Q & A for Business Spotlight

The purpose of this tab is to highlight tribal businesses and entrepreneurs and share success stories from around Indian Country. Covering the spectrum of business from large, established and well developed businesses to small “mom and pop” we hope to promote both the diversity of businesses in Indian Country and the ingenuity found in Indian communities around the United States.

TNT Industrial Contractors, Inc. 
Memberships
Featured Sponsor of AIS
American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California

What is the name of your business, when was it formed and what service does it provide?
TNT Industrial Contractors Inc. was formed in 1991 by my father and me. He passed in 2000 and I assumed control of the business. We provide Industrial Construction solutions for the following industries; heavy mechanical, civil, process facilities, water and waste water treatment facilities, power plants, pharmaceutical plants, computer clean rooms, aerospace facilities, and all federal agency construction projects.

What is your role in the business?
I am the president and CEO.

Where are you from and what is your Tribal affiliation?
I was born in Bakersfield, California and have never lived on our Indian land. I am a ¼ blood enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. My father was born in Pawnee and my grandfather was born in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

Has your Tribal affiliation impacted your business?
Yes. If so, how? It has allowed us to network at the American Indian business functions and some of our certifications due to our ethnicity has allowed for some other forms of networking.

How is doing business in Indian Country different than mainstream America?
I’m not sure this statement will be politically correct, but it doesn’t seem that Indians trust each other in the construction arena and they are afraid to do business together. I would like to see more “Buy Indian” in Indian Country as we see in other ethnic groups. I am also the Northern California Coordinator for the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of California, and the two issues above are what we hear the most feedback about.

What personal skills or technology do you use on a regular basis?
My management technique is a “Release Style” of management which promotes my employees taking ownership in their jobs and each project or task assigned to them. I use this on a regular basis to keep morale, motivation, and production at a high level.

What is your typical day like?
I get up around 4:30 am, go to the gym for an hour to an hour and a half, and then I drive my twenty six miles to the office, get in before 7:00 am, say good morning to all of my staff and make sure everything is going well. Perform my obligations and try to be home around 5:00. Some days are longer than others in this business.

What is your favorite part of the day?
First thing in the morning greeting everyone and watching and participating in the machine (company) getting started each day. I like the end of the day as well as I’m a results oriented person and you can reflect on what you accomplished and didn’t accomplish that particular day.

Who are your heroes and what lessons have you learned from them?
My Mother and Father are my heroes. The principles they have taught me; to be honest, hardworking and straight forward is what I take to work each day and try to instill in everyone that surrounds me. My wife for supporting me 100% in every endeavor and decision I have ever made. I would not be successful without her support.

What has been your most rewarding moment in your decade of entrepreneurship?
Probably the day my son decided the business was successful enough that he wanted to get involved and become a part of it on his own free will. Without coercion!

What is the best advice to give to someone just starting their own business?
Make sure you have a sound business plan that is a living document, make sure you have enough initial capitol, a good supportive banker and don’t ever give up.

What personal or business beliefs have changed since you started your business?
You can implement or preach any kind of management style you wish, but the most important aspect is having the proper controls in place for all aspects of the business. How have these changes impacted your business? The controls we have implemented have given us close to real time accounting for all aspects of the business and allowed us to make the changes needed to stay on top of our market.

Is the American Indian business market important to your business?
I think it can be. How and why is it important? I think the more we network, hopefully the culture and various individual tribes will start working together to support the tribal businesses as well as the individual Indian owned businesses to keep our Indian Country economy more diverse.

What business skill would you most like to develop or enhance in the years to come?
I think I would like to refine my economic forecasting skills. Wouldn’t we all?

What are the long-term goals and future plans for your business?
To continue the company principles and moderate growth for the next generation.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in establishing or expanding your business?
Capitol and bonding is always a challenge for expansion. Finding new clients.

Are there any areas you feel are just ripe for Native entrepreneurs to enter?
The casino tribes have several opportunities for Native entrepreneurs to start up businesses. We just need to educate the tribal councils and the management companies they use, to “Buy Indian”.

Do you have any predictions for the direction Native business trends will take in the future?
I think they will have to be just as diverse as any other business in the business world. They need to be positioned to be able to change with the business climate.

In what ways could you benefit from increased networking with other Native business people?
As a business owner and promoter of Indian businesses, we need to educate all Indian people to stick together and buy Indian. Until we do this, it will be a struggle to benefit from the networking. My next door neighbor in business, is Russian and I have noticed that everything they buy where possible is from their Russian community. Almost to where they discriminate against everyone else. This really helps to increase the chances of success for their businesses.

What is your greatest wish for the future of Native business?
To have the strongest most diverse networking community of all ethnic groups on the planet, and to be able to trust that each and every one of them will “Buy Indian” when the opportunity presents itself.

How do you think AIS can assist tribal businesses?
I think with the extensive database AIS has in place, this will facilitate the opportunity for “Tribal businesses” as well as individually “Indian owned” business to network and develop relationships amongst themselves. It’s just a matter of educating the culture and getting the word out about AIS.