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Start Small, Think Big

BD Exteriors owner Brian Donnay's time at SCTCC set him up for success
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Brian Donnay smiling with the BD Exteriors building in the back
Starting with the two-year college just seems to be the right fit for a lot of people.
By Kate Wallace

With the sun setting behind the BD Exteriors building, the last of the business’ company trucks pulled into the parking lot. On the camera screen, I could see the garage door opening up. Brian Donnay, owner and SCTCC graduate, was talking about how his business progressed over the years to instructor Becky Shand and me. Behind Donnay, the trailer and truck slowly backed into the garage, just as Donnay finished speaking. Shand and I looked at each other.

“We could not have timed that better!” she burst out as he wrapped up on that abnormally warm October evening.

Shand, Marketing Sales Management instructor at SCTCC, sees her fair share of graduates from her program in the community, and Donnay, a 2002 grad, is no exception. We were there that evening to learn about how BD Exteriors came to be.

*****

After high school, Donnay saw his friends looking at four-year colleges and universities and knew that route wasn’t for him. While they were starting big, his plans were to start small and go from there.

“The best part [about SCTCC] was I didn’t have to spend additional time in school, additional money for credits that I didn’t need or didn’t apply to what I was going to be doing. Sitting in a classroom is not for me,” Donnay explained.

Plus, while he was in his classes, he got to work on business plans, logo design, goal setting, naming, and things he didn’t even think about for his actual business. The conversations he had in Shand’s classes were vital to the start of his business.

When Donnay graduated, he had already hired his first employee and started advertising. He had one truck and started with roofing. Now? BD Exteriors employs 16-20 people over the year and has 15 trucks. They provide roofing, siding, gutters, doors, and windows services and like to focus primarily on remodeling.

Part of the growth process included a move in 2019. The company was outgrowing their current location in Sartell, which was in his backyard. He started looking at land, got a conditional use permit, and BD Exteriors moved into their current location on 19th Avenue in Sartell in January 2020.

Becky and Brian smiling with BD Exteriors building in background
Becky Shand and Brian Donnay

Looking at the space, he thought it was going to be much more than they needed, but they filled it up quickly. What is surprising to Donnay is that people stop in to just talk because there is a physical storefront; they like to look at everything and talk to someone in person.

As for the future, he’s not looking at more growth any time soon, but he’s not going to say no.

“I’d really like to stay where we’re at, service the people that we have for years. If that requires a little bit of growth, I think we can handle that, and if it is a little bit of a downturn due to the economy, I think we can handle that as well. We're sitting good and can handle ups and downs - we've been in business for 23 years.”

These 23 years in business couldn’t have happened in this manner without Donnay’s start at SCTCC. What he remembers the most from his time in college was the instructors and the way they conducted themselves, helped him and other students, and pushed him to do better. Everyone knew each other and had fun.

Because he stayed in the community, he feels a part of that small-town feel now; he sees his former instructors around town, and they’re willing to have a conversation or brainstorm – even become customers.

“It’s a big help to my business and I’m very thankful for the teachers,” said Donnay, smiling slightly at Shand.

BD Exteriors is a tangible result of how a two-year degree is a small start to a big future. Donnay mentioned that he barely made it through the two years, but he does recommend starting at a two-year college.

“You can always start there and add on,” he added. “If you start at a two-year college and don’t find what you like, you can always change your school or go to a four-year school. But starting with the two-year college just seems to be the right fit for a lot of people.”

 


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