Ever-Evolving
DPT Construction’s David Daoud transformed an after-school job to a successful business
Back in junior high, when David Daoud was working on painting and tiling jobs after school, on weekends and during the holidays, he simply thought he was helping support his family. He never imagined he was building a career; and he certainly never dreamed that, as he was learning the trade, he was also learning how to build a business of his own. But then again, when David, now 43, started what would grow to become DPT Construction, he didn’t set out to be a general contractor. His focus was on paint and tile work, hence the company’s original name, David’s Paint and Tile.
Three decades later, David’s talents have evolved along with his company, which is based in Northridge, Calif.
He now oversees and leads a full construction team on a variety of projects throughout Los Angeles and southern California, the area he has called home since he and his family immigrated to the United States from Lebanon when he was an 11-year-old boy.
“It took me a while to really appreciate what I’ve come from,” says David, who graduated from high school early, at 16, to start working full time with his father, who worked for a contractor in the area.
“I didn’t plan to be a contractor, it just kind of happened,” he says, crediting his background in finishing work for setting him up for success. “Having experience with finish trades gives you an eye for the overall picture, to see what is and isn’t right,” he says.
His brother Dory, an Estimator who has worked at DPT Construction since David started the company, agrees that their longtime experience with finishing gives them an advantage over other contractors. “We were brought up doing a lot of the finish trades, and we know how it’s supposed to be done,” he says, referring to the lessons learned from their father and other relatives who work in construction.
“We know how important it is to have good coordination and to do the beginning steps right, so the project goes smoothly and is delivered to clients the way they pictured it,” Dory says. “Our whole family is in construction, so we’ve been doing this our whole lives.”
Hotel Expertise
With David at the helm, DPT has developed expertise in hotel renovations, commercial retail, tenant improvements, institutional, restaurant and hospitality projects. It’s that variety that DPT craves. “I get bored on the easy jobs,” says David. “I’m always wanting the challenges.”
Thank goodness he likes a challenge, because there’s almost always one waiting for him. “It’s hard to have a job go perfectly. You have to know how to react and have back-up plans ready to go,” David says.
Though the work has changed, the tenets of the company that he started in 1986 remain: to provide unmatched service, quality and commitment to clients.
“We’re a service company, and when you start looking at it that way, you can really grow,” he says.
Going Commercial
DPT started moving away from residential jobs about 10 years ago in order to keep a full—and consistent—schedule of projects throughout the year. DPT now works exclusively on commercial projects, a decision David calls the biggest catalyst for the growth of the company.
“I am proud at this moment that my company can perform at any pace with any given job,” he says. “We keep enhancing our services to keep up with the fast-moving economy and our clients’ needs.”
Meeting those needs and keeping clients happy is, of course, important to DPT. But David also goes to great lengths to keep customers updated and “in the know” throughout a project.
The DPT team has made building long-term relationships a priority. “I sold my first job to the Beverly Hills Hotel when I was 18,” says Dory, referencing the iconic, high-end pink hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Calif. “Now, I’m 39, and we’re still doing work there.”
A simple philosophy has helped DPT maintain such long-standing relationships: seeing a project all the way through.
“We’ve always finished the jobs we start,” Dory says. “We’ve always been there at the end to make sure a client is happy, no matter the difficulty or challenge. There are a lot of contractors who can’t say that.”
Focus on Communication
Constant communication and a collaborative relationship with owners, as well as subcontractors, helps too. Having a great team of subcontractors allows DPT to tackle just about anything out there, says David, who remains committed to delivering quality, value and style to clients.
And the clients notice.
The largest job in DPT’s portfolio kept growing and growing because the client was so pleased with the work. The client just kept asking for more, until the two-year, 181-unit renovation of the Luxe City Center Hotel in downtown Los Angeles was complete.
“They kept giving us additional work once they could see what we were capable of,” David says of the project, which elevated a three-star hotel to a four-star rating.
DPT oversaw everything except the mechanical aspects of the job. “You name it, we did it,” he continues, crediting the 80-employee team with everything from demo and acoustic removal to millwork and stone cladding.
The size and the scope of the project were challenges; but so was the fact that the hotel continued to host guests throughout its transformation.
“Renovating an operating hotel is a challenge,” says David. “Everything else is easy after going through such a project.”
Building momentum and keeping the Luxe project on schedule was crucial, as was the empty lot next to the site. That space served as a staging area and helped keep the crew on track.
“Work never stopped; we had to keep everyone moving,” David explains. He shares further that he’s always pushing himself—and his team—to not only be efficient and deliver quality craftsmanship, but to go the extra mile as well.
“When you’re willing to work hard, you can turn that energy into something good, and make a real career,” David says.