By Tom Rohrer
As all adults know, there is no such thing as “the busy time of year.” Every minute is considered “busy.” The combination of work, family activities and essential everyday tasks leaves little time for anything else. However, that is not the case for Rob McGuire, the owner of Dogwood Construction in Union, Washington.
The Shelton High School graduate oversees a thriving construction company, and is the father of three girls (grades 7, 9 and 11) that attend school in the Shelton School District.
Surely the demands of owning a business and family life take a majority of McGuire’s time. And yet McGuire has found time to maintain a position as a volunteer firefighter for over a decade while also making treks across the world to help others in need.
In a Shelton-Mason County Journal article from June 1987, McGuire, then a senior at SHS, was profiled for his work ethic and dedication to learning the intricacies of the electrician trade.
“I’m busy all the time,” stated McGuire in a quote to start the article. “I just like to work.”
McGuire began working at Dogwood Construction in 1997. After a period of multiple partnerships within the company, he ultimately assumed leadership of the business. McGuire still has to wear multiple hats as the owner of a successful construction company, but made an essential change in his duties list that led to where Dogwood Construction sits now.
“When I initially started, I got advice from my lawyer and accountant and from reading and listening to teaching videos that said ‘replace yourself,’” explained McGuire. “I was out there beating and bending nails, then coming back to file and fill out paperwork and that just wasn’t an efficient way of running a business. I found more employees, and I didn’t have to do all those little things by myself.”
“I can say that we’re a team where everyone does their job and fills their role,” McGuire said of his company, which has recently expanded to home maintenance care to go along with residential construction. “We all have a responsibility and we care that the (company) keeps moving forward.”
Dogwood Construction has the fun challenge of erecting the dream retirement or vacation home for their customers. McGuire knows that no job is the same as any other. That challenge is part of what makes his job personally enjoyable.
“The majority of our customers are folks who have or soon will be retired, so we’re helping them put their puzzle together,” McGuire said. “That’s the real enjoyable part, seeing what their vision is and building it together.”
While the homes from Dogwood Construction leave a lasting impression on their owners, McGuire’s impact stretches much farther around the Mason County community.
Since joining the Union Fire Department in 1995, McGuire was named Firefighter of the Year in 1999 and 2002, along with earning EMS Responder of the year in 2005. How he initially joined the fire department is a story that McGuire still enjoys telling.
“When I moved to Union in 1994, I was helping my neighbor clean up his yard and we were burning the debris,” said McGuire. “The Fire Department came by and we got in a little trouble. But they told me they were looking for volunteers and it sounded right up my alley, so I joined.”
Heading back to Union from Shelton one night, McGuire noticed some smoke coming from the bushes on the side of the road, and correctly determined that something was not right.
“I came back (to the spot on the road) and noticed this car was down there. Inside was an older woman, who was very dazed and confused, sitting in her car in the bushes,” McGuire said. “She was stuck in the car, and I could see the hood was bent up but the car was still running. There was a lot of smoke, and it just was not looking like a good situation. There was a fire underneath the hood, and she was able to turn the car off, but she couldn’t get the door open. I had a tape measure in my pocket and (used it to) beat out the window. With the help of a Mason County garbage man, we carried her to the side of the road,” recalls McGuire.
Stories like this make it clear that McGuire will drop anything to help someone in need. This spirit is further evidenced by his volunteer efforts around the world.
McGuire traveled with two other Shelton residents to repair a school and orphanage for the deaf in Haiti shortly after the devastating earthquake in 2010. The following year, he traveled to Costa Rica to provide electrical work for a family with a special needs child. His middle daughter joined him on this trip.
Four years ago, McGuire traveled to the Philippines, also with his middle daughter, and in 2003, he traveled with his oldest daughter to India. Along with his own collection of missionary trips, McGuire and Dogwood Construction support the efforts of the Matienzo Family, who are originally from Shelton and currently provide international outreach work through the Every Nation Leadership Institute. All of these worldwide experiences have provided perspective for McGuire and his family.
“I love traveling the world, seeing the different styles of buildings and how people construct homes. You really learn a lot in that aspect, but you also learn a lot about how people live and how much we take things for granted sometimes,” McGuire said. “(Traveling) really makes you want to work more and harder for the things that are important to you and I’m very fortunate to have been able to take my daughters with me. I want them to have that proper perspective and just always have that caring nature in their hearts.”
The McGuire daughters are certainly part of the Dogwood Construction team. Rob noted that his oldest daughter once helped him construct a house in Sequim, and the two others have helped in large capacity at the office and in the field.
“It’s something that they can apply if they decide to stay in the family business or to whatever they do in the future. I think it’s important that kids learn more about hard work, and about what their parents do,” McGuire said. “I always say I have the three best kids in the world and I really mean that, they’re just great kids with caring hearts and really a lot of perspective for how old they are.”
For a family and hardworking man like McGuire, seeing his family, his community and his co-workers happy is all the satisfaction he needs.
“I don’t do a lot of personal things,” McGuire said. “I enjoy spending time with my kids, working, and just staying productive. I don’t need anything more than that.”
And for that reason, Mason County, and citizens worldwide, should be thankful for a man like Rob McGuire.
For more information on Dogwood Construction, visit their website, which includes information on the business and Rob’s missionary work.
