- Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
- We are located in Corcoran, MN. We have one office location. We are a commercial remodeler/painter and commercial industrial concrete contractor. We have been in business for over 40 years. We self-perform most of our work. We believe in giving real estimates that customers can count on. We complete all of our projects on time. We have completed over 8,000 projects. We take ownership on the projects that we get.
- Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
- I have been in the construction industry for over 45 years starting out as a labor on the brick laying crew. My hardwork lead me to branching out on my own and start my own business. We have survived many economic downfalls and have managed to work year-round. In my spare time I enjoy going up north with my family, fishing, grilling, and riding horses.
- What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
- I am a 4th generation building contractor. It started with my grandfather who was a builder and finisher carpenter.
- What three pieces of advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?
- Make time for your family and a day of rest, know your numbers when you estimate, and surround yourself with good subcontractors and people
- What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
- Grit, patience, and honesty
- How many hours do you work a day on average?
- A minimum of 10
- To what do you most attribute your success?
- My faith in God and hardwork
- How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
- Word of mouth
- Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
- Good credit standing with the bank
- What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
- Taking care of your current customers and keeping them happy
- Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
- Booming
- Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
- Fehn Excavating – their trucks, equipment buildings are clean and impeccable
- How important have good employees been to your success?
- They are the most important thing in the company
- How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
- I don’t give up
- What motivates you?
- My employees and to make sure their families are taken care of
- How do you generate new ideas?
- By the needs expressed by the employees and the company
- How do you define success?
- By having the respect of your customers and your employees
- How do you build a successful customer base?
- One customer at a time making sure that their needs are taken care of.
- What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
- Meeting new customers and people
- What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
- I mentored the students at the University of Minnesota in the archicture program and they won a national award for helping out a injured firefighter with their ADA needs
- What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
- Entrepreneurs bring the work how while employees don’t.
- What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
- Culture of caring and being heard and know that we care about each individual and their family. “At Randahl Construction we say family first”
- In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
- Busy
- If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
- I would have found a mentor in the construction industry while I was starting out.
- How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
- The first 20 years of business I worked 7 days a week 363 days a year. This made the work-life-balance hard.
- What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
- Not having work for my employees.
- How did you decide on the location for your business?
- Location, close to home
- Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
- I account it to my faith
- If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
- Billy Gram, I would thank him for his life of service.
- Who has been your greatest inspiration?
- My faith
- What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
- The bible
- What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
- When I didn’t take time off for my family
- How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
- Research and plan ahead
- What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
- Going Up North, spend time with my family, and riding motorcycle
- What makes you happy?
- I love to put jobs together and sell them
- What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
- Family time and I have always paid my employees before myself
- If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?
- Are you happy?
For more information visit us at https://commercialconcretemn.com/