Dirt Talk by BuildWitt

If you have listened to Dirt Talk for a while you might know that Kimo, owner of Truth Excavation, is a bit of a regular at this point. Kimo has joined Aaron twice in-studio and in this episode joined him via satellite internet video call in an unfinished office as a result of the reconstruction of Lahaina and its infrastructureIn this episode, Kimo breaks down the 2023 Lahaina fires, which devastated the community and affected him and Truth Excavation personally last August. He gave his honest perspective and broke down day by day what he saw as it unfolded. Truth is one of few excavation companies on the island of Maui and the only one directly based out of Lahaina. They were and still are is on the frontlines every day.As the fire still blazed Kimo and his crew worked tirelessly to bring their water trucks and dozers wherever needed to snuff out flames and cut fire breaks. Now Kimo and his team work long hours in harsh conditions to help restore the community and infrastructure of Lahaina. Although Kimo may be too humble to agree, he is a hero in his community and continues to be a legend in the dirt world. Big thanks to him for taking the time to talk to us via one of the most peculiar recording setups in Dirt Talk history.If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron is joined by Jonathan Campbell, Executive Vice President of Campbell Companies, a parent company for various businesses, including Wheeler Caterpillar, one of our favorite Cat dealers and service centers.During the conversation, Aaron and Jonathan delve into the workforce challenge. Jonathan shows no hesitation in addressing the sometimes polarizing topics of immigration and the border wall, recognizing their impact on the workforce. Drawing from his wealth of knowledge and firsthand experience gained through advocacy efforts for our industry with Associated Equipment Distributors and the Utah Mining Association in Washington, DC, Jonathan provides insightful commentary.They discuss the potential positive impact of legal immigration on our workforce, the role of technology as a workforce multiplier, and Jonathan's initiatives aimed at improving the workplace for all employees. As a respected leader in the industry, Jonathan shares valuable insights that listeners won't want to miss. Stay tuned to gain from his expertise.If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron is joined by Ryan Sistad, Executive Director at Better in Our Backyard. Ryan is a proud Minnesotan hailing from Duluth. Minnesota is also home to essential mining and infrastructure, more specifically copper and nickel. These resources are essential to keep the lights on for Hundreds of Thousands and will be vital in creating the infrastructure for a future of emission-free energy.Ryan and the team at Better in Our Backyard Help to advocate, educate, and create community-led content that helps provide clarity about the critical importance of Northern Minnesota mining. By taking a people-first approach, Ryan helps by drawing from his experience as a project engineer for Parson Electric. This industry relies on mining, to advocate for the hard-working people that make an honest living in the mining industry. If you are interested in learning more about big mining and the role it plays in our infrastructure stay tuned!If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron answers some questions from Instagram as follows.-How do you find a mentor and do you/did you have one?-Will BuildWitt ever make content for vertical construction?-What Podcasts do you listen to?-Will AI replace operators?-What are your hobbies besides construction?If you want to hear Aaron’s off-the-cuff option about a whole bunch of random stuff from people online that he doesn’t know about, this is the episode for you. Who knows, maybe your question will come up. Stay tuned to find out!If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron delves into the world of asphalt paving in the Northeast. Josh, the vice president of American Paving Specialists, LLC, and Matt, the foreman/marketing specialist at American Paving Specialists, LLC and founder of Raised on Blacktop, are brothers whose extensive shared experience in the industry since childhood has cultivated their passion and expertise in asphalt paving. The brothers began their journey and continue to work at their family's Connecticut-based paving company, American Paving Specialist Specialists, LLC. They discuss the significance of working and enjoying recreational activities together, reminiscing about their upbringing. Their father, Bill Stanley, whom they still work alongside, often showed up to coach their baseball practices wearing work boots and blue jeans with fresh asphalt still clinging to the bottoms. In addition to their involvement in the family business, Matt's social media presence has flourished over the years. His online presence gained momentum with the success of his company, Raised on Blacktop, which offers a wide range of branded apparel and has established partnerships with brands like LeeBoy to provide customized machines. The Stanleys are the real deal in the paving industry, and if you share their passion for paving, you're sure to like what they have to say.If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron discusses, you guessed it, draglines. These Mammoth machines work 24/7 and are the heart of one of America's largest coal strip mining operations at North American Coal. Aaron and the gang have had the honor to go see these machines work in person in the coal fields at the NACCO Freedom mine just outside of Beulah, North Dakota.That particular machine “Missouri Quest” works strip by strip to clear overburden using a 123-yard bucket! As the machine works to clear the overburden it reclaims the area it was just working. To learn more about this amazing dragline and others tune into this episode!If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron is joined by Tim Schurrer, CEO of David Novak Leadership, Author of "The Secret Society of Success” and Host of the "Build a Winning Team" podcast. Tim draws on his experience from being a creative manager to his time as COO of StoryBrand, to producing the How Leaders Leaders Lead podcast with David Novak, and through experiences on his podcast.Tim has a wealth of knowledge on leadership and what it means to be at the helm of any business. That coupled with his electric outgoing personality and genuine care for people, makes for an exciting and thought-provoking episode. Don't miss this one y’all!If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron sat down with Dan and Randy to talk shop about BuildWitt. The Executive leadership team is in constant communication with each other and you might be wondering what the heck they talk about for all this time. Today you’re in luck because you get to be a fly on the wall for a pseudo-ELT meeting. They discuss what we did last year, what we are looking forward to next year, and things that are still in the planning stages. There is lots of talk about the summit and the amazing speakers lined up, as well as what you can expect next from our training product. If you are interested in what BuildWitt is up to this episode is for you.If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron is joined by Philip Sutton, a Lecturer at Ohio State University. Philip teaches three classes, estimating construction, heavy construction, and the program's capstone course. These courses cover a wide range of topics to prepare students to join the workforce as leaders in their respective fields. Philip draws his knowledge from years of experience in the field, both directly in the field and in the office as an estimator. Ultimately he decided that he could better serve his community in the classroom teaching others not just to do the work, but how to be leaders on the job site. If you want more insight on how you can get ahead in the construction industry, this lesson is a freebie!If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Aaron cracks open one of the many books at our office to share something that many might not get the opportunity to read themselves.For its 50th anniversary, Ames Construction had a wonderful coffee table book made. The book titled Persistence Creates Opportunity: Building America for 50 years and details their entire history with many retellings of projects they have completed. For this episode, Aaron focuses on the humble beginnings of Ames Construction which starts with the story of Dick Ames. If you like this format and want to hear more, or if you don’t let us know! We do hope you enjoy it though!If you have any questions or feedback, email the Dirt Talk crew at dirttalk@buildwitt.com.Stay Dirty! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices