DAYSTAR DIRECTIONAL DRILLING – A FATHER & SON OPERATION
FROM TRUCKS TO DRILLS
Jerry Watson and his son, Jerry K. Watson, have both worked in the heavy equipment industry their entire lives. Jerry Watson grew up around the world of excavating and eventually bought his first dump truck – which later evolved into a trucking business with a fleet count of fifty trucks.
After some time, Jerry’s business was struggling, and he knew there was opportunity to be found in the underground industry. Jerry had no experience in the world of horizontal directional drilling, but his son did. Jerry K., as most call him, worked for many companies as an operator. In 2002, both of the Jerry’s combined forces and created Daystar.
A GROWTH MINDSET
At first, Daystar was just an idea, but with Jerry K.’s HDD experience and Jerry Watson’s money, they made it a reality. Starting with just a pickup truck, trailer, and a Vermeer 7x11a, they had to do something to separate them from the competition. Their goal was to show customers that they were willing to work hard and put in the extra hours to get the job done. Their first year they only made about $23,000 in revenue, which was far less than what they were making at their other jobs. But through determination and faith in God, they have grown their company from two individuals and a dream into a thriving business with over fifty employees.
PARTNERING WITH VERMEER MIDWEST
When looking to get into the drilling business, Daystar found one dealership that stood out from the rest, and that company was Vermeer Midwest. Both the Jerry’s love the Vermeer Midwest team in Fishers, Indiana. They admired their intentionality and unrivaled dedication toward the customer. Jerry Watson commended the dealership:
“We believe Vermeer is a vital part of our business. The shop and parts are the best along with the sales. Vermeer as a corporation is always coming out with new innovations that help us do our jobs more efficiently. For example, the new VR system, that’s cool stuff. This is a win.”
THEIR FAITH
To this day, Daystar remembers their original goals. They consistently want to make sure they are working harder for their customers and are intentional in every business decision. They use the best equipment in the business in order to do their best work.
But the one thing they feel makes them prosperous in business is their faith in God. Being a Christian company, they try their best to live by those values. Love your neighbor as yourself is something they implement in their daily work, whether it’s on the jobsite, in the shop, or with the customer.
Jerry notes, “A friend of mine once told me, ‘Either you’re a good business man or you have a good Lord.’ And I told him, ‘It’s a good Lord that I’m serving, because it’s nothing I’m doing.’ Every day Daystar starts with prayer, because we dedicate all our success to God.”
