1950s
Voy Wilks and his wife raised five children in a simple goat shed on 160 acres of undeveloped land in Cisco, Texas. When his boss refused his request for a raise, Voy realized he needed to find a new way to support his family. A high school was being built nearby, and they needed bricklayers. Despite never having laid a brick in his life, Wilks applied for the job and quickly taught himself the skills required for the trade. This pivotal moment—Voy’s decision to pursue bricklaying—ignited a passion for the trade that his family would carry on for years to come.
1970s-2011
Voy incorporated two of his children, Farris and Dan Wilks, into his masonry work, unknowingly passing along the knowledge they would use to establish a business together. As a mason, Farris followed the jobs across Texas and Oklahoma, taking his wife, JoAnn, and 11 children with him—including a young Josh and Kyle. Every few months, when a job was finished and a new one took its place, everyone would pack up and migrate to their next temporary home. After years of working separately, Dan and Farris joined forces and formed Wilks Masonry Corporation in 1995.
2012
Following the sale of the Wilks family’s hydraulic fracturing and oil field services firm, FracTech, Kyle and Josh Wilks formed Wilks Development with their cousin, Jess Green. Shortly after, they acquired their first property, Advancial Tower, an 18-story Class-A office building in Uptown Dallas.
2013
Wilks Development acquired its first piece of land in Willow Park, Texas, and built The Villages at Crown Park, a 208-unit apartment complex and 50-unit townhome community.
2014
Wilks Development acquired 201 acres of land off Interstate 20 in Southwest Fort Worth and began developing Markum Business Park with 10 flex office/industrial buildings. We also acquired seven acres of land in Aledo, TX, and created a 55,000-square-foot industrial and office space and an RV and boat storage facility. Wilks also purchased the historic Fort Worth Public Market, labeled endangered to close out the year.
2015
The company set its sights north of Dallas and purchased 160 acres of land in Frisco, Texas, at the southwest intersection of the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. 380. We also built The Reserves at 700 in Big Spring, Texas, a 180-unit multifamily community.
2016
Wilks Development obtained 139 acres in Willow Park, TX, at the former site of Trinity Meadows Racetrack to develop Willow Park North, their first master-planned community. The community now features single-family homes, townhomes, multi-family housing, healthcare facilities, retail spaces, banking services, lodging, and commercial areas.
2017
Construction completed on The Shops at Willow Park, a 60,000+ SF power center, and the first phase of Willow Park North.
2018
In 2018, Wilks Development experienced significant growth by adding three industrial flex buildings at Markum Business Park, as well as two additional buildings in Marshall, Texas. We also acquired 160 acres of land in El Reno, Oklahoma, along with five other industrial buildings located in Texas and Pennsylvania. Additionally, we completed our first RV park and hotel in West Texas.
2019
Development commenced on Phase Two of Willow Park North, including a 208-unit Class A multi-family community—The Gates at Meadow Place—opened in Spring 2021. Additionally, we developed our second RV park in Odessa.
2022
Wilks Development partnered with Abilene Christian University to begin development on The Lofts at Allen Ridge, Abilene’s only luxury multi-family community, just one block from the campus.
We also broke ground on Phase Three of Willow Park North with The District at Willow Park, a restaurant and entertainment venue—the first of its kind in Parker County.
2023
In June 2023, we celebrated the highly anticipated groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration of the Fort Worth Public Market. This event also marked the addition of an active senior living community named The Harden at Public Market in honor of the building's original developer, John J. Harden. Furthermore, the ceremony coincided with the 90th anniversary of the building's original opening in 1930.
2024
After reaching a development agreement with the Frisco EDC, Wilks Development commenced construction of Firefly Park—a 217-acre master-planned community that includes a 45-acre park, retail space, office, hotel, high-rise and mid-rise communities, townhomes, and more.