Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/885126
October 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com 46 contractors, building subdivisions and condominiums noticed his work. "I was doing more advertising by the appearance of my work than I was by the phonebook. People would read my name on the white barricade and call. I still use this same strategy today. Clean equipment, orderly jobsites. All these things are very important to me, because people see that it's a professional company." Positive peer group De Vre' learned by doing, and sometimes by trial and error, but he credits his relationships with mentors and other contractors as a key to his success. Many of those relationships still hold value today. "This is a very tight community, and I was never afraid to ask other paving contractors with big companies, 'How do you do this?' And they would actually guide me along. I have a lot of friends in this business. We call each other; we help each other with problem- solving." Some of de Vre's employees eventually left to form paving companies and compete with Blacktop Paving. But in this small mountain town, community holds sway over competitiveness. "If somebody has a breakdown or needs a piece of equipment, we help each other out," says de Vre'. "And I'm not afraid to ask." Rightsizing From parking lots and driveways, de Vre' continued to build the company until the most recent recession hit, and construction in California and elsewhere came to a grinding halt. But like he'd done in the past, de Vre' turned the downturn into a step up. As luck would have it, a utility company was digging a trench for a pipeline down the center stripe of several miles of road and needed contractor of the year | continued Pavement recycling has become an important part of the business in environmentally conscious California. Clean, white trucks make it clear to customers and prospective customers that the company pays close attention to details. Paving through some of the Sierra's most scenic forest trails requires an expert touch.