Built From the
Ground Up
The summer Duane Davis turned 16, a small golf course builder out of Newnan, Georgia put him behind the controls of a machine and changed the direction of his life. He spent his high school years learning to run equipment, which gave him practical experience and real skills.
After high school, Duane worked his way through various grading contractors around Newnan, sharpening his skills through some of the toughest years the construction industry has seen. When the recession hit, a lot of people left the trade. Duane stayed. That persistence led him to a grading company in Meriwether County, Georgia which turned out to be the defining chapter of his career.
There, Duane didn’t just run equipment. He learned how to manage crews, price work, and run projects from start to finish. More importantly, he learned the discipline of understanding exactly what a job is worth, what it costs, and why doing it right the first time is the only way to build something that lasts. Starting a family and welcoming his first child gave that education even more meaning. He knew he wasn’t just building sites anymore. He was building a future.
An opportunity to join a larger company came along, and Duane took it. He helped them grow while learning what scale looks like from the inside. But something was missing. He missed the feel of a smaller, tighter operation where every job matters and every decision is personal.
So Duane and a partner opened a small grading company out of Gay, Georgia. It didn’t stay small for long. As Vice President, Duane found himself running not only field operations but learning the full business. That experience taught him what he was truly capable of.
When he was ready, he made the decision to go out on his own. He sold his stake, walked away from what was comfortable, and started from scratch. Davis Earthworks was born.
Today, Davis Earthworks specializes in clearing, grading, utilities, water, sewer, and storm drainage construction. Whether moving a few thousand yards of dirt or over half a million yards on a single project, the company approaches every job with the same mindset: do it right, do it safely, and build lasting relationships. From small sites to large-scale developments, Davis Earthworks is built on hard work, accountability, and the belief that reputation is earned one project at a time.