Over 30 years ago, John Caskey was a chemical engineer working as an oil rig foreman in Louisiana. After an unexpected oil embargo hit in the mid-1980s, he and others headed up the Eastern Seaboard in search of employment.

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Tearing down to build back up. This is the work Access Demolition Contracting, Inc. (Access) began providing almost two decades ago. The company remains primarily focused on demolition and abatement work but has grown to now offer five distinct…

Knowledge can be a powerful tool. When an industry professional wields it effectively, that is when knowledge becomes power—transcending into action that can positively impact the workplace.

Clients come first at Haley Builders, Inc. And although aspects of the Ashland, Virginia, general contracting firm’s business have changed in its 26-year history, that guiding principle has not. It’s that commitment to customer satisfaction…

John W. Kahl’s introduction to construction, and specifically demolition, was more by chance than on purpose.

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Brett Banton may be a man of few words, but his actions speak volumes about his passion for serving clients with personal attention and strong customer service.

For Buddy Bayliss, his business isn’t just about earning a dollar, it’s about paying it forward.

In 1976, Gary Feazell started F&S Building Innovations, a construction company with both commercial and residential divisions, in Roanoke, Virginia. Five years ago, the management team at F&S Building Innovations started having leadership meetings…

Many entrepreneurs are driven by the satisfaction of doing something great, while others desire to leave a lasting impression on the world. For business leader Monique Smith, she was born to help clients achieve their goals by offering strategic…

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When it comes to technical excellence, Brett Miller, Vice President of Fredericksburg, VA-based I.C.E. Heating & Cooling, knows his employees are the best—with an understanding of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) that is second…

The lumber business has changed dramatically since Princess Anne Pile & Lumber Co. Inc. (Princess Anne Pile) began almost 90 years ago. There are more choices in products but fewer small sawmills. The economy has endured various cycles of prosperity…

Half a century is an impressive milestone. In 1970, Don Damuth purchased a local Norfolk, Virginia-area Trane franchise. Having worked with Trane for a decade, transitioning to his own company—with his own vision—was smooth. Today, Don’s mantra…

Mike Matalone, Owner of XP3 Talent, headquartered in Bumpass, Virginia, spent years advising CEOs and other executives about finding, training and retaining the right talent before he developed the XP3 Talent System. Today, his company’s predominant…

Located in Arlington, Virginia, Bonaventure is a real estate, construction and investment firm with an integrated approach for its clients. Starting out in 1999 as an apartment leasing company by CEO Dwight Dunton III, Bonaventure has transformed…

Whoever coined the phrase “You can’t do it all” clearly didn’t know Wayne Norman. This entrepreneurial problem-solver and his talented team of professional pipe and plumbing experts have built a multidecade reputation for solving seemingly impossible…

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A native of Brazil, Rafael Marcussi arrived in the United States in 2014 with the goal of building a business. Formerly a leader on a granite production line in Brazil, he brought with him 15 years of experience in managing projects and skills…

Los Angeles in the 1980s was a cultural hotbed, where skateboarding was a regional secret, surfing was ubiquitous and Jeff Davies and Dennis Forrest, the Owners of DaFore LLC (DaFore) were teenagers. Today, DaFore is a 15-year-old company that…

When Steven Cohen and his wife, Melannie Huber-Cohen, took over a 23-year-old landscaping company in 2016, they wanted to up the game from good to extraordinary. They purchased BCLS and rebranded as BCLS Landscape Services, LLC (BCLS).

A rising from the dot.com bubble burst of the late 1990s/early 2000s, Express Technologies, Inc. (Express-tek) of Fredericksburg, Virginia, has become a one-stop shop for the design, engineering, permitting and construction of fiber optic networks…

RMT Construction & Development Group, LLC (RMT Construction) believes diversity is a cornerstone for success. “We employ people from all over the world, and three of our leadership positions at RMT Construction are held by women,” says CEO Warren…

When it comes to giving new life to an existing space, projects start and end with RJ Smith Demolition. The firm, headquartered in Chesterfield, Virginia, is part of a family of companies under the parent organization, RJ Smith Companies. “We…

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Over 30 years ago, John Caskey was a chemical engineer working as an oil rig foreman in Louisiana. After an unexpected oil embargo hit in the mid-1980s, he and others headed up the Eastern Seaboard in search of employment. He settled in Virginia…

Clearsite Industrial (Clearsite) may be celebrating its one-year anniversary, but it’s no newcomer to the game. With offices in the eastern United States and headquartered in Plainsboro, New Jersey, Clearsite is a company of vacuum excavation…

Innovators, pioneers, trailblazers—entrepreneurs who set the pace and potential for what is possible in business are known by many names. Amanda Wheeler, Owner of Riverstone, a family-owned general contracting and construction management company…

Monique Smith leads with the philosophy of going above industry standards to help people and the environment. She currently owns and operates two recycling businesses, RJ Smith Materials and USA Iron and Metal, both headquartered in Richmond,…

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According to a top manufacturer’s ongoing evaluations, Mountain Roofing Inc. does great work. According to several charitable organizations, the Roanoke, Virginia, company also does an awful lot of “good” work—make that “good deeds.”

Mid-Atlantic Controls Corp. believes talent attracts talent. “Smart, talented people want to work with others who are smart and talented,” says Marshall Nesgoda, Vice President of Technical Services. “At Mid-Atlantic Controls Corp., we attract…

Benny Holladay Sr. is no stranger to hard work. At age 16, he started working as an automobile mechanic for Chevrolet and quickly earned a reputation for being the best mechanic in town. Eighteen years later, he switched gears and went to work…

CEO Barbara Wycliffe built Wycliffe Enterprises as a general contracting firm with a goal to be the best a small business could be. Once Wycliffe Enterprises became successful, Barbara, as a graduate of the Small Business Administration 8(a)…

For too many businesses, the economic recession of a decade ago was the end. But for some, it was the beginning.<

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Driven to be the best, Darrell Wells, President of Marine Mechanical & Technology (MM&T), has worked to establish a stalwart reputation for his firm as a mechanical systems maintenance operator. Founded in 2016 and based in Chesapeake, Virginia,…

The lines, symbols and signs that establish boundaries and provide direction for our lives are painted and displayed on streets, garages and parking lots everywhere. Without them, we would be lucky to find our way or avoid collisions. For 35…

For Buddy Bayliss, his business isn’t just about earning a dollar, it’s about paying it forward.

For the past 18 years, Jaime English has been working in preconstruction for Branch & Associates, Inc. (Branch), which has its headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia. When asked what he loves most about his company, English, who is also a senior…

When Eric DePiazzy and Keith Smith started Coastline Electrical Services, Inc. in 2003, they knew they didn’t want to be just another subcontractor, installing and repairing electrical systems; they wanted to be an integral part of every build…

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The bond created between a father and a son through a motorized vehicle creates lifelong memories. In the case of the George family, little boys operating “big boy” toys morphed into a successful family business.

Forty years ago, Wayne Norman, owner and President of Capital City Services, started his business on a tight budget. He purchased a 10-year-old International Harvester Metro step van, the first company vehicle, for $73 and offered plumbing services…

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the school is the heart of a community. And for more than 100 years, Nielsen Builders, Inc. has been integral in establishing, maintaining and renovating the very structures that touch so many of its…

“My son is a different person. They saw greatness in him and encouraged him and changed his life.”

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To some people, asphalt and paving might sound like routine business, but to the owners of Finley Asphalt and Concrete, Inc., it’s a passion that spans three generations of a hardworking, loyal, community-minded family.

Since its earliest days, L.F. Jennings, Inc. has had a deep connection to clients, trade partners and employees. Through economic ups and downs, the firm’s leaders have stood strong and committed to doing what they do best—to building with efficiency…

Stay in the fight. Never give up on your dreams. Kelley “Hutch” Hutchinson adopted these principles back when he was a soldier in the U.S. Army’s special operations light infantry unit. This former Army Ranger is a Co-Owner of LaborMax Staffing,…

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After 81 years in operation, the family-owned William S. Trimble Co. Inc. knows a thing or two about hard work, resilience and resourcefulness. Founder William Scott “Bill” Trimble grew up in an era of self-sufficiency, where hardiness in the…

Since it began in 1963, S.B. Cox, Inc. in Richmond, Virginia, has built a reputation of safety and efficiency while helping to preserve natural resources. Since the beginning of its demolition work, the company has had a knack for reusing or…

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