DirtStories

Welcome to Episode 19 of DirtStories. Hear from David Broomhead, CEO and Co-Founder of Trade Hounds about how his company is using technology to help contractors work smarter. The labour industry had continued to struggle to find new employees. Every year, the number of open positions in construction grows. Trade Hounds was created to help contractors connect with each other, to share their work and - as of this summer - start to connect those looking for work with those looking for employees. Often described as "LinkedIn for the Construction Industry", Trade Hounds is just one example of how much of an influence technology is having on this industry. It's changing the way contractors organize jobs, work safely and operate equipment. Dive into how technology is changing all aspects of the industry and how Trade Hounds is bringing contractors together like never before.

COVID-19 has changed a lot about our world. It's changed how we work, how we play, how we socialize and even how we think and plan for the future. Every industry and business out there has had to adjust to the new world we're living in. Farming is included in this, too. A year ago, we sat down with Sarah Winney from The Rise Farm. We chatted with her to learn about her experience starting a small farm with her husband, Rob, in Godfry, Ontario. This podcast follows up with her and Rob a year later to check in again! We wanted to see how their farm has grown, what has changed in the past year and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted them and the small farm industry in general. This podcast covers everything from the rise in demand of local food to the Farm-To-Table movement. Dive into the world of small farming in an uncertain world with this episode of DirtStories. Follow along with their story at @TheRiseFarm.

Welcome to Episode 17 of DirtStories. Becca Grieb chats with Paul Pacheco - the coordinator of Conestoga College's Heavy Equipment Operators program - about becoming an operator. Paul takes Becca through the basics of the heavy equipment operators training program at Conestoga College. He also shares his insights into what makes a good operator. In this DirtStories episode, learn the benefits of taking a college-level trades course and how this program sets graduates up for success. The program currently has employment rate of 85%-95% within the first 3 months after graduation. It's great that there are programs like this to help train the next generation of operators.

Tony DiGiovanni has been the Executive Director at Landscape Ontario for over 30 years. With such a long history in the industry, he has a unique perspective on the role of associations in the 21st century. In this episode of DirtStories, Becca Grieb and Tony DiGiovanni dive into his Dirt Story. They also talk about what Landscape Ontario does, the current labour shortage and how technology is changing the role of associations. Tony shares some of the ways that Landscape Ontario advocates for their members. As you'll hear in the podcast, this is true during a crisis like COVID or for everyday challenges. As Tony says in the podcast episode, the heart of an association is to help its members to grow themselves and their businesses. You'll never look at associations the same after this episode of the DirtStories podcast.

Jackman LTD is a construction company located in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. Since DOZR's headquarters are also in Kitchener, we were happy to chat with another local company. We first became interested in Jackman Construction because we saw their signs on a unique construction site in Downtown Kitchener. What made this project so interesting is that it was being built out of wood. This is what drove this episode of DirtStories. Becca Grieb chats with Chris Loftin - VP of Construction at Jackman Construction - about sustainable construction trends and their unique cross-laminated timber project in Kitchener, Ontario. We also get to learn about him and his history in the industry.

We were thrilled to have Bryan Wickson on as a guest on DirtStories. Bryan chatted with Becca Grieb about the world of heavy equipment auctioning and how technology is changing the construction industry. They also talked about using social media for business in the construction industry. Using a variety of social media platforms for his business, Bryan is growing his following. The platforms he uses include Tik Tok and Instagram. The reason for this is that he finds them valuable for sharing videos about his daily life as an operator and auctioneer. Find Bryan on Instagram @teddywickson. Listen to this episode of DirtStories to learn how he got started in construction and equipment auctioning. You can also get a peek at how Bryan believes that the future of equipment operating is entrepreneurial.

In this episode, Becca Grieb chats with Joe Jackson from Floatr about what it means to float equipment and what his experience has been like running his business during a global pandemic. What's amazing about Joe's story is how he has leaned on innovation and grit to not only keep his business going during COVID but to grow his business while continuing to put his customers first. Speaking about his drive for self-discovery and education while dealing with a personal loss, Joe said it best when he said that no one can plan for the future. The best you can do is try to give yourselves the tools to tackle whatever comes your way.