Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/605412
T im Humerick has spent little of his life do- ing things he didn't want to do. There was the one time he got a job in high school at Kroger that lasted all of a couple of weeks. "It was kind of hard to get hours at my other job during the winter, so I went to Kroger and got a job," he recalls. "I just couldn't stand working inside. Plus they had this two-sided mirror the manager watched all the employees from. That just pissed me off." Save for Kroger, Humerick's career and life up until this point have been defi ned by uncompromising fo- cus. And not just in the moment. He remembers things. Conversations, important decisions, how it felt to do a certain job. And he often recalls these things later on in conversation. In identifying why he has been so successful as the owner of Nashville-based Humerick Environmental Construction, you could point to several things. He's profi cient with heavy machines, learning how to oper- ate well before his teens. He's compassionate, treating his employees like family and making contributions to both community and international charities a priority. But more than anything, it's his mind. His focus and in- telligence have made him an extremely savvy and adapt- able business owner. Two very good things to be when working construction, let alone relocating an established fi rm to a new state in the calm before the recession. "I always wanted to be out on my own," Humerick says. "I like the fact that if I make it or I don't make it, it's all on me." From tanks to tracks Humerick got his fi rst piece of equipment at the ripe old age of six: a 11-horsepower Murray lawn tractor. His father Elwood Miller taught him the value of hard work early on in life, bringing Tim along to work with EquipmentWorld.com | December 2015 75 contractor of the year | by Wayne Grayson | WayneGrayson@randallreilly.com Taking the leap from Ohio to Tennessee, Tim Humerick proved his staying power – and ethics – during the recession Humerick Environmental Construction Year started: 1994 Number of employees: 50-80, depending on season Annual revenue: $16.5 million (current year) Markets served: Site development, excavation, utilities, environmental and demolition. Tim Humerick College Grove, Tennessee