Growing up in a large family of modest means in Oxford, Ohio, Dan worked hard to help support his family. At 15, Dan started working after school and during summers as a laborer for his grandfather, Elmer Baker, in residential masonry. He continued working as a concrete finisher to fund his college education at Miami University (Ohio). At the age of 20, when faced with a cut in wages that he and his brothers could ill-afford, he took a major risk and went into business for himself, convincing his brothers to join him.

In the early days, Dan worked in every imaginable facet of the concrete business, all while juggling his college classes. During most of the day, he worked “in the trenches,” placing and finishing concrete alongside his brothers and co-workers.

Dan spent the remainder of his time building relationships with contractors, personally recruiting all new hires, scheduling the next day’s work and crews, estimating new work, and managing the finances.

While Dan was still earning his Miami University degree, his first company, Baker Concrete Construction, earned a reputation for hard work, customer satisfaction, quality and the ability to meet schedule – allowing initial expansion into the light commercial/light industrial market in the Dayton/Cincinnati area and future growth in project size and scope.

Dan’s commitment to the construction industry is evident by his involvement throughout the years, participating in countless organizations – both in membership and leadership roles. He has served on the boards of Allied Construction Industries (ACI); American Concrete Institute (ACI); American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC); Construction Business Review (CBR), and Construction Industry Round Table (CIRT).

Dan still takes time to keep up with old friends, spend quality time with family and enjoy his favorite pastime: hunting.