“Being in the family business… I'm lucky for that because a lot of people don't have the opportunity. I have it. I want to take advantage of it.”

Kevin Tompkins grew up in the family business, going to work with his dad when he was 2 years old. He started working weekends and summers when he was 10, but ended up going away to college for civil engineering. After just one year of school, however, he knew deep down that he wanted to go back home and help his family run Tompkins Excavating. He was doing bidding and estimating while still in school, and once he graduated in 2019, he was all-in full-time with the family company. But to get to that point, he first worked for other companies, and even though he got good experience, he knew he’d maximize his career by diving into the family business.

This week on Dirt Talk, Kevin joined host Aaron Witt to discuss the value of learning a large variety of skills in the Dirt World, why embracing technology allows you to stay ahead of the times, and why it’s important to realize that it’s getting harder and harder to hire elite talent in the field (and why you’re better off developing the talent from the ground up).

Thanks to Kevin and the team at Tompkins Excavating! To follow their story, you can go follow them on IG @tompkins_excavating or visit tompkinsexcavating.com.

If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.

Stay Dirty!