Chicago Dirt
In my college years, I worked as a carpenter and drove a garbage truck through the streets of Chicago. Unknown to me then, I was learning valuable lessons that I have applied later in my real estate career.
In my college years, I worked as a carpenter and drove a garbage truck through the streets of Chicago. Unknown to me then, I was learning valuable lessons that I have applied later in my real estate career. Working as a carpenter helped me understand construction, the costs of bringing labor and materials to a project, and completing the project on a specific budget. In the early 1970s, my experience as a “Garbio”, as garbage truck drivers in Chicago were called, helped me to understand Chicago’s streets and neighborhoods, when they were much rougher than today. My skills as a carpenter and a Garbio were no better than the other guys, but the experience I gained served as a base of knowledge for my future success. Through my experience as a carpenter, one of the many things I learned was that 55 cents of every dollar spent on real estate development was for hard construction. Understanding construction costs and how they affected project budgets was pivotal to my success as a real estate developer. Driving a garbage truck was not about becoming a great Garbio, it was really about learning and becoming comfortable in the dilapidated streets of an urban market ready to explode with development opportunities.
My motto is “always look both ways on a one-way street”. Unknowingly, we all learn from our everyday experiences. We can use that knowledge to take advantage of opportunity when it presents itself. Be open to opportunity when it comes along – or it will pass us by in an instant! By looking both ways on life’s one-way street and remaining cognizant of our experiences, we will be fully prepared to jump when the opportunity presents itself.
Throughout my career, I was fortunate enough to draw on a wide array of experiences and my rich background when making key decisions and building my business.
About the Author
Calvin D. Boender was raised in the Dutch Christian Reformed area of Highland, Indiana. After high school, he attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for three years and thereafter graduated from Grand Valley State College, Allendale, Michigan, in December, 1978, with a bachelor's degree with honors in political science. For the past 35 years, he has focused his attention on real estate by successfully investing in and redeveloping residential, commercial and industrial properties. He has now turned his quick mind and strong business acumen to developing Renew Biomass into a market leader. Cal has been a major contributor to various philanthropic causes and non-profit organizations addressing the needs of children and less-fortunate individuals. He resides in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two dogs, where he enjoys reading and biking.
