In this episode of The Land It Podcast, host Josh Stockel sits down with Dave Jacobus, owner of HLC Site Services, to talk about what it really takes to build and scale a commercial site work company that stands the test of time.

Dave started mowing lawns in high school and now runs a respected commercial grading and site development company with multiple crews across North Carolina and beyond for the last 20 years. He shares how relationships and reputation have brought in more work than any ad campaign, what he learned transitioning from residential to commercial projects, and how he keeps operations running smoothly with a lean team.

If you’re a land clearing, excavation, or site development contractor looking to grow your business with steady commercial work, this episode shows exactly how to do it the right way — by earning trust, building relationships, and delivering results.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• How to grow from small residential jobs to commercial contracts
• Why relationships and reputation create consistent work
• Managing multiple crews without losing control
• Avoiding bad clients and burnout as you scale
• Lessons from 20 years of real-world dirt work

Connect with HLC Site Services:
🌐 https://hlcssi.com

Connect with Blue Goat Land Leads:
👉 https://www.landclearinginsights.com

🎧 Subscribe to The Land It Podcast — where dirt work meets real talk.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & Dave’s Background
02:00 – From Lawn Care to Site Work
05:00 – Managing Crews and Operations
09:00 – Shifting from Residential to Commercial Work
11:00 – How to Land and Keep Commercial Jobs
13:00 – The Power of Relationships and Reputation
17:00 – Lessons from 20+ Years in the Industry
22:00 – Building Supplier and Vendor Relationships
25:00 – Smart Growth & Final Takeaways