Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/953148
and now does all the company's training. On each job they conduct a hazard assessment and jobsite analysis, says Jena. "We make each employee accountable, and we have a lot of eyes on the ground to prevent accidents from happening. That's our main goal." Jalin takes care of payroll and human resources. Find- ing qualified employees is one of the company's main HR challenges. "When we look into the future, we see mechanics as a dying breed," says Hiram Jr. "Our mechanic Darrell is 73 years old, and he is irreplaceable. He can do anything – weld, paint, body work, diagnose hydraulics, read schematics. He's here 13 hours a day, every day." The company uses ads in the local paper and the local employment office. And word-of-mouth recruiting brings in some, Jalin says. "A lot of the young guys want to go straight out and jump into the seat," says Hiram Jr. "But the guys who will take the lower, entry-level position and don't give up, those are the guys who will make a good foreman someday." Family is everything In addition to mom and dad, two sons and two daugh- ters, an aunt and cousin also work in the business. In some families, the long hours and pressures of running a construction company can pull people apart, but it has brought blessings to the DuRousseaus' door. Both Jeanette and Hiram Sr. come into the office every day. "They're like our board of directors, and they're involved in all the major decisions," says Justin. "For a long time we didn't take any vacations; every- thing was for the company seven days a week," says Jeanette. "But it paid off tremendously. The biggest thing for me is to have my children working with me, and my grandchildren are here, too. Family is everything to me. My faith is even more than that. I put my faith in Him, and it's working out just fine." EquipmentWorld.com | March 2018 61 The oldest son, Hiram Jr., was bidding and running big jobs even before he got out of high school. Processing bulk materials has played a big part in the company's journey to success from the beginning.