What would be more rewarding or productive than obsessing over our current cultural division? For two minutes today, tune out the bombastic rhetoric, forget about our polarized political landscape for just a moment, and celebrate one family’s truly remarkable accomplishment and contribution to the concrete industry.
Brothers Jack and JP Evans are on a mission to revitalize the American Dream one construction job site at a time. Raised in rural Tennessee and living off of food stamps, experiencing the tragedy of being orphaned, instead of seeing themselves as victims, today they have a message for America: Work hard and you can be anything you want to be.
Evans Contracting Group
Faced with the choice of being bitter or making life better, they are living examples of how effort and determination pay off. They still believe in the American Dream and beyond that they are working daily to inspire others to experience the rewards of hard work.
Jack was medically retired from the military after two and half years of Special Forces training led to a disability, and JP rode his football scholarship through college football to graduate in engineering. With military-influenced leadership values and a background in engineering, their combination of talents have allowed these brothers to build a successful company from the ground up.
Jack had spent his entire career after the military working for various subcontractors and general contractors and saw an opportunity to start the business. JP had spent much of his career working for various vendors and subcontractors—most recently for the largest real estate development company in Chattanooga. With defined roles and responsibilities, the brothers found their skillsets complementary; finding it rewarding to be working together after everything they've been through.
Because of Jack’s Army background, the brothers have developed a recruiting relationship with the Veterans Affairs so that when military veterans take off their combat boots they can lace up their work boots.Evans Contracting Group
Ask any construction company nationwide today, and you will hear about the difficulties of recruiting workers. Because of Jack’s Army background, the brothers have developed a recruiting relationship with the Veterans Affairs so that when military veterans take off their combat boots they can lace up their work boots.
With their cash flow concerns in the rearview mirror, their greatest challenge these days is managing the rapid growth of their company. They have worked on projects from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Tampa, Florida, and recently they have expanded their operations to include having a presence in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This success has motivated the Evans brothers to offer a standard of living to their employees they hope creates intergenerational wealth for their workforce, promising wages that provide the opportunities they didn’t have growing up; they are planning to transition their own company into a 100% employee-owned company to help other construction workers have a standard of living that provides for home ownership and prosperity. 
Concrete is the second most used commodity on the planet; our civilization as we know it is completely built on concrete.Evans Contracting Group
Leadership
They take the craft of concrete construction seriously and instill a sense of accountability, empowerment, and mentoring throughout their leadership teams. They value emotional intelligence over perfection and have a strong sense of vision and workplace culture. They believe in the power of a strong work ethic, and the value of rewarding workers based on meritocracy.
Amazingly, both of these brothers are under the age of 30. Last year, their concrete construction company grossed $10 million. This year, they anticipate grossing more than $30 million. It is refreshing to see a family-owned company that takes care of our veterans, respects blue-collar workers, and values the concrete industry all while overcoming some of life’s greatest challenges.
Concrete is the second most used commodity on the planet; our civilization as we know it is completely built on concrete. Concrete is the vital material that allows us to enjoy the benefits of an infrastructure as advanced as we have, it supports our skyscrapers as well as the foundations for the homes we live in. Therefore, their combination of overcoming serious challenges and contributing to the essential concrete industry is worthy of our attention. 
Last year, the concrete construction company grossed $10 million. This year, they anticipate grossing more than $30 million.Evans Contracting Group
With humble beginnings as onetime wards of the state to sharing an impressive amount of ambition, the Evans brothers remind us that hard work trumps hardships and the American Dream is still able to flourish even in our lagging economy. They exemplify the value of exploring opportunities and pursuing financial success.
Our Challenges Do Not Define Us
Our challenges do not define us, but they do shape our perspective. Turning a blind eye to our nation’s problems will not solve them, but obsessing over the negative is equally unhealthy. With all that is supposedly wrong with our country, may we learn the value of focusing on the positive. As depression and suicide continue to skyrocket, perhaps a small fraction of our solution to our collective crisis can be found by highlighting more positivity. Start today by giving some attention to a couple of brothers who beat the odds, because they are a Star Spangled success story.
