Manshack and Son's Inc.

Manshack and Sons, Inc. is a family business that has grown along with the area for 64 years. I.C. Manshack, also known as Mike, and his wife Verlon, started the site preparation business in 1945. In 1962 Mr. Manshack and his company built the Louisiana Game Reserve. Mrs. Manshack, a working member of the company, died in 2000. Mr. Manshack retired in the 1980's and ran a fishing tackle shop next door to their offices on Highway 87 North until his death in 2006. Three of their children, Michael, Bobby and daughter Cammie Vincent still run the business in the same location.

The company does site preparation, land clearing, dirt hauling, road building and demolition. The company has expanded beyond residential and commercial site preparation. Manshack and Sons work has ranged from highway and oil company right-of-ways to building railroad spurs. The demolition part of their work has included buildings as large as five stories high. At one time, the company was the largest licensed underground tank contractor in Texas. They removed and installed underground tanks. This particular service they have eliminated. They are also a licensed waste wood and recycling facility.

Michael Manshack said the company has handled some pretty large jobs, including one project at Inland Orange, now Temple Inland, on which the company worked 18 months straight.

In addition, the company is also in the real estate business, having developed many of the Little Cypress subdivisions. Those developments include Chase Hollow, Steeple Chase, Bear Trails I and II, Chase Ridge, Chase Ridge Estates, Chase Gardens, and West Chase. The company also owns North Orange Water and Sewer along with Buford Mooney. They service many of the aforementioned subdivisions.

The sons and daughter have continued to build on what their parents started years ago. Michael said he started working for his dad when he was still in school. Michael said the company enjoys a great reputation among customers for both the quality of their work and the longevity of the company. About 90 percent of their customers are repeat customers. "Our reputation is based on the fact that we do quality work because in this type of business, you can't stay in business without doing good work," said Michael.

Being a family business means the family members are actually involved in more than a supervisory role in their projects. The two sons actually "get out of the office" and drive the trucks. Not only do they serve Southeast Texas but Southwest Louisana as well. They stay true to their roots in Orange in many ways such as employing as many as they can from the Orange area.