dennis.

Since 2018 Dennis’ children have been working to grow and expand the reach of Big Sandy Sand and have been making significant investments in the business that it might continue to play an active role in its community and provide economic development opportunities in its home county of Wood.

Under the leadership of this next generation of Wrights Big Sandy Sand has remained committed to charitable causes and investing in causes important to the communities of Wood County that Big Sandy Sand still calls home.

2023 marks 75 years since G.C. “Doc” and J.T. Wright established a small family business that has grown and adapted through the years to become a boutique premiere supplier of sands for a variety of applications to an impressive list of well-known Texas institutions and destinations.

The Wright family is proud of the entrepreneurial legacy of its forefathers and hopes God will continue to bless this Wright family business for another 75 years.

Big Sandy Sand Company is located at 4746 S FM 14 in Hawkins. For more information, visit bigsandysand.com or call 903-769-2463.