Thanks to watching his dad work as a project manager for a construction management engineering firm, Conner was set on construction as a career.
“I’ve been around equipment since I could walk, and I always wanted to do this. My first job was landscaping during high school. As soon as I graduated, I started as a laborer at an excavation company when I was 18.”
After spending a few years learning the ropes as a laborer, shop hand, pipelayer, and equipment operator, he decided it was time to focus his energy on turning In-Depth Excavation into a full-time career. Once he quit his well-paying operator job, it didn’t take long for Conner to take on his first big project.
“I started this company when we were given the opportunity to bid on a subdivision project. We took a leap of faith and rounded up a crew. We got with some dealers to get equipment, and we did a $3 million, 120-house subdivision as our very first project.”
While many developers are hesitant to award projects to brand-new companies, Conner thinks that In-Depth’s lack of experience may have helped land the job.
“I sat down with the developers that were investing in the project. They formed their company on a leap of faith, and they liked what I was trying to accomplish, so they gave me a chance.”
Looking back, Conner doesn’t have any regrets regarding his career, and he has plenty of advice for young people looking to get into the industry.
“If this is your passion and is the industry you’re looking to get into, do anything you can do to get out there. When you get out of high school, think about taking a year before college and try something outside of your comfort zone. That could change everything. My younger sister is a college softball player. This isn’t what she wants to do with her career, but she’s worked for me for three years during the summer. She loves it, and she works hard.”
Still only in his 20’s the future looks pretty damn good for Conner and In-Depth Excavation!
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