Everyone in the concrete world knows the Baker name, but very few know the real story.   This episode finally gets it on record. Dan Baker walks through how the company started with three brothers, $500, and a truck that needed a hill to start — and how it grew into ENR’s #1 concrete contractor in America.   Dan lays out the moves, the mistakes, the risks, and the mindset shifts required to grow from residential slabs to major industrial, stadiums, and billion-dollar work. If you're trying to scale a concrete company, this episode is a roadmap.  WHAT YOU’LL LEARN What allowed Baker to jump from residential flatwork to commercial and industrial work The key moment that changed the company’s trajectory forever Why the first stadium project lost seven figures — and what Dan did next When to hire someone smarter than you (and why you may have to pay them more than yourself) Why Dan says contractors must “either know or should have known” when things go wrong How to build a reputation that actually carries you into bigger work  CHAPTERS  00:00 – Why this is the most requested interview in show history  01:24 – The real origins of Baker Concrete in 1968  09:59 – Learning concrete the hard way (and the right way)  17:40 – The A-frame job that changed everything  23:27 – Turner hands Baker the total-package blueprint  26:50 – What it truly takes to “cross over” in this industry  37:25 – Losing a million dollars on a stadium — and still going after the Bengals  42:50 – Becoming (and staying) #1  48:11 – Dan explains the “Amish Marines” mindset  50:17 – People. Honor. Grit. Baker’s core in one sentence.  GUEST INFO  Dan Baker  Founder, Baker Concrete Construction  Bio: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/guests/daniel-l-baker/ Company: Baker Construction Enterprises Website: https://www.bakerconstruction.com   SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you learned something from this conversation — consider donating. It keeps the show independent and education-first: https://www.concretelogicpodcast.com/support/ PODCAST PARTNERS INTELLIGENT CONCRETE Want advanced concrete training, petrography education, mix-design science, and materials research? Visit Intelligent Concrete at: www.concretelogicpodcast.com/intelligent-concrete CONCRETE LOGIC ACADEMY Early access to episodes, PDH courses, technical deep-dives, and a place to sharpen your concrete knowledge:  https://www.concretelogicacademy.com KUIU KUIU gear link (first orders get 15% off): www.concretelogicpodcast.com/KUIU CREDITS Produced by: Jodi Tandett & Concrete Logic Media Music by: Mike Dunton — https://www.mdunton.com CONNECT WITH US Host: Seth Tandett LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethtandett/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@c