Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/732903
M ike Brown has never had a job that wasn't in construc- tion. For 17 years, he worked as a general contractor superinten- dent for a large construction com- pany before venturing out on his own. He started in 1992 with just one backhoe. Now that backhoe – and the desire to make a mark his own way – has resulted in a nearly $5 million a year company with 17 employees. Those employees, he says, have been the main reason for his success and his steady fl ow of business. "I have the best there is in this area," he says. "All are long-term employees. They've been with me for lots of years. The only turnover I have at all is the occasional dump truck driver." Turnover is a big problem for most contractors, and Brown is for- tunate to only face it in one aspect of his business. The reason for this is a simple game plan. "I pay my guys well, I treat them well and they per- form well. In this area, we're known as a company who can get the job done and that's simply because we have the best employees." Having the best employees be- gins with due diligence on his part, as Brown says he thoroughly vets potential crewmembers prior to hiring them. "I'm very selective of the people I hire because that person I hire, he represents me, whether I'm there or not," he says. "And we've got good guys – we've got a good selection of people." "He's had a lot of employees for a long time," says Greg Alderson of Boone Quarries. Alderson has known Brown for several years, both as a customer of his current company's locations in Columbia and Sedalia, and in the "contracting world" as he describes it, when he was in the crushing business. "I've known of B&P Excavation for probably 10 years," he says. "Peo- ple have been with him for a while. He's got a talented and diverse group of people working their heavy haul, excavation, concrete demo recycling business, and then obviously the dirt work side." "He's a very reputable contractor," Alderson adds. That local reputation, Brown says, is built on the quality of work he gets from his employees. "I'm always getting compliments on my guys, and some customers even ask for EquipmentWorld.com | October 2016 61 contractor of the year | by Chris Hill | ChrisHill@randallreilly.com A focus on top-notch employees, business diversity grows success for Missouri's Michael Brown Michael Brown, B&P Excavating City, State: Sedalia, Missouri Year Started: 1992 Number of employees: 17 Annual revenue: $3-$5 million Markets served: Site development, recycling concrete and asphalt, demolition, commercial construction