Dushan Spadier, President, Spadier Construction

& Principal Broker

GoldLeaf Real Estate / Properties

What we do:  
I am a full service general building contractor specializing in large custom homes, commercial construction and pre-engineered steel buildings by Nucor Building Systems. I also hang my real estate license at Fresno’s premier real estate brokerage house.

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Education:
1991 graduate of CSUF with a BS in Business Administration, Real Estate and Urban Land Economics Option

Age:  49

Family:
Wife of 21 years, Julianna; daughter, Demi, an Ag Science major at Fresno State & son, Daniel, a sophomore at Bullard High School

Why did you decide to open your own construction company in Fresno, Dushan?
After graduating from Fresno State I was already established managing a construction office for George Dakovich & Son, Inc. an engineering contractor here in Fresno. Dakovich outgrew his office and he let me help design and build his new facility. While meeting with the architect and scheduling the subcontractors I fell in love with the entire process of dealing with people and problem solving.

How do you balance that with your job as the principal broker for GoldLeaf Real Estate, Dushan?
Technology has allowed me to pursue another passion of mine, real estate sales. Documents and signatures are legally transmitted electronically and with the advent of smart devices, all this information is available on the run. No one in the real estate industry is tied to a desk to process documents and that allows me to multi-task while running between construction sites. In addition to these technological advancements, having the industry’s top agents and staff available makes my job easy.

What is the focus of Spadier Construction, Dushan?
Over the years we have performed several different types of construction. We started off primarily as a commercial general contractor completing office, warehouse and retail construction and now include custom homes and steel buildings. Most of our commercial building projects were designed as pre-engineered steel structures. After completing several of those projects, I became an authorized builder for Nucor Building Systems who are the largest steel manufacturer in the country. In addition to pre-engineered buildings, Nucor also owns all weather insulated panels and Vulcraft steel joists. Our ability to buy direct the steel framing, wall panels and roof joists allows us an advantage to bidding larger buildings such as cold storage and long bay manufacturing facilities. In addition, I have been fortunate to be associated with a number of high quality clients, several of whom then asked me to build their custom homes. So I now build large custom homes for any discerning client who demands the absolute greatest attention to detail.

What have been some of your proudest moments professionally, Dushan?
Earning repeat customers is the key to any successful business and every time a past client calls back to start a new project reaffirms my existence in the industry. It doesn’t matter if it’s to build a new office or to list another property, there is no better feeling than knowing you are valued for your expertise!

How have you seen the local construction and real estate industry change in the last 20 years, Dushan?
The main difference I’ve noticed over the last 20 years is the focus on Green Building. Across the board from materials to fixtures to waste management; manufacturers, designers and planners are all trying to reduce your carbon footprint. The same goes for any service business. At GoldLeaf our office has gone paperless and almost all correspondence is in digital form.  

What was your first job and what did you learn from it, Dushan?
I started in the family construction business over 30 years ago laying sewer main in Southern California with which I learned two very important facts: shit flows downhill and payday is on Friday!

What person now or in history would you be most interested in meeting and why, Dushan?
Elon Musk, because anyone who can make a billion dollars and then start his own private space program and automotive factory must have something interesting and insightful to say—not to mention may need a good contractor for some upcoming work!

What do you like to do in your spare time, Dushan?
Our family has a cabin off the grid, an hour above Bass Lake where I run my early Bronco off road and perform endless maintenance. Both my kids love to hunt with me, and my wife and I enjoy watching our hard work pay off raising two outstanding people.