HOW IT STARTED:

Wade broke into the utility location industry in 2010, focusing on wind farms and other renewable energy projects while managing markets and teams in Oklahoma and Dallas / North Texas.

After briefly exiting the industry, he continually heard from former clients that existing vendors weren’t meeting the mark with service levels. Wade knew that with a well-built team and a proactive approach to private utility location, he could fill that void. And when January 2020 arrived, Wade launched BLVD to do just that.

HOW IT’S GOING:

Wade knew from BLVD’s inception that he wanted to build the right-size company with the right-fit people. Therefore, he carefully steers clear of the bureaucratic baggage bigger companies take on while staying savvy enough to work circles around them.

“I never want to do something that doesn’t make sense,” Wade says.

It’s that mindset that compelled him to focus on making it easy for clients to engage with BLVD and then tackle projects. “Ease of execution, ease of hire”, Wade says, referencing BLVD’s ability to provide clients a single point of contact vs. a massive call center.

It’s an approach that’s created a launchpad for BLVD, springing them out of the pandemic with the momentum to double revenue in 2023 and set them on a trajectory to grow it 4X in 2024.

Bringing a local focus and knowledge to each project has also been key to BLVD’s growth — and helps cement the trust with clients that’s been critical to not just retaining work, but growing it.

It’s a scenario in which “everybody wins,” Wade says.

He spends his days supporting the team in myriad ways, from hiring to sales and checking in with clients to make sure all work is completed to BLVD’s high standard.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Wade credits BLVD’s high growth to a couple of key factors.

One was hiring his former colleague, Josh Dotson, as BLVD’s Vice President. Landing big fiber jobs, especially throughout the Southeast, has been a major source of momentum.

Another seminal moment was landing their first wind farm project.

Wade has found that it just takes one project for clients to quickly grow their relationship with BLVD.

“We keep hearing from clients how they immediately notice a difference with our work,” Wade says.

This positive, organic feedback translates to retention, growth, and referrals.

But again, it needs to be the right kind of growth.

Wade doesn’t want to lead a company by micro-managing, but he also doesn’t want to be a stranger to the day-to-day operations.

“I don’t want to see things from 10,000 feet up,” Wade says. “I want to understand everything that’s going on around me.”

“I don’t want to see things from 10,000 feet up. I want to understand everything that’s going on around me.”

Key Project: Wind Farm

• Scope: 300+ miles of utility data collection, including 120+ miles of access roads and 400+ turbines with a 150′-ft. radius
• Result: Identified 500+ utilities – including 80 lines that were previously unknown to the developer

HOW IT STARTED:
Josh entered the private utility location industry in 2014, working for a top national player in the space. He began in the field as a project manager — ultimately focusing on sales as he led the expansion of a once struggling Indianapolis market 5X over 3 years. Josh was then promoted to a new national sales role in 2018, again demonstrating the ability to scale — fast. With limited resources, Josh focused on telecom and power projects, essentially doubling profits each year through 2020. He then departed to help launch a communications company focused on small cell deployment. During his time there, the company amassed patents in 30 countries focused on densifying carriers’ small cell networks.

HOW IT’S GOING:
Josh reconnected with with former colleague Wade Vickers, eventually joining the BLVD team in February 2023, and helping to guide BLVD to its most profitable year yet. Here he primarily focuses on large-scale FTTH deployments and EV Programs — building long-term relationships with clients coast to coast to provide the reliability they need. As a company leader, Josh also helps lead everything from strategy and culture as BLVD delves into new markets.

WHAT’S NEXT?
Josh knows the lay of the land when it comes to utility location, and as state-managed “call-in” companies struggle to keep up with historic volumes in this high-growth space, he knows there’s a ripe opportunity for BLVD’s private utility locate capabilities.

“Our success is 100% contingent on building a quality team,” Josh says. He describes the team members that he and Wade have assembled with great thought and care as “silent professionals.”

“We’re agile and able to move pretty quickly because of our size,” Josh said. “We’re also tight-knit, down to earth, and we’re not striving for any kudos or pats on the back.”

For Josh and the team, simply earning that next project or referral is praise enough. And because of their evolution, BLVD is able to select partners and projects that make sense for them.

“We work with who we want to, not with who we can,” Josh said.

 

“Our success is 100% contingent on building a quality team."

Key Project: FTTH

• Scope: Perform utility location project for large FTTH project covering 3 markets in Florida and Georgia
• Result: Highlights of in-progress project including performing utility locates spanning 300 miles in just 3 months