Chuck the Contractor
November 1, 2007
Name: Dan Palosaari
Where you reside: Chassell, Michigan
Positions/Companies: President of DP Construction (www.dpconst.com)
Responsibilities: “We’re primarily a residential contractor and custom homebuilder. We have about 30 employees, and I oversee our day-to-day operations.”
Year you started in construction: “I started in June of 1990.”
How you started in construction: “I was raised on a farm, and I always liked construction projects. I like to build things. I started building pole [post frame] barns. My first real job in construction was a laborer down in Florida. I worked the summers in Michigan and would go to Florida for the winters. I worked a couple years for various companies, but I’ve never worked for anybody else very much.”
What you like best about construction: “I just like to have a good customer. It’s the most fun when somebody takes an interest in the project and you have a good relationship with them.”
What grinds you: “People that are hard to deal with can be the worst part. I’ve come to understand we’re all different--which doesn’t take that long to figure out. You deal with so many different personalities, and it’s fun to see what makes people tick.”
What keeps you going in your job: “There’s more good people than bad people in this world. It’s fun if the project goes smooth, and the customer is happy and complimentary.”
Weirdest/craziest thing you’ve seen on a jobsite: “We backed up a single-axle dump truck with a full load of topsoil on a septic tank, and it totally fell into the tank. The owner told us where to back up, so we got a job [replacing the tank] because it was his fault and he readily admitted it. I guess he didn’t know where the tank was.”
Personal philosophy: “Hire good people and treat them fairly.”
Favorite/coolest equipment you use in your job: “I actually enjoy running an excavator. I don’t do it that often, but sometimes on a Saturday, I’ll run a Case 9030 B.”
Why it’s your favorite: “You can build so much with them. They’re the handiest things out there. And if I’m running it, nobody’s bugging me--it’s therapy.”
Advice for contractors new to the business: “A lot of people want to do a partnership, and I had a partnership. But usually at some point it’s almost like a marriage--it falls apart. Also, control your debt. Don’t think you can buy everything new. When you start off, you’ve got to work hard. I still work hard, but I don’t work as hard as I used to.”
Do you know a contractor who deserves to be profiled as the next “Chuck”? Nominate a worthy candidate.
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