Five Years All In: From a Beat-Up Pickup to Martha's Vineyard

Five years ago this week, I left my full-time job to run MP & Son for good. Here's how one beat-up pickup and a trailer turned into a full-time crew.

Five years ago this week, I went all in on MP & Son Construction.

I'd started the company in 2020, doing side jobs every day after my shift at a full-time job. By the fall of 2021, I knew it was time to let that job go and carry on my father's legacy for real. Here's a look back at how far we've come, and at the people who got us here.

It started with a beat-up pickup

MP & Son didn't start with a shop or a fleet. It started with a beat-up old pickup truck, and then my first enclosed trailer. Every day after work, I'd load up and head to a side job.

For the first couple of years, it was just me. That old pickup and single trailer eventually became a brand-new truck and a brand-new trailer, lettered with my dad's name, and the jobs kept getting bigger.

From small remodels to Martha's Vineyard

We started out doing small residential remodeling: decks, windows, doors, bathrooms and kitchens. Five years later, we're building portfolio-scale projects, including work on Martha's Vineyard like a multi-level garapa deck in Edgartown and a custom in-ground pool deck in West Tisbury.

We still take on projects big and small. But standing on a job like those, it's a long way from that first trailer.

Partners who raised the bar

Along the way, we've partnered with high-end decking and lumber companies, including Wolf Home Products, Koopman Lumber and Biss Lumber Co. Those have turned into long-lasting relationships, and they help us bring better materials to every job.

The team today

What started as one guy working after hours is now four full-time guys and an office manager who keeps it all running.

I cherish the relationships I've built with other business owners, too. Many of them have taught me a lot along the way, and there's still a lot more ahead.

Thank you

To every homeowner who has trusted us with their home: thank you. None of this happens without you.

For my dad

The MP in MP & Son is my dad, Michael P. Empey. I learned this trade working alongside him, and this company exists to carry on his legacy of building homes.

Dad, I hope I'm making you proud. I wish we were still working alongside each other.

Here's to the next five years.