Reposted from March 12, 2020
I was given the opportunity to do a quick, sit-down interview with the owners of SMC Concrete and Construction LLC, Skyler and Michelle Wise. A few things I learned while talking with these friendly folks: they make a great team, they strive for perfection, and they try their best to leave every customer satisfied. Below you will learn some facts about SMC Concrete and Construction, and all they have to offer!
When did you start SMC and what inspired you to do so?
"We started around February-March 2015. We were inspired by the thought of running our own business, and we had a little push from some friends who also planned to take on running their own business as well." The friends that Skyler and Michelle are referring to are Cole and Colleen. They both started their business around the same time, and also happen to have the exact same anniversary month. Isn't that awesome?!
What does SMC specialize in? How far do you travel?
"When we first started out, we were working a lot with decorative concrete. Today, we have transitioned over to the production of grain storage. We specialize in the commercial and Ag sectors of construction, primarily Ag. As of now, we focus most on grain storage, grain bins, and material handling. We also work with steel buildings and concrete. We travel all over to meet our customer's needs. We like to stay within a 100 miles radius and have taken on projects all over Kansas and Nebraska"
How many employees do you have working for you?
"Today we have 10 employees. It kind of fluctuates throughout the year. Right now we are approaching our busiest time of year, so we are actually looking to hire" Talk about great timing! Click here to apply 😀
What is your favorite thing about running a business together?
"We are really good at bouncing ideas off of each other. We play off each other's strengths and whatever one is not good at, the other is." I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty perfect team to me.
If there was one thing to convey to your customers, what would it be?
"First off, we would like to say thank you to all of our customers for all of the opportunities you have given us. As a business, our overall goal is to have repeat customers, not just one-time projects." While discussing this question with the Wises, it was easy to understand why they value their customers and all of the opportunities they have had.
What do you feel makes your business unique and stand out from the rest of the competition in the area?
"For most of our projects, we self-perform. As a company, we find it beneficial to our customers to stick with them through the entire project. Not only are we doing the dirt work, but we are also pouring the concrete, constructing and installing the buildings, as well as providing preparation and maintenance. Overall we just try to be very personable with our customers. We listen to what their needs are, and work alongside them throughout the entire process." From what it sounds like to me, these people really know how to make a customer feel comfortable, and leave them thinking they chose the right company to work with.
How do you advertise your business/product?
"We use multiple channels with our marketing. We've advertised through social media, website, radio, the Waconda Trader, and the High Plains Journal. Each form of advertisement has its own perks. For instance, we advertise through the High Plains Journal primarily for Ag-related purposes and we use social media to attract everyone."
How does social media impact your business?
Social media plays a big role in keeping a business running today. While talking with Skyler and Michelle, we discussed how social media affects demographics. They both mentioned how Facebook and Instagram have brought them multiple customers and opened them up to a lot of opportunities. Today Facebook isn't the only form of media being used, "We utilize Instagram to give a more visual aspect." As Michelle quoted "The Twitter" has also now come into play. "We are always looking to brainstorm ideas and be more creative with our visual content."
Do you feel video marketing was beneficial and how did it affect your immediate inquiries?
"Yes, we feel it was very beneficial. Viewers could see a face behind the company, not just a still picture of our work. Through video, people could see a behind-the-scene perspective of what we do on a day-to-day basis. The overall response was great and we feel the Eberle's did a great job of putting the video together."
"Building Opportunities for Growth" -can you expand upon how you came up with this tagline and what it means to your business?
"The tagline came along when we were working with our website developers. We were playing around with different ways to convey our overall message, and it seemed to fit our business's mission perfectly. We try to apply it to our business by helping customers fill their empty voids and grow their operations." What a perfect tagline!
What plans do you have for the future of SMC?
"Our overall goal would just be to continue to expand and grow. We would like to add more to our crew and workforce. Potentially in the future, we would like to add additional locations. This summer, we are thinking about adding more video creativity to our business. We have brainstormed ideas like using go pros at the job site or even just finding other ways to showcase what we do here at SMC. As always, our main focus is to serve our clients to the best of our ability while leaving them satisfied and in a better position to grow within their own operations."
So, there you have it folks! Skyler and Michelle are the perfect examples of a dynamic couple duo. They are personable, friendly, proactive, and hard-working. Along with the fact that they are great people, their production truly can't be matched. Check them out on Facebook and Instagram to see some photos of their latest projects or the video below to see what happens behind the scenes. A big thanks to Skyler and Michelle for sitting down with me and answering my questions, best of luck to them and their company in the future!