Dale Scheffler on Shift from Concrete Installation to Foundation Drilling
Dale Scheffler is the owner and president of D.J. Scheffler & Nye, based in Pomona, California. He started the business as D.J. Scheffler Construction in 1979 and added drilling to the portfolio in 1985. Today, the business provides foundation, environmental, and geotechnical drilling and shoring services to private- and public-sector customers across the western United States, including Hawaii.
When Scheffler shifted from concrete work to drilling early in his career, he owned one drilling rig. Now the company has as many as 30 rigs at any given time and completes more than 150 projects per year, including notable sites like the Rose Bowl stadium.
We invited Scheffler to reflect on his more than three decades of drilling experience and to elaborate on what he considers his coolest project thus far: the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
In his first 10 years drilling, the business didn’t get any repeat customers, Scheffler said, but as people realized what they could do, word travelled.
Treating people as the most important asset has been key to business advancement over the years, as has being straightforward with clients.
“I’ve always wanted to be honest and I’ve always wanted to charge upfront and get paid for what we say the project’s going to cost. So we try to take the risk out of the client,” Scheffler said. “Our reputation has always been to be honest and get the job done. If we don’t think we can do it, we recommend other companies. And in the very beginning that’s what we had to do all the time because we only had one drill rig.”
This episode covers:
- Scheffler’s switch from concrete work to foundation drilling.
- Micropiling at the site of the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
- D.J. Scheffler & Nye’s approach to safety.
- Keys to business growth.
- The role of family and employees in company success.
Check out today’s episode to hear more. Watch the video here or listen to the audio version of our conversation at www.thedriller.com/boring-podcast. You can also find our show on Apple Podcasts. Search for Drilling In-Site, then hit Subscribe.
Want to be a guest on a future episode of Boring Conversations? Know a drilling industry professional who should? Email verduscoj@bnpmedia.com for consideration.
Resources
D.J. Scheffler & Nye on the web: www.djscheffler.com
Contact Dale Scheffler at dale@djscheffler.com
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