Local construction company takes hold in Milton
Moving to a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Milton was a natural, and necessary, move for Sussex County native Aaron Rogers, who had been running his booming construction company from his home office since 2005.
“Milton is a growing town. It's the next logical step for people who think Rehoboth is expensive and congested, and that Lewes is moving in that same direction,” Rogers said. “It's the next up-and-coming town, but still maintains that small-town feel.”
Empire Construction Group, which now has a showroom and office space on Federal Street, works mostly in eastern Sussex County, with some jobs venturing to the western part of Sussex and Kent counties. Roofing is the company's bread and butter, Rogers said, but the locally owned company handles everything from kitchen remodels and new decks to home additions and exterior renovations.
Rogers got his start growing up watching his father, Barry Rogers, work as a local contractor throughout Sussex County. As a young boy, Rogers was a go-fer on job sites – picking up trash or nails, grabbing something from his father's truck or any other age-appropriate jobs for a 10-year-old. As he got older, Rogers' father trusted him with a hammer and soon began teaching him the ins and outs of construction.
“As the years went on, I really enjoyed being hands-on like that,” Rogers said. “I enjoyed working alongside my father. I was always very mechanical … and was always really good with math, which, in this business, is an easy way to get a leg up on the competition.”
After graduating from Sussex Central High School, Rogers took business classes at Delaware Technical Community College and soon began his own business. He started out as a subcontractor for his dad and family friends, and later landed one job his first year in business.
“I was always really eager,” he said. “I'd work whatever hours I had to – 6 or 7 days a week if I had to.”
A decade later, the 33-year-old family man has the fortunate problem of keeping up with demand. His company's revenue has doubled each year in the last three years, he said, so he’s had to hire a bookkeeper and several full-time employees and made the move to Federal Street.
The historic building, which served as the town's main general store during the 20th century, needed some serious work before Rogers could move in, giving him an opportunity to showcase his renovation skills. The property, which had been vacant for about four years, showed some water and termite damage, which Rogers quickly tackled as a new tenant.
Rogers said if his business continues to grow at the same pace, he'll hire at least two more employees. He also hopes to get back into the business of building homes, which slowed after the Great Recession left many homeowners focusing on necessary costs rather than custom builds.
“I'll never be the cheapest in the room,” Rogers said. “We ride that middle ground, but we also offer a lifetime workmanship warranty on almost everything we do.”
Empire Construction has done work for local custom builders, including Oak Construction Company, Lockwood Design & Construction, Turnstone Custom Homes and others. Empire Construction is at 107 Federal Street and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 302-664-1700 or email info@mydelawarebuilder.com.
