Daniel L. Baker

Dan Baker grew up in a large family of modest means in Oxford, Ohio. Thus, he gained his strong work ethic out of necessity—working hard to help support his family and pay for basic necessities.
At 15, Dan started working after school and summers as a laborer for his grandfather, Elmer Baker, in residential masonry and concrete. Dan later took a job working as a concrete finisher for an outside company to fund his college education at Miami University of Ohio. At the age of 20, when faced with a cut in wages that he and his brothers could ill afford, in the dead of winter, he took a major risk and went into business for himself, convincing his brothers to join him. Dan founded the company upon the values he had learned from his grandfather. Elmer not only taught Dan how to place and finish concrete, he also instilled in him fundamental principles that have guided Dan through his life and career: take care of your people as you would your family; take care of the customer at all times; take care of quality even if it costs more; and take care of the costs—waste not, want not. The combination of an unyielding work ethic and these basic principles are at the heart of Dan Baker and his success as a contractor.
Today, Baker operates throughout the continental United States, Canada, and the Caribbean with seven offices and over 4,000 co-workers. With many successes beneath his tool belt, some would expect Dan would be taking it easy; but his heart and soul is invested in the company he built and the industry he helped develop. As CEO, he remains heavily involved in running the business. He is also concentrating on developing the next generation of leaders, spending countless hours mentoring them in the business and instilling in them a respect for the past and a vision for the future. Dan has been a key force in raising the standards of what is expected of a concrete and specialty contractor, by advocating for and demonstrating a greater degree of professionalism, innovation, integrity, quality and care for people. He also continues to serve on several advisory boards and participates in industry and community organizations.