When George and Kathy Dickerson added onsite installations to their general excavating service line, they were looking to keep their employees busy in the company’s seasonal soft spots. Now, the onsite business is their fastest-growing segment.
“Our onsite business is thriving, but that is not exactly what we expected,” says George. The company, Dickerson Mechanical, serves a 50-mile radius around home base in Colfax, Iowa, a town of about 2,200, located 25 miles east of Des Moines.
Dickerson Mechanical is a diverse enterprise. The bulk of the business is electrical, plumbing, heating/ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and excavation. Some 75 percent of the excavation work is related to new home construction. About 65 percent of that is for onsite systems, and the balance is making sewer or water connections to public systems or wells.
Because onsite systems were a new venture, the Dickersons looked for ways to learn as much as they could, as fast as possible. “George is a natural at picking up new skills,” his wife observes.
Learning by association
George Dickerson credits the Iowa Onsite Waste Water Association (he’s the past-president) and the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association as the sources of most of his onsite knowledge.
He believes someone who wants to learn the onsite business needs to look no further than the IOWWA training program. It covers a wide range of onsite topics at locations across the state. George is especially interested in soils training. “If there is a soil scientist or geologist leading the training, I’m sure to be in the class,” he says.
Manufacturers offer product-specific training and it is not uncommon for manufacturers and IOWWA to join forces in education. It was through such training that George became an approved installer of Ecoflow peat biofilters from Premier Tech, AdvanTex units from Orenco Systems Inc., and the Waterloo Biofilter System.
The newest system to reach the horizon in Iowa is drip irrigation. “This system is coming on as the one that homeowners are selecting because of the way it blends into the site,” says George. The elevated sand mound’s popularity is declining because most sites that can support a mound can also support drip irrigation.
For reasons George cannot always understand, he observes that some installers choose not to learn about drip systems or other advanced technologies.
State requirements
At present, the counties in Iowa have the lead role in siting and construction regulations and contractor licensing and certification. The state’s onsite regulations, known as Chapter 69, are under review and revision. Together, George and his son, George Jr., are certified to install every system type in every county in which they work.
“Keeping up with each county’s certification requirements can be a job in itself,” George Sr. says. “Statewide regulations and a unified certification process will go a long way to help the industry.” He hopes the new state-level certification process will incorporate the National Environmental Health Association installer credential.
Consistency in the industry depends on quality education, but that is only half the equation, George believes. He sees mostly the same faces at training events. Many in the industry minimize their classroom time, meeting only the minimum training requirement. He would like to see more regulators in the class. He expects the challenges of compliance with the new state requirements to bring the more reluctant to the classroom — or lead them to change their line of work.
Consistent diversity
Dickerson Mechanical is in the business to stay. “Our employees are expected to do a wide range of tasks, and those tasks can change daily,” says Kathy. That flexibility is possible because each employee has diverse skills. That helps the company win jobs for which competitors cannot qualify.
George Jr. has learned every part of the business working beside his dad. He supervises the various mechanical service crews on a daily basis, freeing his father to focus on the onsite work.
A core group of full-time employees keeps Dickerson Mechanical moving forward. Most are long-term employees. Kathy focuses on the office, handling marketing, payroll and insurance. Tammy Wickett handles receptionist duties and more, while Kristen Crozier is the part-time bookkeeper.
Marlin Wing, a soon-to-retire electrician, has been helping Dominic McNeeley, an apprentice, learn the ropes. Doug McKim is a plumbing apprentice, and his dad, Rodger, is the primary equipment operator and truck driver. Kevin Adair focuses on HVAC, and seasonal employee Joe Lowry does nearly everything except HVAC.
True to form, George Sr., as president, wears multiple hats: sales and marketing, operations and project coordination.
The firm’s location near Des Moines puts the company in a challenging market. “Wages in the city drive our employees’ wage expectations up,” Kathy says. “At the same time, customers expect that in our more rural area we can deliver the job at a lower price.” The company has successfully met that challenge for 15 years.
The employees are supported by a diverse equipment fleet. Seven job-focused cargo vans from three manufacturers are outfitted to support specific assignments. Four Ford pickups move the men, small tools, parts and equipment from job to job.
To support onsite system and general excavation operations, the roster includes a Ditch Witch VH4D, a Cat skid loader, a Case 580 Super M backhoe, and a Ford 10-ton dump truck. A fleet of various trailers moves equipment and bulky materials.
Getting involved
No matter how busy work life gets, the Dickersons get involved in the communities where they work or live. George and Kathy believe community-building activities are an important part of personal and business life.
In his home county and town, George serves on the Jasper County Planning and Zoning Board, and sits on the boards of the county and Colfax economic development corporations. Colfax is in the midst of a Main Street improvement program sponsored by the Iowa Department of Economic Development, and George helps there, too.
Dickerson Mechanical has helped in the renovation of the community’s swimming pool, with construction of a concession stand at the ballpark, and with a host of other endeavors, including sponsorship of sports teams. Sometimes the support is through cash donations, sometimes through reduced-price services, and sometimes through contributions of time and talent.
Doing things differently is normal for the Dickersons. “We treat people the way we hope others will treat us,” George says. “We work hard, set fair prices and deliver quality work. We’ve learned that we don’t have to work for free to be kept busy with plenty of work.”
