Carolina Dozer in Purlear, North Carolina, about 65 miles west-northwest of Winston-Salem, was incorporated in North Carolina in September 2023.
It started in 2018 when owner Kyle Michaud bought 160 acres in the area and an excavator to work on the property. He started getting requests to do excavator work for others, established a business, and Carolina Dozer now has 20 employees and 20 excavators.
The success of Carolina Dozer comes down to rules: which to follow, which to break and which to establish.
Rules to follow
“One of the biggest challenges we faced as a start-up was learning the cadence of the building process,” says Michaud. Permits and approvals are required from a seemingly endless list of agencies, often with many agencies addressing the same issue, such as water quality, and each having its own timeline for application and approval. North Carolina, the Federal EPA and Fish and Wildlife agencies all have a say in protecting water quality. Wilkes County has standards for roads and bridges, but so does the U.S. Forest Service.
Carolina Dozer provides a wide range of services, but the bulk of their work is land clearing, which produces large burn piles of trees and other vegetation. Air quality and safety are primary concerns and permits are required.
Michaud says the company learned by experience, but also by simply asking questions. “People are usually willing to help.” Local builders and building associations were good sources and he says the Forest Service was especially supportive. Part of that is surely attributable to Michaud’s personality; building relationships is a core of who he is and how he conducts his life. If the principal person in a start-up is not a people person, it would be wise to find someone who is to create and support those essential relationships.
Summary: Construction is complex, and many agencies have rules that must be followed. Take time to learn and comply. Help is available.
Carolina DozerRules to break
Purlear is in the heart of the western North Carolina mountains. Three factors emerge: Everything is steep. Everything is rock. And although the area has little extreme weather, it does have distinct seasonal weather patterns and the weather can be unpredictable at any time. Taken together, these factors dictate much about how the business must be run and that often involves breaking established construction industry rules.
For example, it’s known that rock is hard on rubber tracks, so steel is the preferred track material in rocky conditions. But steel shoes provide poor traction on rock and traction is essential on slopes, so Carolina Dozer favors rubber tracks. “Yes, the rocky terrain is tough on rubber tracks,” says Michaud, “but I’d rather use up some rubber than sacrifice safety and production with steel tracks.”
Other examples? The company favors wide-stance excavators for the stability they provide on steep pitches, whereas many contractors favor machines with a narrower stance to maintain a smaller footprint and better maneuverability in typical flatland sites. Bucket teeth are welded on, despite pin- and bolt-on teeth being more popular in the broader market. “If we don’t weld them on, we lose at least one tooth every day.” Changing teeth requires grinding off the old ones and welding on the new ones, but that’s still a net gain in time and expense. Additional counterweights are rare in the Carolina Dozer fleet. Michaud says that understanding balance, inertia and gravity are essential in their terrain and no counterweight is as good as a skilled operator. “The proper positioning of the machine and bucket are critical.”
Another broken rule: Michaud says he prefers to not hire based on experience. Too often experienced operators bring in old habits that must be unlearned. “I’d rather have an inexperienced new hire with the right attitude and willingness to learn that I can shape to the unique needs of our firm.” This gets back to relationship building and leads into our third type of rules.
Summary: Know the established practices of our industry, but be willing to modify them as required to best meet the unique needs of your business.
Rules to establish
Carolina Dozer has lunch brought in for all employees every day and employees are expected to participate. There is a cost associated with this, but also a benefit, although it’s hard to assign a dollar amount to that benefit. “This way I don’t have five of our trucks going to five different locations so our employees can fill up on gas station pizza and energy drinks.”
The free lunch is just one way of showing employees that they are valued. Michaud says occasionally when employees are finished and leave work early, they still get paid for a full day. He also asks how workers are doing and then listens to the replies. If there are problems or challenges in their lives, he’ll try to make sure they get help from Carolina Dozer or from community agencies, as appropriate.
This works because Carolina Dozer hires employees with no sense of entitlement and with appreciation for working for a company with high standards. “We make it clear that if all you want is a job, Carolina Dozer is probably not a good match for you.”
Summary: Create rules that are specific to your company, its goals and values, communicate those rules clearly and make it clear that compliance is expected.
Michaud’s top-3 tips for start-ups
Invest in good equipment; don’t skimp on your gear. “Spending a bit on quality equipment will save you a lot of headaches down the road.”
Build relationships. “Building relationships with local suppliers, contractors and even the competition has opened up opportunities and provided valuable support.”
Stay flexible. “Things don’t always go according to plan. Being able to adapt when things go sideways, whether it’s the weather or an unexpected challenge, is crucial to keeping the business moving forward.”
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Carolina Dozer
