Founded in: 2018
Duval County
Construction
493% Increase
Was there a pivotal moment that led you to start your company?
The ‘ah-ha’ moment to own my own company struck early when I was twelve years old. Inspiration came from my Mom, Bonnie, and Dad, Marion Davis Jr. who owned his own construction firm. I knew I wanted to be creative, apply my leadership skills and have fun doing it. I always knew I would own my own company and help other people. Engineering was the perfect career selection because it included my strongest skill set, mathematics, and allowed me to be creative by “designing and building structures” which has allowed me to contribute to our community as well as encourage and inspire others.
Tell us about your company culture.
Baker Design Build’s company culture is special because we have a close, family atmosphere where we treat our clients like we want to be treated. We have a more than eighty percent repeat of client business. Recently, we polled our clients in a survey and the most important contributing factor of returning clients was because “We solve their problems and get the job done.” We are laser focused on our short and long-term goals and our employees are aware of them. We believe internal and external communication is a key component to success. Most importantly, we live by our core values which are: Own It, Be Kind, Be Responsive, and Find Your Groove. In addition to our core values, we have initiated a “Pay It Forward” focus in our company, and we volunteer quarterly for several non-profit organizations. Our purpose, cause, and passion is: Designing the Future + Building Today!
Our competitive edge, besides being experts in our field, is that ‘We Care’ about our employees and clients. We take pride in our abilities and the services we provide as well as enjoy helping our clients solve their problems. Additionally, we have a written and repeatable Proven Process that we have mastered. We believe that to truly be the best, you need to have a detailed written proven process that works for your team and your clients. This process has enabled us to provide great customer service with clear and concise communication that results in excellent design builds and construction.
Another competitive edge is that we have leveraged resources available to us and utilized them to their full potential. We are an EOS™ Company (Entrepreneurial Operating System) and have implemented a set of simple concepts and practical tools to clarify and simplify our business to help achieve our goals and vision. This implementation has transformed our company. We have effectively used the program since 2019, and it has allowed us to become laser focused on our goals, employees, clients, work product, and company culture. We also introduced a resource called the ‘Culture Index’ which has enabled us to seek and find the best employee for each position. One of the most powerful decisions we have made was to hire a fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to help us organize our budget statements, make strategic monetary decisions, and overcome those financial hurdles which influence the entire company.
We have specific and measurable five-year and ten-year goals set for BDB as well as a detailed plan on how to achieve these goals. The future for our company is strong and optimistic. Our growth goals over the next five years include attaining a revenue of forty million dollars with a net profit of 4 million dollars and empower forty employees to help achieve these goals. Obtaining minimum engineering job sizes at $50,000, construction job sizes at $3,000,000, and continuing to be a company where people love to come to work, are our objectives. We are planning to grow and purchase a more efficient office space to showcase our talented employees, work hard to support our recognizable brand, encourage the strong sense of company camaraderie, and continue to develop repeatable, reproducible systems throughout each department.
Do you have proudest moment so far?
Being the CEO of Baker Design Build has been a labor of love and long hours of hard work. Collectively, our company has been blessed with many reasons to be proud of the immense time and energy given to making the business a success. One shining moment for me was designing the addition to my hometown’s historical courthouse. I am most proud of this project because my dad was the contractor, and I had the opportunity to work directly with him. He has been my mentor every step of the way and to work directly with him in my hometown was an honor.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank for getting you to where you are now?
Entrepreneurship is a journey, and each experience is an opportunity for growth. Many people in our lives and community have helped us achieve our goals. Specifically, we would like to thank our parents and spouses for their unwavering encouragement and patience; our employees for their hard work and dedication; our business teaming partners for believing in our abilities and for including us in their endeavors and pursuits; our business coaches, mentors, and dear friends who have supported us, been our “cheerleaders,” mentors, and counselors along the way. We have been blessed, and we are grateful. Thank you!
What is your advice for aspiring or fellow business owners?
When asked this question, there are many recommendations I could share for aspiring business owners. However, I enjoy giving a Top 10 list for setting and achieving your goals.
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