Hinton Construction competes for small business award

June 12 — Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a four-part series highlighting the finalists for the 2024 Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year. The winner will be announced on Saturday, June 15 , at the Chamber Awards Gala.

Hinton Construction has built itself a great reputation and many decks in just four years of doing business in this area.

Owned by Stockbridge, Georgia native Joseph Hinton, the company specializes in outdoor deck construction, dock repairs and home renovations. Hinton Construction’s work in these areas since 2020 has earned the company a spot as a finalist for the 2024 Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year.

It all started “by accident”, according to the owner and founder, raised in a family of construction workers.

“My family had just gotten back from Arizona,” Hinton said. “We were traveling to state and national parks when they started closing them all because of COVID.”

He was visiting his father in nearby Monticello when someone posted on social media that they needed to build a deck. Hinton had the knowledge, time and skills to do the job, so he took the plunge and succeeded.

“Before we finished this one, we had two more decks lined up,” he said.

And so began a new business venture. As the company grew, Hinton Construction began adding remodels, renovations and small additions to its list of work. The focus remains on these areas, as well as deck construction and dock repair, as Hinton’s crew predominantly travels the lake area to make customers’ dreams come true.

The owner shared that being named a finalist for Small Business of the Year is “a validation of all the long hours, weekends and hard work” his employees have put in to make the business successful.

Hinton estimates that decks represent 70% of Hinton Construction’s business in terms of number of jobs. His seven-person field crew can accomplish most deck projects in a month. Many can be completed in two to three weeks, although no two are exactly alike.

“We don’t have a lot of basic square and rectangle type decks,” Hinton said. “Generally, our customer base wants something unique. I definitely prefer these because we like to have something that’s a little more challenging.”

It’s these unique challenges that keep the work fresh day after day.

“Even though we do a number of deck, bathroom and basement renovations, each one is always a little different,” Hinton added. “Everyone wants their own personal touches. It’s rewarding to see the project completed and how happy the client is. You feel like you accomplished a task rather than doing the same thing over and over again.”

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As a four-year business owner, Hinton’s hopes for customers who choose his company are the same as they were on day one: that they will be satisfied.

“We want customers to be ecstatic and feel like they got their money’s worth,” he said. “I don’t want them to think they paid too much or that they want something done differently. I want them to be thrilled and know that while we probably weren’t the cheapest guys in town, they realized the value and saw the difference in what we offer compared to others who can do it cheaper.”

Hinton Construction rounds out this year’s field of four finalists for the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year category. Hinton is one of three first-time finalists, along with OrthoGeorgia restaurant and Surcheros Fresh Mex. Edward Jones: Financial Advisor-Crystal Law is a finalist for the third year in a row.

The winner, along with some of the Chamber’s other annual awards, will be announced at the awards gala on Saturday night.