Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009
Road to Palm Springs
Daniel L. Baker
Baker Concrete Construction, Inc.
Monroe, Ohio
Early in life, Daniel Baker adopted the work ethic passed down by his grandfather, who believed in the value of earning what he called a “double degree” that combined classroom study with hard work in the trenches. To earn money for college, Baker worked as a concrete finisher for his grandfather.
In 1968, the 20-year-old college student took the risk of starting his own concrete construction company in the dead of winter, accepting work excavating frozen ground. At the end of the first year, the company had earned $50,000 finishing driveways, sidewalks and patios.
Over the years, Baker’s reputation for quality work and integrity helped him establish relationships with well-known contractors that fueled the growth of his company. He established hubs in Houston, Orlando, Phoenix and Denver, expanding the company’s scope of work and diversifying into new areas such as concrete packaging arenas, commercial high-rises, parking structures and hospitals.
With seven offices and 4,500 workers, the company now commands an impressive portfolio of projects, including the Invesco Stadium in Denver and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. For the fiscal year ended March 2008, it had revenues exceeding $750 million, a 63% increase over the prior year, despite the economic downturn. Hailed as a pioneer in workplace safety, CEO Baker is currently leading the industry’s shift to environmentally friendly practices.
