Sami Dadon: Living the Dream
By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter
MILPITAS — Ever since he was a child growing up in Israel, Sami Dadon always dreamed of moving to the United States, and eventually, he made that dream come true. “My father was a contractor and I worked in construction for more than 25 years in Israel,” he explains. “When I was nearing my 50th birthday, I told myself it was now or never, so I moved to the U.S. and made my dream a reality. I opened my own construction company, and soon after, two of my four kids came to work for me, so it has become quite the family affair.”
Sami relates some of the differences he found working construction in the U.S. versus in Israel. “In Israel, everything is built out of concrete, which makes things very difficult,” he explains. “For instance, if you want to move an outlet, you need to dig into concrete. So, when I came here and everyone was working with wood and stucco, I was delighted—it was so much easier! The only thing I didn’t like at first was permits, but I grew to appreciate them. There are no permits in Israel, so I couldn’t believe I had to wait for approval before I could start a job. However, I soon realized this step helped ensure a good job for the customer, and I decided that I would always pull a permit for any job I did.”
Today, as owner of P A Remodeling/Sami & Sons, Inc., Sami says his favorite part of his job is seeing his clients happy with their final products. “I love meeting customers at their homes after their projects are done and seeing the smiles on their faces. I always emphasize quality and strive to deliver my customers something I’m really proud of, so that makes them very happy with the results.”
When asked about a professional philosophy, Sami espouses the importance of honesty. “When I was a child, my grandma would say, ‘Lies don’t have legs—sooner or later, somebody will catch you,’” he remembers. “Ever since, I’ve tried to be honest in everything I do. When I make a promise to a customer, I follow through, even if I end up losing some profits in the process. Money comes and goes, but when you’re building a company, you need to build it on a good foundation, and you get that by doing right by your customers. We never leave a customer hanging, and we always stick to the price that we quoted at the beginning. Because of this, we get many referrals and continue to grow as a business.”
When asked what his future retirement might look like, Sami says it will likely involve a lot of traveling. “I love my job, but I know I can’t do it forever. I’m building this company for my kids, and when they’re ready to take it over, I will look at retirement. At that point, I think it would be fun to take a trip around the world. I’ve worked hard all my life, so I think a vacation is in order.”
Ask Me Anything!
Q: What’s your favorite restaurant?
A: Chipotle.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: Thailand.
Q: Are you an early bird or a night owl?
A: A night owl.
Q: What’s your favorite snack?
A: Ice cream.
Q: If you could time-travel, would you go to the past or the future?
A: I would travel 100 years into the future. I’m a technology freak, so I’d love to see what kinds of advancements take place over the next century.
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