Ten years for Paver Dave

Ten years for Paver Dave - A group of people standing in front of a truck - Car

Brick paving company locally owned, locally operated

Ten years ago Royal Plus Builders’ president Andrew George hired a new start-up called Paver Dave to install a brick paver driveway at his home. Since then he has called upon their services on no fewer than 20 occasions and admits the job still looks perfect.

“I always use Paver Dave,” he said. “They always do the job on time and under budget and I always get a lot of compliments about their work.”

Which is why George used Paver Dave again when it came time to spruce up his commercial space on Overseas Highway in Marathon.

They then installed a fire pit, retaining wall and pathway with five different styles of material with multiple colors.

“Its our mini-show room,” said John Keller, Paver Dave’s older brother and vice president.

Incorporated on Jan. 28, 2005 the company was founded by Dave Keller – the youngest of four siblings who grew up in York, Pennsylvania and who all now work in the family business.

“All the bull#%^& they put me through as a kid – now I get to get back at them a little bit,” he half-joked.

The company’s success is a testament to the family’s ambition, work ethic, and pride.

Paver Dave rapidly expanded the first year. John, running a fine dining steakhouse in St. Pete, was recruited first and moved his young family to the Keys in 2005.

The oldest brother Bill arrived a year later.

“No one called him,” Dave laughed. “He just took it upon himself and showed up.”

And like any American family – the stories and theories vary from sibling to sibling.

“Our key to maintaining a solid business and family relationship is not communicating,” explains Bill.

“We talk on the phone multiple times a day,” John says.

“I have no idea what they are doing,” admits Dave.

“I don’t think it’s too much different from working for someone else except that I can yell and hang up on him and not lose my job,” says Bill.

“Bill is about to get fired,” said one of his two younger brothers.

Today the company consists of three trucks, two dump trucks, two Bob-cats, a foreman, a Key West-based crew, Marathon-based crew and a sister, Elizabeth who is a year older than Dave and moved to the Keys a year and a half ago to handle office and bookkeeping duties.

Because the Paver Dave resume is growing just as fast as their annual revenues.

They recently completed a 40,000-square-foot paver installation at Pritam Singh’s newest hotel, The Marker in Key West which bookends a list of commercial projects that includes some notable properties like the Southernmost Hotel, bike path at the West Martello Towers, the Turtle Hospital, Parrot Key Resort, the Boat House, Angler’s Reef in Islamorada and paver parking lots in Ocean Reef.

But a large part of the business remains residential driveways and patios and on any given day they have 10 to 15 permit applications pending at any of the municipalities throughout the Keys.

John explained that although a typical 1,500-square-foot driveway only takes about two days to install, much more time is taken to ensure their customers make the right choice in style, color and layout.

“This is an investment, so we do not rush customers through the process,” he said. “We like to add character and accomplish their goals to make sure they are happy with the finished project.”

“We just want our customers to be happy,” explained Bill.

And while their stories may vary, the principles behind their company line up perfectly – just like the bricks.

By the Numbers

Over 3,500,000 square feet of interlocking brick pavers installed

Enough bricks to connect Key West, Florida with Quebec City, Canada. (1,926 miles)

Jason Koler, born in Florida and raised in Ohio, is the “better looking and way smarter” Keys Weekly publisher. When not chasing his children or rubbing his wife’s feet, he enjoys folding laundry and performing experimental live publishing.