Employee Spotlight

Rapid Fire Questions

  • Packers or Vikings?
  • Go Pack Go
  • Favorite TV Show
  • The Goldbergs
  • Favorite thing about summer?
  • Hanging out on our pontoon
  • Badgers or Gophers?
  • Need to stay true to Wisconsin, Go Badgers
  • Favorite hobby?
  • Spending time outdoors
  • Do you play a musical instrument?
  • Not any longer
  • Elton, Skynard, T.S. or McGraw?
  • Skynard
  • If you could splurge on 1 thing in life/work/dreams, what would it be?
  • Work – New Jobsite Trailers Life – 1960 Red and White Corvertte convertible Dreams – Travel the world
  • Any awesome vacations coming up?
  • Cindy and I hope to go to Australia with my brother and sister-in-law in the next 2 years

To make the best it takes the best and we have the best employees working for us!  Just in case you haven’t had the opportunity to meet the team members here at Derrick, we want to give you that opportunity!

Meet Mark Johnson, our Vice President for Derrick Building Solutions.  Mark has been part of the Derrick commercial family for a few seasons.  Having so much construction experience, there’s not a lot of questions he can’t answer when it comes to building things, so we thought we’d mix it up and get a little personal!

  • How did you first get involved in the Derrick Companies?
  • “Believe it or not, my wife Cindy and I were living in San Diego CA when I responded to a help wanted ad that was posted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I sent my resume to Bill Derrick and after several phone conversations with him I flew from San Diego, CA to Minneapolis on a red eye flight to interview with Bill. Bill picked me up at the airport early in the morning and we spent the day together. Our day included attending a ribbon cutting ceremony at First Community Bank in Somerset. We had a great meeting and Bill offered me a position as a commercial project manager”
  • What was your first impression of Derrick Companies?
  • My first impression of Derrick Companies is that it is an honest, family oriented, Christian based construction company.”
  • What was your first memory of Derrick Companies?
  • Because I had several phone conversations with Bill prior to actually meeting him, I had an opportunity to visit with the front receptionist at the time whose name was Tracy. Tracy was very friendly, helpful and enjoyable to speak with. I remember Tracy as being very pleasant individual.”
  • What has surprised you most about working with Derrick Companies?
  • The faith and confidence the Derrick Family has entrusted in their employees to perform their individual responsibilities.”
  • What do you find most challenging about working for Derrick Companies?
  • “The days and weeks at work seem to fly by, my biggest challenge is trying to get my work done in every given week.”
  • If you could change one thing about Derrick Companies, what would it be?
  • That we could all live in a Derrick Home.”
  • What is the Best/Worst/Funniest thing to happen since you’ve started working with Derrick?
  • Best – The true friendships I’ve gained while working at Derrick. Worst- When we had a wall collapse at Kuryakyn Holdings in Somerset. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. Funniest – Hearing and watching Bill Sr. present the slide show of projects during the company Christmas parties.
  • What do you wish other people knew about Derrick?
  • “That we are not an overpriced builder.”
  • What’s your claim to fame while working at Derrick?
  • “We performed a 35,000 square foot roof raising project to the Schneiderman Furniture store in Woodbury. Not many contractors have tackled such a project…and done well at it!”
  • When your friends/family find out that you work for Derrick, what do they say or ask?
  • Oh, Derrick is a good builder.”
  • What might someone be surprised to know about you?
  • That I survived a plane accident.”
  • What’s it like to be a Commercial Project Manager for Derrick?
  • Very rewarding!”
  • If you weren’t working for Derrick what would you be doing instead?
  • I would most likely own my own construction company.”