Construction Company Owner of the Month – Walter McNish of McNish Bobcat Services

I’ve been in business since 1998. We work on renovation and landscaping projects and specialize in backfilling and grading property. Our most recent job was installing French drains at a local elementary school.

When I started out, I went to the bank to borrow money for a dump truck and a skid steer, having never either driven before. I had already quit my other job as a sales rep for a national grocery manufacturer. One day, I just threw away all my ties, and I’ve been doing this ever since.

I believe what has enabled me to survive in the current economy is keeping my company small and utilizing only essential equipment-for me, that’s my Bobcat Skid Steer S250 and my dump truck. For big jobs, I rent the equipment I need and hire subcontractors.

The biggest challenge for my business right now is the lack of work. To get jobs, I call everyone I know and build relationships to get information. We used to work six days a week; now we might work only two days. Like the saying goes, it’s feast or famine; however, I’m hopeful and will continue to operate because I enjoy this work. There’s a great satisfaction in seeing the fruits of our labor when we finish a job.

Construction Business Owner, September 2010