Dearest friends and family,Today marks an incredible milestone in the history of Desert Star Construction – our 35th year in business. As we take a moment to reflect and celebrate our greatest achievements, I can’t help but ask the question: Does anyone succeed alone?It is with a heart full of gratitude to all of you that I share a few of my thoughts in order to answer this important question… When my father and I first started building together, we had one Skil saw, an extension cord, and an extreme desire to build with excellence. A new home cost just $54,800, average income was $17,000 (ours was a lot less those first few years), rent was a measly $260, gold was $200 an ounce, interest rates were at least 11.75%, and gas was a whopping 63 cents per gallon.
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1978 was a great year for movies with Star Wars (#1), Animal House, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind premiering in movie theatres around the world. To our great surprise, the Volkswagen Beetle stopped production that year after producing an impressive 20 million cars. The cover of Time Magazine was about the rising computer society and how technology was going to change our lives by giving us the freedom to work just 30 hours a week! This was a time when Apple was a simple piece of fruit we gave to our favorite teacher on the first day of school.
Realizing how much our world has changed, we look back on our humble beginnings and see with absolute clarity that DSC has become what it is today because of all of you. The success we have achieved these last years has been about our people – from our clients to our team and through to our community.
First and foremost, our clients had the dream and vision of what they wanted to create, the resources to make it happen, and the trust to choose us to bring their dreams to reality. I have personally learned and applied something unique and special from every client. I have done my best to improve personally and professionally with each and every relationship. For these gifts, I thank you!
35 years in business and half of our current team was not even born yet. What a remarkable team we have pulled together to stand at the helm of our very bright future. We have been honored to work with the industry’s most talented and skilled architects, designers, artisans, craftsmen, and suppliers. I am thankful for the experience and the talent that drives us forward. We will continue to improve each day, every year, and with the scope of our amazing projects. Relationships remain the key foundation in all that we do.
 A client once told me it is not about the money you make, but what you do with it that counts. Our combined success has enabled us to support our community over the years in so many different ways. We’ve built a playground for the less fortunate, donated a baseball field, constructed a kitchen that will serve 1 million meals a year, and created The Dream Rooms for human trafficking victims. None of this would have been possible without the support of everyone involved with Team DSC®.
Finally, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the pioneers and great leaders upon whose shoulders we build our thriving future. My father, who remains my hero and “guiding star,” and George Christensen and Calvin Straubb – two Architects who were my mentors during the first 25 years of my career. And for those clients, professionals, and team members who have passed away, leaving a void and yet having shown us how to fully embrace each moment to make a positive difference… We honor all of you.
So I ask the question again: Does anyone succeed alone? As you can see, my answer would have to be a humble and unequivocal ‘no.’ Our success for 35 years (and counting) has truly been because of YOU! Thank you all for your continued friendship and support. Your trust and confidence allow us to serve one another with joy in our hearts and build for the exciting future that awaits us all.
With my deepest appreciation,
Jerry Meek
President
Desert Star Construction, Inc . |
