About Joe
Joe Penland, Sr., better known as “Joe From Texas,” began his career in the late 1960s working in the oilfields, shipyards, and eventually as an ironworker—climbing hundreds of feet in the air and helping build bridges and buildings across the Gulf Coast and around the country. Like many hardworking Americans, Joe carried his tools from job site to job site and worked long hours to support his growing family.
But Joe wasn’t just a worker—he was a problem solver.
While working construction, Joe noticed that after heavy rain, muddy ground conditions shut down entire job sites because cranes and heavy equipment couldn’t operate. Instead of accepting the problem, Joe decided to fix it. He borrowed $2,750, built his first ten crane mats, and created a solution that allowed construction projects to continue working even in wet conditions.
Those first mats changed everything.
What began as a simple idea soon grew into a family-owned business built on innovation and hard work. Over the last 52 years, Joe developed multiple patented designs and grew his company into the oldest and one of the world’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of construction mats and ground protection systems.
Joe has also dedicated decades to serving his community, including more than 26 years on several bank boards and nearly three terms on his local school board.
Today, Joe is using his voice and experience for another mission. As “Joe From Texas,” he has become a passionate advocate for protecting Social Security and the financial security of America’s seniors. Having worked his entire life and seen firsthand what working Americans sacrifice to build this country, Joe believes strongly that the promises made to our seniors must be honored and protected for future generations.
At the heart of everything Joe does are the values that guide his life: faith in God, devotion to family, and love for the United States of America. A proud family man with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Joe believes the best America is one where people look out for one another instead of waiting for the government to help.
