Surrounded by a large array of construction equipment parked on an outside lot, Tyrone Carter reflected on his father’s influence and guidance that encouraged him to enter the excavating and paving industry, a recent zoning decision that was successfully won, and the daily challenges he faces running a thirty-person operation.
Tyrone Carter
Five Questions with Tyrone Carter, Carter Paving & Excavating, Inc.
By: Dino La Fiandra, Member, Pessin Katz Law, P.A. (PK Law)
Q. Please tell me about your company.
A.We perform a wide array of excavating, asphalt paving, concrete construction, demolition and clearing services, with a focus in the central Maryland area including Baltimore City. We are a certified minority contractor and I started the company in 1991. Our typical customers are the big general contractors such as Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, but we also do site development work for real estate developers, as well as some local restaurants, including G & M Restaurant. We employ approximately thirty workers, with several stationed in our corporate offices in Fells Point, and we own about fifty pieces of heavy equipment.
Q. How did you become involved in this business?
A.Learning from and working with my Dad, who started a similar operation in the 1940s after finishing his military service. He operated the company until 2004 and it was just a natural progression in my family. It is still exciting to play a critical role in a new construction project, as well as extremely rewarding to provide gainful employment for thirty people, which gives them the opportunity to make a living. It is also important for me to run my own business. Our management team has more than 100 years of combined experience.
Q. What is state of your industry currently?
A.Many different companies associated with the building and construction industry were hit hard in 2008, but we managed to grind through it. We are extremely busy now, but I don’t think we will ever return to the fast-paced period that we experienced in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The big developers started to become active again in 2012 and activity has been steady since then, specifically in the City.
Q. Tell me about the zoning issue that was recently resolved.
A. It involved this four-acre parcel of land, which my father purchased in 1968 and where he established his company — Northeast Paving and Excavating.Having acquired the property from a moving and storage company, it has always been used in a commercial capacity and was appropriately zoned commercial. The problem started when we realized the property needed to be zoned to accommodate its use as a construction storage yard. This situation arose when Baltimore County told us we didn’t have the appropriate zoning approvals for our construction storage yard. PK Law dealt with Baltimore County, successfully secured the correct zoning designation, and got us the necessary approvals.
Q. What are the biggest challenges you face on a daily basis?
A.Getting paid. Business is more complicated these days and involves so many more details. When I started the company, contracts were awarded with a handshake. You did the job and then you got paid. There are just many more channels and procedures you need to deal with now. But, we have been extremely lucky over the years, we have many satisfied and loyal customers and business remains brisk.
For over 20 years, Dino La Fiandra’s law practice has focused on land use and real estate development – everything from pre-concept planning and analysis to the issuance of occupancy permits. Dino has guided countless real estate developers, business owners, property owners, builders, tenants and other clients through all phases of zoning and planning including assisting with the resolution of many issues which arise during the process. Mr. La Fiandra has secured development approvals for all types of projects, including residential projects (multi-family, minor subdivisions, and major subdivisions), commercial projects (shopping centers, industrial parks, production centers, national big box retailers, office and medical office, car dealerships, fuel service stations, car washes, banks, hotels, catering halls, flex space developments, and similar uses), and institutional projects (large medical / hospital campuses, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living facilities, “mega-churches”, community churches, synagogues, schools, and public utilities). Contact Dino La Fiandra at (410) 938-8705 or dlafiandra@pklaw.com.
Pessin Katz Law, P.A. (PK Law) is the eleventh largest law firm in the Baltimore area and has been serving clients for close to thirty years. PK Law maintains full-service offices in Towson, Columbia, and Bel Air and is comprised of more than 60 lawyers, paralegals and law clerks. Practice areas include corporate law, real estate, zoning, education law, estate planning, elder law, labor and employment, litigation, insurance law and medical malpractice defense. For additional information, visit www.PKLaw.com
