Jake’s Concrete Jake’s Concrete

Finding Success Through Quality Work

By Elyse Apel

Jake’s Concrete, owned and managed by Jake Caldwell, has been growing in popularity throughout the community since it was first started in 2017.

“I’ve always been told, if you do good work, people are going to find out about it,” Jake explains. “I live by that in my business and truthfully, I believe that it has paid off.”

Jake’s Concrete primarily specializes in flat concrete work, which includes driveways, sidewalks, patios, basement floors, garage floors, etc.

“We try to aim for the smaller jobs and definitely try to stay away from the commercial work,” Jake says.

This is partly so he can focus on quality work, but also because he works with a small crew to get each project done in a timely manner.

Marcia and Tony Gensterblum got to experience the quality of Jake’s Concrete after hiring it for a driveway project at their home.

When we contacted Jake, he was happy to give us an estimate which he scheduled and completed promptly,” they say. “Once we accepted the estimate, our job was scheduled and completed within 2 weeks or less. The work was excellent and we immediately recommended Jake’s Concrete to a friend who hired them for his project.

Jake grew up in Reading, MI, where he still lives today.

“I grew up as a small-town farm kid,” he says.

It was a few years after his graduation from high school in Reading before Jake started working in concrete.

“When I first graduated high school, I was actually hired as a maintenance apprentice. I did maintenance work at a foundry for about four years, but I really just didn’t like walking into a shop and hitting a time clock,” Jake explains.

He then decided to use his experience from taking trade classes in high school and doing construction jobs on the side to start a career in concrete.

“The economy was booming and I really just wanted to be outdoors,” Jake says, laughing. “I really liked being outside and sweating a lot in the summertime and freezing in the wintertime.”

Jake worked in concrete for almost 17 years before starting his own business.

“We’ve definitely faced challenges, especially when COVID hit,” Jake explains. “They kept trying to say that concrete work was nonessential, but I couldn’t tolerate that, so I just pushed through it.”

Jake’s Concrete is based in Hillsdale County, but he says they often end up doing jobs in Jackson, Battle Creek, Marshall, and other surrounding areas.

“I have no problem traveling,” Jake says. “I am a firm believer that in this line of work if you want to be successful, you can’t just stick within a 20-mile radius. I have no problem traveling within a 100mile radius for work.”

In his free time, Jake says he enjoys spending time with his wife, Jamie, and their two kids.

“My personal life is about just as busy as my work life,” he says.

To contact Jake’s Concrete, call Jake at (517) 398-2858.