Gaines’s Approach To Early Recruitment Was A Success!
Good talent is not always easy to find. When a Gaines crew in Maryland saw potential in one young man, they knew they didn’t want to let him go. So, they suited him up in some PPE and got him on his own equipment. Now they just have to wait a couple years – no, no— decades until he’s ready to join the workforce.
When Gaines and Company entered the Arundel Preserve development in Jessup, Maryland, for a 45-foot section sewer repair project, they didn’t realize they’d get so much more out of the project. They made a new friend – Kenneth Durant, an almost two-year-old with an unmistakable fascination with construction equipment.
Kenneth Durant – Future Gaines and Company operator…?
“When I took in the first piece of equipment, he was in awe. It started with just one piece and ultimately more and more. This little boy came outside to see what we were doing. He waved to us and was just so excited to see all the equipment coming in,” said Lowboy Driver Dustin Hirmer.
“We read the book ‘Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site’ a lot. When Gaines came in, it’s like the book came to life for him,” said Tyler, Kenneth’s mother.
As the days went on, Kenneth anxiously watched load after load of equipment being delivered. Living at the end of a cul-de-sac, he sat on his porch – sometimes even eating lunch outside – with a close eye on Gaines’s work.
“He was even out there with them in the rain,” added Tyler. “He’d watch them pull up through the windows and immediately run to the door. On the final day, he stood in the rain to wave goodbye.”
The Gaines crew loved seeing his excited face as they arrived. Dustin Hirmer was especially touched by the way Kenneth’s face lit up watching the big machinery.
“I told my wife about Kenneth, and she said, ‘Why don’t we see if we can get him a toy tractor,’” said Dustin. “So I asked Dominic (Gaines’s Safety Director) if Gaines wanted to come in on it with us, and they loved the idea.”
Gaines’s mechanics assembled the mini-backhoe for one very special delivery.
Dustin and his wife found the perfect gift — a mini ride-along backhoe. The morning after it was delivered, the mechanics at Gaines’s shop put it together. Dustin placed a special Gaines and Company logo on it, loaded it onto his flatbed trailer, packed a special hard hat and safety vest, and – between his scheduled runs – embarked on a very special delivery.
“I knocked on Kenneth’s door, and he immediately saw what was on my trailer. He kept saying ‘Digger! Digger!’ He was so excited. When he finally got his coat and shoes on, we let him climb into it. He knew how to work it right away,” said Dustin. “It was the greatest thing getting to see the excitement on his face.”
When Kenneth came to the door, he immediately said, “Digger! Digger!”
Long after Dustin left, Kenneth was still in his backhoe. He didn’t want to get out of it, so Tyler brought it into the house and let him eat lunch in it. She drew the line, though, when he asked to take his nap in it.
“The Gaines crew was a gracious team of gentlemen who were all so kind to Kenneth,” said Tyler, who, along with her husband, has military experience. “We know what good people, good managers, and good jobs look like. After watching this crew, I would hire all these people in a heartbeat.”
“We joked that by accepting the backhoe, Kenneth had to promise to come work for us someday,” said Safety Director Dominic Pope.
As for future career advice for Kenneth, Dustin said, “Go for it! I’ve been driving in the construction industry for 28 years.”
“Gaines left an indelible mark on our family, and we are forever grateful,” said Tyler. “We had a Hallmark movie kind of a day. I am so speechless.”
Kenneth is a natural operator, instantly knowing how to work his new piece of construction equipment.
Gaines and Company is a full-service grading and excavation company with offices in Maryland and North Carolina. The organization has 70 years of experience in underground utilities, grading and excavating, sediment and erosion controls, and road work. Gaines and Company delivers safe, reliable, turnkey site development services in Maryland, North Carolina, Washington D.C., and Delaware on time and within budget.
