This month, we are thrilled to spotlight Terry Burris, who has dedicated three decades of his career to Milestone Contractors.

Starting his career with us 30 years ago, Terry has worn many hats. His journey began as a laborer in which he brought previous concrete skills and knowledge from Bryant and Fisher. In his early days, Terry helped with the merging of companies Contractors United Inc., Astro Paving and Fauber Construction to what we know as Milestone Contractors today.

“I started with a great man, Billy Ryle, I think he saw something in me I probably couldn’t see in myself at the time,” says Terry. “With Billy’s encouragement I began to work hard and see a clear future for myself in this industry. It wasn’t long after I moved up to a labor/foreman.”

Billy Ryle, General Superintendent at the time, became the mentor Terry would soon become. After Terry’s promotion to a laborer/foreman, his journey is marked by a series of progressive roles each contributing to his vast expertise and leadership skills that he owns today.

One of the reasons for Terry’s success was that he consistently demonstrated a willingness to learn and share his knowledge with the new hires. It wasn’t long after his labor/foreman days that he found himself with another promotion, taking on more responsibilities. As the company grew, so did Terry.

“I started running several projects and overseeing several crews. That is when I knew we were really flourishing,” says Terry. “This made my communication grow stronger as I couldn’t always be on site. I never left them out on a deserted island they knew they could call me any time.”

Terry’s leadership style is characterized by his hands-on approach and his dedication to fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment. Terry says he learned by many different leadership styles to form his own, first from Billy Ryle and now from his current leader Steve Friess who pushes him to be the best he can be. Terry is not just a leader; he is a mentor and a teacher who was and is never afraid to dig in and get his hands dirty.

“As I realized how big we were growing,” says Terry. “I knew I needed to develop some strong leaders to take over in my absence. They trusted in me, and I trusted in them. They even taught me some new things along the way.”

Although Terry has developed many strong employees here at Milestone, one he is most proud of is his son Josh Burris, also a General Superintendent for the company in our South Bend area. Right out of high school, Josh joined Terry in the field. Instead of having the typical summer sleeping in and hanging out with friends Josh was out taking notes and learning from his dad, which made Terry especially proud.

“Look at him now” says Terry. “A General Superintendent like his dad. See you can learn a few things from your father.”

This humor, enthusiasm and dedication are what makes us all drawn to Terry here at Milestone. As he looks back on his years of service and completed projects. One of Terry’s favorites was working on the Indiana University Track. This project was a change from typical road paving and had stringent requirements that challenged the team. When the job was completed, the IU Track became eligible to hold world records. Hearing this made all his challenges and hard work worthwhile.

As he looks forward to the future, Terry hopes to encourage those joining the construction industry to be a sponge, and to always ask questions. He believes that those who are curious and engaged will go very far in life.

Terry, thank you for leading numerous projects to completion, consistently delivering quality work The Milestone Way and exceeding our safety expectations. Your commitment to excellence is an invaluable asset to Milestone.

If you’d like to reach out to Terry, you can reach him directly to congratulate him. Terry.Burris@milestonelp.com.