ABOUTÂ DIRT UNIVERSITY
WHOÂ WEÂ ARE
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Bryan and Rick's partnership began when Bryan, transitioning from a career in equipment sales, met Rick, a seasoned professional in logging and excavation. Their shared passion for the excavation industry led to a strong friendship and collaboration.
Together, they established a successful excavation company, collaborated on Diesel and Iron, Bryan's YouTube channel with over 50,000 subscribers, and co-founded Dirt University.
Passionate about mentoring new entrepreneurs in excavation, they provide comprehensive training in bidding, project management, and business operations that will bridge the educational gap in industry skills and business ownership. Dirt University aims to help the next generation of excavators achieve technical mastery, financial success, and prevent unnecessary mistakes in starting and growing a business.
WORK WITHÂ BRYAN & RICK
MEETÂ RICK
Where do I begin? This is all I know. As a young kid, I played in the sandbox with Tonka toys, moving sand and building castles. I even multitasked, grading out the litter box for the cat. Growing up around the logging industry, I was helping my family by age seven, loading trucks and sorting logs. By 13, I was falling trees and working ahead of the skidder to harvest timber.
In high school, I applied for a job at a local excavating company, starting with washing equipment and other tough jobs. I loved being close to the big machines and learning from the crew's stories. Soon, I was in the cab of an excavator, installing underground utilities, and by 21, I was running my own crew, deeply fascinated by every aspect of the dirt world.
My journey advanced quickly, and I soon became a superintendent managing multi-million dollar projects. Eager to be my own boss, I started taking on side jobs. Initially, my business ventures failed, but I learned from my mistakes. I hustled, working countless hours with rented machines until I could buy my own.
Together, we founded Dirt University, aiming to give back to the industry by teaching others how to bid work, manage projects, and succeed in the field. Our goal is to help the next generation thrive while spending quality time with their families and achieving financial success.
MEET BRYAN
After earning a Business Marketing degree and spending six years in banking, I realized I despised indoor life. I shifted to landscaping, where I thrived on creativity and hands-on work. Despite a failed attempt at running my own landscape business in Texas, I gained invaluable experience. Returning to Michigan, I told my wife I wanted to get into the excavating industry but I'd start at the bottom and make peanuts to start with. Her reply was, "we'll make it work."Â
I began with one of Texas’s largest excavating contractors, learning the heavy civil road building trade from the cab of a 40-ton rock truck. Moving back to Michigan, I joined a smaller contractor to diversify my skills with excavators, skid steers, and dozers. For the next 5 years, I joined Dan’s Excavating, Michigan’s largest excavator, mastering everything from concrete breakers to pipe crew loaders.
As with many of us, family became a priority, leading me to equipment sales with Case Construction. There, I met Rick, sparking a partnership that flourished into Anything Outdoors Contracting. During the COVID-19 pandemic, like many of us, I lost my job and founded Diesel & Iron, a platform to share industry knowledge with the next generation. To sustain this venture, I collaborated with Rick on challenging dirt jobs, proving our combined capabilities.
Our success birthed Dirt University, a project aimed at bridging the educational gap in industry skills and business ownership. We are passionate about mentoring new entrepreneurs in the excavation industry, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to thrive in a field we love.
Dirt University's expertise in excavating job bidding is unparalleled. They helped us streamline our processes and accurately estimate costs. This has resulted in more competitive bids and greatly increased profits.
____ Mike S. (Site Supervisor)
