contractor of the year finalist | by Amy Materson | AMaterson@randallreilly.com
Daniel R. Williams
Grafton, West Virginia
Dan's Marine Service
Year started: 1985
Number of employees: 15
Annual volume: $8 to $5 million
Markets served: Commercial water lines,
mine maintenance, gas well locations
Contractor inspires devotion
through his loyalty to others
I
n today's fickle world, many
are often willing to abandon
what they know and like
for the latest and greatest,
especially when it comes to
the job market. Construction is no
different; many contractors will tell
you half their labor will leave and
work for someone else for a seemingly tiny pay increase. That's one
of the reasons Danny and Deanna
Williams are so refreshing. The couple, who owns Dan's Marine Service based in Grafton, West Virginia,
excel in a lot of different ways, but
one of the most impressive is retention. They succeed where others fail
in keeping people around for the
long haul. In an area where qualified labor is in short supply, Danny
has turned employee retention into
an art form. Treating his employees
well is second nature to Danny, but
he also practices what he preaches,
sticking with those who stuck with
him in the early days. The payoff
for his allegiance is a strong company and a sterling reputation.
Building a business
Although the company specializes
in mine maintenance work, commercial water lines and gas well
locations, Williams says he's not
locked into a specific scope of business. "We'll do just about anything
that everyone else can't do," he
says. "We don't look at a problem
as a problem; we look at it and find
the solution."
The attitude stems from the way
his business developed. Williams'
father was in the oil and gas busiEquipmentWorld.com | July 2013 47
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