Answer extracted from the Forum Focus podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How Did a Startup Construction Firm Land Its First Commercial Job?
In 2013, Sled Rock Construction secured the Love Travel Stop project on North Broadway as its first commercial job, valued at approximately $180,000 to $190,000. The team of eight carpenters handled most of the interior carpentry work, and the project came through a referral from the carpenters union.
The timing of this first project was strategic. Founded in 2009 during the economic recession, Sled Rock Construction spent its early years building relationships and developing capacity. By 2013, when the Love Travel Stop opportunity arrived, Cordell Sawyer's connections within the union network proved invaluable—the referral demonstrated the value of maintaining ties forged during his decade as a union carpenter before launching the firm.
The project size reflected the firm's stage of development. At $180,000 to $190,000, it was substantial enough to validate the business model but manageable with a focused team of eight. Interior carpentry was core work that aligned with Sawyer's expertise and allowed the firm to deliver quality on the first major bid.
Union referrals became a pattern for Sled Rock's early growth. This first commercial job proved that the relationships built during apprenticeship and union work were assets that could be leveraged to win contracts in the competitive construction market—a principle that would define the firm's expansion strategy in the years that followed.
"Leveraging the relationships that we have built and maintained over these 11 years has been the key to growth."
Cordell Sawyer — Founder of Sled Rock Construction. Sawyer grew up in University City, worked as a janitor while reading books on wealth creation, and became one of the first apprentices to complete the carpenter's associate degree program through Balls Park Community College. He worked as a union carpenter for 10 years before founding Sled Rock Construction in 2009 during the recession, investing carpenter wages into real estate to fund his startup. His strategy of maintaining and leveraging professional relationships has been central to building a firm that has since worked on highly visible regional projects.
For anyone curious about how Sawyer transformed a union carpentry career into a competitive construction firm, or the specific strategies he used to scale from his first $180,000 job to managing larger, more complex projects like the Missouri Botanical Garden Visitor Center, the full episode dives deeper into his business journey.
See also
How did a carpenter transition from union work to starting a commercial construction company?
Cordell Sawyer worked as a union carpenter for 10 years, obtained an associate's degree through Balls Park Community College, and attended a 10 or 12-week entrepreneurship program before founding Sled Rock Construction in 2009.
What are the three main paths to acquiring wealth that a carpenter should consider?
According to Cordell Sawyer, the three paths to acquiring wealth are real estate, owning your own business, or investing in the stock market. He chose real estate as the most tangible path and invested carpenter wages into properties before launching his construction firm.
What role do changing political leadership demographics play in motivating organized labor to address diversity in construction?
For the first time in Missouri state history, the two economic engines of the state—St. Louis and Kansas City—are led by African-American mayors, creating momentum for organized labor to prioritize diversity and inclusion in construction apprenticeships and hiring.