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GBH
Enterprises Inc.- In 1991, Brad Hull started a steam cleaning business, pressure washing heavy equipment for large and small construction companies. In 1996 he bought a John Deere skid steer and the next year marked the beginning of a number of contracted Bobcat work, but success did not come as freely as that. While still in high school, Hull found himself leaving the campus after his last class to head straight for the construction yards. He began working for the Ralph D. Mitzel Corporation, an engineering contractor as an oiler for the company. He would get out of school early and jump into a lube truck and grease the heavy machinery. "My friends in high school would always make fun of me and try to get me to go with them to buy a dirt bike or something. They always wondered why I wanted to get to work," stated Hull. "When a three-day weekend came up they would all be excited to get away, I was excited because I had an extra day to work and put money in my pocket." Eventually, Hull was laid off and in the lull time he bought a steam cleaner with his saved up cash. It turned out that the demand was high for that sort of work and he started the High Desert Pressure Washer Shop. While looking for steam cleaning work he went to All American Asphalt in Corona and found work with open arms. "They gave me a steady stream of work each week," he said. One of the days Hull was working on equipment at All American, he went into the yard and asked if they rented their equipment. He bought his first John Deere skid loader and went out to a job soon after, with no prior experience. Apparently, experience is a coveted and sought after commodity, which unfortunately for Hull, quickly became his first challenge and hurdle to jump over. "I was basically run off of the job because I didn't know what I was doing," said Hull.
The guys at All American Asphalt took pity on the young man trying to make his way and worked with him. He began to learn the fine points of precision concrete and asphalt removal and demolition as well as several other concrete related methodologies. Soon after, Hull founded GBH Enterprises with a base yard found in Corona and a main office located in Apple Valley. He instituted a plan to purchase new equipment every year and he uses Bobcat products because they cater to the specific needs of the contractors in his line of work. His brother, Kyle Hull, came to work for him in 2000 after buying half of one of their second Bobcats. 2000 also marked the first year that they had hired new help. In a work environment where concrete breaking and asphalt grinding is the basis of a paycheck, GBH Enterprises uses a primarily Bobcat line with various attachments. Their collection includes two 873 model Bobcats, as well as a new S250 and a T190. "Each one of the skid steers has an enclosed cab except for the T190," said Hull. Being just out of high school and looking for a new way to make money caused Hull to work 7-day weeks with a grueling work ethic. Although the pursuit of wealth can be a great motivator, Hull's determination was not governed by such a shallow quest. His father has worked for Ralph Mitzel Engineering and currently works at Coburn Construction, where he rises early each morning, every day of the week. "He does everything the company needs him to do," Said Hull. "He is the example of a hard worker who showed me the ropes of being a success in the workplace, but that is where the line was drawn." Hull saw his father work exceedingly hard for someone else and, "I did not want to do that. So I started my own company." Over the years, the equipment used in the everyday work has changed and allows the jobs to be accomplished in a more expedient and efficient fashion. "The asphalt grinders used to be imprecise and now they can shave an inch at a time off easily," stated Hull.
GBH has grown by leaps and bounds and Hull attributes much of their success to the individuals he has working for him. "I told myself when I was starting out that if I was not prepared to give 100% that day I would not even leave the house. I tell my guys the same thing. They have responded to that challenge and exceeded it." When Hull hired his brother with half ownership of one of the machines, "he was instantly responsible for the success of the work done with it." The guys that work with me are the guys that I work with," said Hull. He is looking for continued growth strategies in order to grow larger and prosper in the future. GBH Enterprises has started renting out their operated equipment to other contractors in the industry, which accounts for the majority of their work. "We feel that creating the best equipment rental company for doing the kind of jobs we do will allow the name GBH to be known as a quality company that takes charge of our responsibilities," he said. "Our goal is to grow in a controlled fashion, with an attitude of superior quality. Every company that tries us has found their heads spining. Since we are a smaller company, we are able to attend more dutifully to the needs of the customer. We are not afraid to get out and work. We go past what is normally expected of companies in our industry." Just as so many other companies within the construction industry, challenges have waited around each corner. "There have been jobs where we have been lowered down into a canyon with an excavator and I wonder how we are going to do the job," said Hull. They helped work on the Staples Center construction spreading sand and backfilling several areas. "They were long and difficult jobs to do, but the key is that we did them and did them well," said Hull.
During vacation times, Hull enjoys taking his family out on their boat to go wakeboarding. The boat is kept at his brother's house on a lake. "We also enjoy camping and traveling a lot and have gone all over the world. We have gone to Hawaii, Paris, Cancun, etc." The guys he went to high school with who always wanted him to buy toys are probably wishing that they had set their minds upon the future because just dreaming the dream does not mean you can afford it. |
