05/26/2023
For those that haven’t yet heard, after 16 challenging and rewarding years, I’ll be closing Vehrs Construction at the end of this week. I’ve accepted a position as an Engineering Inspector with the City of Moses Lake, and will start on Tuesday, May 30th.
I’ve been very fortunate be able to step in and take over Vehrs Construction from my dad and build it into the successful business that has given my family a great life for these past 16 years. But it definitely is time for a change.
First, the good. I’d like to thank my many customers over the years for trusting us with your concrete projects. We’ve always strived to do the best job we can each and every time, and it’s a philosophy that I feel has served us and our customers well.
I’d also like to thank all my employees throughout the years. Without you, I could not have made my business the success that it became. As any business owner knows, employees are THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of any successful business.
There are countless reasons why I’ve decided to step away from running my own business. As any small business owner knows, the demands of running your own business are never ending. As a business owner you are never truly “off the clock”. In addition to the full work day, there are projects to bid, invoices to send out, payroll, taxes, trucks to load/unload, repairs, materials to pick up for the next days’ job, etc…
I look forward to still being able to work hard and give my all, but at the end of the day be able to leave work at work and enjoy my down time.
Another challenge that ALL small business owners are facing is finding employees. Its been a particular challenge in the construction industry. Without going off on a tangent…it’s a problem I don’t see going away any time soon…and the only solution I see are MASSIVE increases in construction costs, as construction wages will probably need to increase 50% or more to attract quality workers.
My new position is going to allow me to stay involved in the industry, but without all the physical, mental and emotional strain I have endured over 16 years as a business owner and roughly 25 years in concrete total.
As many may have seen or experienced, the cement used to make today’s concrete is VASTLY inferior to the products we had 20 or more years ago. You don’t have to look far to find new concrete failing within a year or two of being placed. Developing solutions to address this problem is something I’ve been working on for many years, and I hope to use my knowledge and experience to help improve the durability of the concrete being poured in Moses Lake.
Again, thank you to everyone who has been a part of my business over the past 16 years.
