Will Easley’s Secrets to Success

In a Down Economy, Opportunities Exist for Hard Hat Businesses In Baton Rouge Area

CENTRAL — Today, Trade Construction Company is one of Central’s largest and most successful businesses, but it hasn’t always been that way.  Will and Dot Easley and their partners founded Trade Construction in Will’s shop behind his house on Denham Road in 1973.

Today, Will has retired from the business, and it is in the able hands of his son Brennen and daughter Andi.  The business itself has sales in the eight figures and counts as its clients some of the world’s largest companies, such as ExxonMobil, Williams Pipeline, BASF, Turner Industries, and James Construction.  Trade Construction has a 30,000 square foot facility on Joor Road, and the business continues to grow.

It’s a far cry from where Will Easley started out — living in a two-room house in St. Helena Parish with his parents and four siblings and without electricity.  When Will was a boy, his dad was near death and spent months in the Charity Hospital in New Orleans clinging to life.

Will was able to leave the farm and studied to be a civil engineer.  He was working for a big company but it went bankrupt.  So, in 1973, he and some friends decided to go into business for themselves.

Will was able to buy his partners out in 1996.  By 1998, his sales reached the $4 million mark.

Will says that even with a down economy, there are still opportunities to get into business for yourself, especially here in the Baton Rouge area with our industrial base and our connections to the oil and gas business.

And Will says you don’t have to have a college degree to succeed.

“I believe in education, but I also know that I’ve had a whole lot of great people working with me that never went to college.  I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else,” he said.

“My advice is you have to understand that being in business for yourself takes a lot of hard work and commitment.  It was nothing for me to work 60 hours a week.  You have to put your business first, and that can be very tough on your family.  Your family has to totally support you.”

“I don’t believe in debt.  If you can save your money and start in business without going into debt, that will be a tremendous advantage.  Small business almost always fails because of debt.  It you can possibly avoid it, don’t go into debt.”

“Start slow and don’t expand too fast.  Take each step logically without extending yourself financially.  Treat your customers right and build trust.  After awhile, some of our customers got to where they would pay us for a full year in advance.  When you develop that kind of trust from your clients, you have the cash to expand without going into debt.”

“Find a niche that no one else is filling and fill it yourself.  Do something you enjoy.”

“Find good people to work with you.  Get to know your people.  Watch them and see who excels.  Treat them with respect.  They will look out for you.  Finding good people will be the key to your success.  People are your business.”