CHARLOTTE, N.C. — What does it take to build a business worth more than $50 million?
For McFarland Construction Founder Tino McFarland - perseverance, family, and faith were key.
After more than a decade of work, he sat down with WCNC Charlotte to share his story and strategies to help other business owners get ahead.
“It was a lot of challenges, a lot of headwinds, but it was a strong and deep belief that we could be successful," McFarland said.
Growing up in South Bend, Indiana, he said construction felt like a natural path. As a curious child, he was always interested in how things were made with his father and grandfather both influences.
"I learned a little bit about the trades from my dad," McFarland said. "He was good at framing, good at roofing … I had a grandfather who was probably the first African American individual that I knew to own a small business."
McFarland went on to study civil engineering, earning multiple degrees and using that knowledge to build a years-long career in construction. His work brought him to various cities, including Raleigh and Charlotte, before McFarland decided to start his own business in 2010.
At that time, it was just him and his wife -- a small team with big dreams.
"My wife and I have been married, working for 16 years. She and I are equal partners in everything in my opinion," McFarland said. "Our first office was the third bedroom of our townhome ... We worked and we worked tirelessly. I remember nights where I would work late into the night and my wife would grab some blankets and lay them on the floor and sleep on the floor just so we could, you know, still have our connectivity.”
According to LendingTree, about one in every five businesses fail within the first year with rising costs, access to capital, and supply chain issues some of the biggest contributors to failure.
For businesses owned by people of color, those numbers are even more daunting, with McKinsey and Company reporting around 4% of Black-owned businesses survive the start-up stage.
While McFarland made it past the first year, he said getting through it was tough.
“We lost money that first year," McFarland said. "It was a lot of stress, but never did we say we were headed down the wrong path.”
With every challenge, he pushed himself to learn more and seek new avenues to grow with government contracts making a difference.
“If I can establish that there and do a good job with good references and good past performance history, as the government calls it, and then carry that back to the private market sector, then, the question about can we trust you to do this? Well, we can solve for that," McFarland said.
While he was able to achieve success, he hopes to see more done by policymakers to make the path easier for those looking to start a business, including access to money and continuous work. He also encourages small business owners to keep pushing toward their dreams and lean into mentors who can help guide their path.
RELATED: 'Bring heritage and representation to the forefront' | Charlotte muralist aims to unify through art
"I'd be lying if I sat here and said to you, 'I’ve never had a little bit of self-doubt creep in', but that's where your village steps in. Right?" McFarland said. "You’ve got to have people that will be brutally honest with you, people that will cheerlead for you, people that will lift you up when you’re maybe feeling a little discouraged.”
After more than a decade of work, and a staffed office now in southwest Charlotte, McFarland said he's still learning lessons and growing every day.
WCNC Charlotte is committed to reporting on the many issues facing the communities we serve. We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. WCNC Charlotte is seeking solutions for you. Send your tips or questions to newstips@wcnc.com.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
