Houston County Recognizes “Chili” Hodges for 50 Years in Business
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – C.R. “Chili” Hodges is as much a part of Crockett as the downtown square. He was born and raised in Houston County. Since 1970 he has owned Hodges Surveying located on Houston Avenue.
Houston County Judge Jim Lovell was on hand Wednesday, Aug. 24 to present a certificate to Hodges acknowledging his more than 50 years in business.
“Mr. Hodges has had this business for 52 years right here at this same location,” Lovell said. “I am very honored to be able to present him this award. There’s not many businesses that are in business for 50-plus years.”
Lovell recognized the work Hodges has done for the county over all those years.
“He is our county surveyor. He does not get a salary for that. We tease him about that. I told him we are going to double what he was making,” Lovell joked.
Hodges’ office, a converted home, is filled with trophies, awards and mounted animals of all kinds. Hodges is an avid hunter and fisher. He has also collected an incredible amount of buried treasure he has found over the years. Soda bottles, old barbed wire, hundreds of different rounds of ammunition – Hodges has been busy.
He started working for other companies as a surveyor in 1961, before eventually starting his own business in 1970.
Asked if Crockett has changed much since the 1950’s, Chili Hodges answered, “A lot of things have changed. It’s been so long ago, I can’t remember a lot of it. But we grew up and just had a good time!”
The surveying business itself has certainly changed. When Hodges started his business, it was all typewriters and hand drawings. Everything now is digitized and computerized.
His wife and long-time staff were on hand to celebrate Mr. Hodges and all his years in business. There is a large part of Houston County on the walls and in the files. Well-known people in the county now appear in pictures from the 1970’s hunting and fishing with Hodges.
The office is part surveying business, part Houston County museum and part art gallery. Walls are adorned with paintings, paintings on turkey feathers and other animals – some of the art done by Chili himself. This reporter was presented with a Chili Hodges original that now graces the Messenger office.
Hodges sees the last 52 years as the first chapter in a story that is still being written. His grandson, James Bond, has taken over many of the firm’s duties while he waits to receive his official surveyor’s license.
When asked if even though he does not yet have his surveyor’s license if he might have a license to kill – Bond laughed at the reference to his name.
Bond has already been helping Hodges for 18 years. He has learned a lot in that time.
“All I can do is try to fill his (Hodges’) shoes,” Bond said. “He is a good man and he had been good to me and to a lot of folks.”
Bond said the surveying business has changed due to the way people buy and sell properties now.
“It’s a lot busier than it used to be,” Bond explained. “People don’t just buy things because they want to buy a place and live there. There are so many more people that buy and flip houses now. Not only are we surveying the properties people would normally be buying – we’re surveying all the investor properties too.”
Patti Raines has worked for Chili for almost 40 years. Told that Mr. Hodges must be an excellent boss since she has been with him for so long – Raines wasn’t so sure.
“That’s questionable,” Raines joked. “He has mellowed through the years for sure. Everything used to be done with manual typewriters. Chili used to do all of the drawings with pencil and paper. He would stay here until midnight doing the drawings.”
Hodges still does a lot of the day-to-day work, but once Bond takes over – Hodges says he will still stay busy.
“I have lots of things to do! I have two different farms with cows on both of them. I can still do plenty of things,” Hodges said.
Hodges says the secret to longevity in life – and in business – is good old hard work.
“There’s no secret, just hard work,” Hodges explained.
As Hodges looks back over a long and rich history – and a hopeful future – the question of that nickname kept returning.
Mrs. Raines was asked to please explain where the nickname “Chili” came from.
“That is a mystery that no one can answer,” Raines answered.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
