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Callers placed on hold at Ron Bergeron's office listen to KISS 99.9 country radio.
It's indicative of the successful entrepreneur, rodeo competitor and runner who never strays far from his "country" roots - the town of Davie.
Bergeron grew up in Davie when the population was only 500, the son of a grocery store owner. Today, Bergeron owns multiple businesses including Bergeron Land Development, the largest road contracting and site development business in the state; Bergeron Sand Rock and Mining, which produces materials for development companies; and Bergeron Properties, a real estate company that develops housing communities, shopping centers and industrial parks.
All totaled, Bergeron's enterprises employ about 750 people across Florida.
"When I was growing up in Davie, I observed wealthy people and wanted to find out how they became prosperous," Bergeron said. "One thing I learned is when you do something very well, stick with it. When you are successful, don't go and get in someone's business that you don't know anything about."
Bergeron followed his own advice. fie began learning about his future businesses from the ground up when he was a teen-ager. It started with a borrowed tractor.
"I took care of a 10-acre coconut grove in return for a place to stay," Bergeron said.
"Neighbors starting asking me to mow their pastures. I asked my boss if I could use his
tractor for outside work and he said 'yes.' "
Bergeron mowed day and night. "I used to wear a headlight on my head to see what I was doing," he
recalled.
The business grew so rapidly that Bergeron bought the tractor from his boss and continued taking care of his property. He eventually bought more tractors and mowed agricultural land for a few years.
I love to excel. The heavy equipment fascinated me....