A union construction millwright and pipe processing company , Lucky Dog Construction , Inc . has been filling an important niche in California ’ s bustling industry . Their team of expert craftsmen specialize in the installation , maintenance , repair , dismantling , reassembly and movement of machinery and equipment for factories , power plants , water treatment facilities , wineries , airports , technology companies , construction sites and other sites and businesses requiring precision machinery and equipment .
Lucky Dog Construction owners , husband and wife team Steve and Amy Medeiros , have put many years of hard work and determination into building their business , where their continued success comes from providing top-notch service and a level of expertise honed from the years Steve has spent in the construction field . In high school , Steve worked for a contractor framing houses , and after graduating high school , he joined the Millwright Union of Northern California at age 19 – making him a 34-year card-carrying union millwright . As Amy explains , “ After 30 years , the union informed Steve that he was eligible for retirement . However , by that time , he had gathered together a great core group of young men under age 30 who were interested in learning the trade and he wanted to continue passing on his knowledge .” It was at that point that Steve decided to leave the company he had been working for in order to start his own millwright business , Lucky Dog Construction , which was incorporated in 2015 .
A signatory to the union , Lucky Dog Construction first launched its services in the private sector , where Steve had developed a 30-year relationship with C & H Sugar Refinery in Crockett , California . Once established as a
Lucky Dog Construction , Inc . owners Steve & Amy Medeiros .
prime to C & H , Lucky Dog Construction was able to arrange union apprenticeships for the entire core group of young men who ’ d shown interest in learning the trade . Says Steve , “ We now have a highly-trained group of employees earning union wages , our company financials are healthy , and we are getting positive recognition for the quality of our work , so we ’ re feeling very grateful for how far we ’ ve come .”
As small business owners , Steve and Amy found their biggest obstacles to be their financial limitations and the time-consuming process of completing the detailed paperwork required to meet various state and local certifications . While they ’ d initially loaned themselves the money to start their business , they quickly ran into
Left : Lucky Dog Construction , Inc . team member welding on site .
FALL / WINTER 2020 CONTRACTOR REPORT - 17