Dennis Reaser, Jr.

Owner
Reaser Construction
Elyria, Ohio
Projected 2023 Revenue: $4 million

Business philosophy: I’ve always been big on trying to do things right the first time even if it takes an extra five minutes or an extra hour. We’re there to do a professional job. We’re not there to cut corners. When people hire us, they know that they’re hiring a legitimate company. We think about all of the details that somebody else in this business might not think about. Our customer expectations are set at a high level. It never looks good to have to go back and fix stuff because you weren’t thorough the first time.

A big portion of our success is that we take the time to care about what people want and don’t miss the little details of what they’re looking for. My crews do things like move people’s furniture at the beginning of jobs, and clean the windows and dust the blinds when we’re finished. When we say we’re done with a job, customers are ready to move in and enjoy their space.

On hiring and retaining talent: Take care of the people you’ve got because that’s ultimately your business. That’s been a strong suit for us. We’ve adjusted the pay and benefits for people we want to retain, so they don’t have reasons to look for jobs elsewhere.

We’ve also worked with a local vocational school to attract some younger people coming out of school. I’ve done a mentorship program there where I’ve mentored a student in the class. It’s not been easy, though, because everyone is out there looking for people. The biggest thing is that when you find good people, you’ve got to keep them.

Book recommendation: People Over Profit

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