Concrete Results for Clients
Team Nelson Earthwork, Utilities & Concrete relies on strong staff, integrity and technology
Team Nelson Earthwork, Utilities & Concrete (Team Nelson) literally moves the earth to get the job done. Digging in the dirt has been a booming business for this company since its inception in 1996 by Owner Don Nelson. Located northeast of Seattle in Woodinville, Washington, Team Nelson has plans to double its sales over the next five years.
Devotion to integrity drives Team Nelson’s work. “Even though it sounds basic, we stand behind every project we complete,” Don says. Describing the company as a one-stop shop to get customers “out of the dirt,” he says, “We do earthwork, underground utilities and concrete, including water retention vaults—all aspects of horizontal construction. We basically get the development ready to go for vertical construction.”
The business added its concrete division in 2015, which self-performs structural concrete for projects. With so much rainfall in Washington, each project needs some sort of underground detention vault. General Manager Mike Gilbert says, “We build all those detention vaults in-house. We haven’t been doing vaults for very long. When we tell clients and general contractors that, they say, ‘Oh, you guys do that?’ “
Implementing this type of work opens doors to new business partners and increases opportunities for growth. Don says the company intends to expand concrete operations and continue to develop more relationships with developers and builders.
Excavating with Experience
Team Nelson resources include a fleet of 350 pieces of equipment. Because of this, Mike says the team can handle any job and prefers larger ones. When talking about projects, he says, “The bigger, the better. We like big technical jobs because we have a project team that has a lot of experience. We can figure almost anything out for our clients.” One of the company’s biggest projects is a residential development for approximately 400 homes in Duvall, Washington, for Toll Brothers, a national builder and repeat customer. It consists of eight large underground stormwater retention vaults, the widening of Big Rock Road and the installation of a detailed roundabout, all while keeping traffic flowing safely throughout the duration of the project.
The members of Team Nelson strive for excellence on the job, working to earn repeat business. Referrals are also important to the management because it shows the company is developing long-term relationships of mutual trust and respect with employees and customers. “It’s just a win-win relationship with our clients,” Don says. “We rely on each other and we work for each other’s advantage and the overall success of the project.”
The leadership at Team Nelson believes that every employee is an important part of the equation and has value. “Just because someone has a position that may have more seniority doesn’t mean that they are superior in any way to anyone,” Don says. “We all try to work together for a common goal—performing well.”
This supportive atmosphere is evident in how employees treat one another with respect. “Our culture is that we have ‘team’ in the name and it’s not just a marketing ploy,” Mike says. “We really do work as a team, help each other out and get along. Our people make us unique.”
The company has about 200 full-time employees. Operators, pipelayers, drivers and foremen are in high demand and short supply, Don says, and finding quality craftspeople is a struggle. In fact, difficulty recruiting limits the company’s growth more than any other factor. “We can’t just hire anyone,” Don says. “They have to be good, and most good people are busy somewhere, so they’re hard to come by.”
Investing in Technology
Technology is a valuable tool and a huge benefit for the business, and Don embraces it for many reasons. He says that if you are not incorporating technology in this field, you will get left behind. “By using technology, you can achieve more with less people, which saves us a lot of time since finding talented people is a challenge,” he says. It also allows the current employees to work in a more productive, proactive manner.
Team Nelson relies on a variety of advanced equipment to bolster accuracy and speed on projects. GPS-guided machines and drones are two innovative technologies used to help the company stand out from competitors. GPS allows team members to be proactive in finding conflicts on job sites. Mike shares one example: “Instead of going out, starting to dig and finding a storm line runs into a sewer line, we know that in advance. We can proactively deal with the situation rather than have a crew standing around going, ‘OK, what do we do now?’ “ GPS also helps equipment operators be more efficient by providing real-time grading information right there in the cab of the machine. “We get the project completed faster, which benefits both us and our client,” Mike says.
By using drones, on-site crews determine if the topography matches the original land blueprints they are given. The drones fly over job sites and record videos and capture aerial images. “As we go on each week, we can see the job from above, what it looks like, how it’s developing,” Don says. Employing these technologies benefits the crew’s efficiency and facilitates the project finishing sooner, both of which save money for Team Nelson and the client.
Taking Care of One Another
Team Nelson rewards employees through multiple initiatives, including an incentivized safety program. The leadership wants to make sure that everyone works safely and goes home to their families every day. Mike says, “Our company gives out about $24,000 in safety [incentives] throughout the year to employees.”
Employees can also earn extra money through the referral incentive program. If a staff member refers a friend or family member to work for Team Nelson, the employee can make up to $2,000 for each person who is hired.
Digging in the dirt isn’t the only thing this company loves. Team Nelson is also passionate about giving back to the local community. Employees donate canned goods to the Maltby Food Bank located in Snohomish County, Washington, and the company matches cash donations from staff members to the nonprofit organization. The company also sponsors Maltby Pony Baseball, a youth baseball league, and a ballpark named Team Nelson Field.
Don says that he loved playing in the dirt and sand when he was a child, which is why he also focuses his company’s efforts on influencing the next generation about the construction industry. Team Nelson hosts an equipment show-and-tell for various youth groups, including the Boy Scouts of America, giving kids an opportunity to see the big rigs up close. “Kids dig it,” Mike says.
Don has worked in this field since he was a teenager, and he continues to dream big. The company recently purchased 10 acres for a new headquarters location; construction is expected to begin by the end of this year. “We currently have the residential and concrete division in a different building, so we are not all under the same roof,” Mike says. “The new building will allow us to all get back under the same roof and provide enough office space to be able to double the company in size.”
In the middle of this growth and progress, Don continues to take pride in the culture and people he works with daily. “We have a great team and we all work together,” he says. “That gives me a lot of satisfaction at the end of the day.”