This week, Jeff Amerine talks with Sam Alley, chairman and CEO of VCC. VCC is a leading general contractor in the nation, and it is the largest retail construction company in America. In this episode, you will hear about how Sam started VCC with two partners, challenges the business has overcome, and the strong culture found within the company. Sam also shares advice for engineers who are looking to build their own businesses. As always, thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(1:10) Sam Allley introduces VCC
(3:46) Sam talks about the early days at VCC
(6:18) Challenges that VCC has overcome
(9:34) Advice for entrepreneurs looking to build large enterprises
(11:47) Building a strong culture
(14:19) Managing a business through COVID-19
(20:06) Advice for engineers looking to start their own business
(22:15) Sam’s take on the American Dream
Links
Quotes
“So really, construction includes engineering and business together, and that’s why I was really excited to choose the construction industry.” (2:41)
“If you ever go and start your own company, people will come and ask you to service them because they’ve dealt with you. And it doesn’t matter what the name of the company is, it’s the individual that makes a difference.” (4:09)
214: The Construction Giant Sam Alley Builds on the American Dream
As a part of the Game-Changers Series for Startup Week, Jeff Amerine talked with Sam Alley, chairman and CEO of VCC. VCC is the largest retail construction company in the nation, and it has its headquarters in Arkansas.
Sam and his story most definitely fit into the game-changer archetype for several reasons. One of which is his strong work ethic. His drive to work hard followed him from the time he was 14 years old, attending an American school for the first time while not knowing English, to starting his own business with two partners in the 80s, and now leading one of the most well-respected general contracting companies in the nation.
While his embodiment of the American Dream is inspiring, his business is unique in its own right. VCC started with Sam and his two partners in an office without any clients. They wanted to avoid going into debt, but they also had no money to get their business off the ground. They decided to find a joint-venture partner for their first job, and they never looked back from there. To this day, VCC has avoided going into debt, allowing the business to remain flexible and ready to adapt to any unforeseen situation.
Sam credits two things for the company’s success throughout the years: relationships and adaptability. While leaving his job to build a new company from the ground up was intimidating, Sam knew that connections from his previous career would carry him through the early days. He had always been a hard worker, and his previous clients knew that. Because of this, they cared more about working with him than the company he previously worked for.
“If you ever go and start your own company, people will come and ask you to service them because they’ve dealt with you. And it doesn’t matter what the name of the company is, it’s the individual that makes a difference.” (4:09)
In the early days, Sam emphasized networking within his industry. By making contacts and maintaining relationships with other individuals and businesses involved in retail construction, VCC set itself up to land the jobs needed to carry the company to success.
Sam also values relationships within his own business. VCC’s culture is renowned, and Sam credits this to caring about his employees first. He wants to keep his employees safe and satisfied, creating harmony within his business. This mentality has helped him keep several employees for more than two decades. Once an employee has been with VCC for twenty years, the company gives the person a Rolex watch.
When it comes to adaptability, VCC is a model of success. By staying out of debt and being prepared to roll with the punches of an unpredictable world, Sam has led VCC through the financial crisis of 2008, and he is on track to guide them through the challenging year of 2020. Sam believes it is imperative to address an economic downturn by pivoting your company to ride out whatever storm the world is going through. By shifting and adapting his business through hardship, he built a stronger company prepared for success.
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