Jess Cornejo was born in Wellington Kansas on December 24th 1927, being one of 7 children. With a fourth grade education, Jess was able to work the sugar beet fields with his father to help support the family; he learned the meaning of hard work at an early age which led him the success he had in his lifetime.

Jess left Wellington at the age of 14 and came to Wichita, which began his road to survival as he had many jobs primarily in the construction field as a general labor. He did everything from cleaning up jobsites to unloading building materials off train cars by hand for new building construction. Jess soon meet Josephine, his soon to be wife, and continued working tirelessly until one Sunday afternoon in 1952 when he came upon a man broke down on the side of the road in a 1936 Ford truck he dreamed about. The owner offered it to him if he could take over the payments of $20 per month, and in no time Jess was the proud owner and quickly formed Jess Cornejo Trucking Co.

Through the years Jess started and operated many companies from Trucking and Excavating to Demolition, which was always his favorite. As his family grew with his five sons; Ron, Don, Richard, Jerry and Marty, he continued, along with his wife Josephine, and worked around the clock. They took the boys wherever they went; on job sites or an evening ride for an ice cream, as he bid his work on the way.

Jess passed away on April 16, 1994, leaving behind a 42 year business legacy and a strong and growing construction company, but more than that, a wife of 25 years and his five sons whom he spent his entire life working for.

Today the Cornejo & Sons Corporation has continued to prosper, through his sons, by the work ethic and determination that was taught to them by their father. As a premier Construction Company through its many divisions in Concrete and Asphalt Paving and Production, Demolition, Aggregate and Sand Mining , Landfills, Concrete Ready-Mix, Concrete and Asphalt Recycling and a Rail and Truck Transportation Division. The latest venture in 2009 is, All Metal Recycling, specializing in scrap metal recycling.

Jess Cornejo’s Life was a true rags to riches story and his legacy will live on forever though his bright neon colored trucks!