Ep. 139: Building from the Ground Up: Tips from a New Construction Business Owner

CONEXPO – CON/AGG Podcast: Construction Business Insights For Contractors

Ep. 139: Building from the Ground Up: Tips from a New Construction Business Owner

On today’s episode, Dylan Mercier, owner of D2 Contracting, joins Taylor for a discussion centered on a number of topics, beginning with Dylan’s journey into the construction business and his decision to start his own company. Their conversation further focuses on the challenges that come with running a business in the industry, including underbidding and finding good employees. The two also reflect on their recent trip to CONEXP-CON/AGG, the largest construction trade show in North America, and Dylan shares his experience with renting equipment and why he decided to invest in a skid steer. He also emphasizes the importance of creating a positive work environment for employees and reveals his passion for infrastructure work, specifically water, sewer, and storm utilities.

Together, Taylor and Dylan go on to highlight the power of social media in the construction industry, exploring how it can be used for branding, gaining a following, and finding employees. They stress the importance of networking with competitors and sharing information to help each other grow, as well as the significance of adapting to changes in the economy and finding new opportunities. Overall, Taylor and Dylan’s discussion here today shines a brilliant spotlight on the fact that, in the construction industry - as in so many other industries - hard work, dedication, and a mindset that prioritizes the well-being of employees and investing in their personal growth are key to the long-term business success for which we all strive.

Topics:

• Dylan's journey into construction and starting his own company
• Challenges of running a construction business, including underbidding and finding good employees
• Bonding over love for industry and the CONEXPO-CON/AGG experience
• Networking opportunities and excitement for future trade shows and technology advancements
• The importance of, and different ways to utilize, social media in construction
• Renting vs. owning equipment and the importance of quality candidates for a business
• Investing in employees' personal growth and well-being to create a positive work environment
• Adapting to changes in the economy and putting in time and effort to grow in your career

Quotes:

• "Networking is everything in our business, whether people want to admit it or not."
• "Renting is not fun…but again, you bill for it all and you make it work."
• "The work doesn't come to you. You’ve got to go out there and get it. You’ve got to chase it."
• "I want to make it a place that people want to show up to work every day because there's a lot of places where people don't want to come to work."
• "It’s a mindset you have to have if you want to run a successful business because if you don’t, it may work for a while, but it’s not going to work forever."
• "You definitely have to put in that work before you can just get to be the top guy or the number one dog. In this industry, especially, you have to put the time in before you can really just shine."
• "There’s always enough work to go around for everybody."

Links:

• Taylor White on LinkedIn
• To see highlights from the 2023 show, go to: https://www.conexpoconagg.com/show-experience/show-highlights
• Komatsu Homepage
• Dylan on TikTok