In 1984, a 12-year-old Todd Weaver was picking up trash and pulling weeds at a construction site in Hazelwood, Missouri, for $4 an hour. Today, the companies he leads are on track to bring in nearly $1 billion this year.
Weaver credits Bob Clark, founder of the construction company Clayco, as a mentor who pushed him to stay in school. After college at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Weaver started his own company in 2002 with a $150,000 loan from Clark, and he paid it back in six months.
It wasn’t easy. During the 2008 crash, the business piled up $2.5 million in debt and nearly went under. Weaver cut costs, leaned on his relationships and kept going.
By the numbers
- DGN Enterprise, based in St. Louis, runs five companies covering electrical, glass and fire suppression work.
- 585 employees.
- About $400 million in revenue in 2025, with nearly $1 billion projected for 2026. That’s company revenue, not his personal net worth.
- Clients include Google, Microsoft, Apple and Pfizer.
From $4 an hour to building for Apple. What’s your biggest takeaway from his story?
Sources: Black Enterprise, Forbes
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