From Army Farm Kid to Running a 3rd-Generation Steel Company | P&M Steel | 2 B's in a Podcast

Every building in Sioux Falls is standing on something you'll never see — the steel. In this episode of 2 B's in a Podcast, Brad and Brian Jans of Jans Corporation sit down with Mike DeJong, President of P&M Steel, to talk about the work behind the walls: structural steel fabrication, the backbone that holds up the city's schools, stores, and skyline. P&M Steel started in 1970 and is now a third-generation, employee-owned (ESOP) company in Sioux Falls. Mike's own path there wasn't a straight line — he grew up on a family farm in Platte, South Dakota, spent roughly 30 years in the military and National Guard, deployed alongside his own father in 2003, and met his wife on deployment before working his way up to run the company. This is a real conversation about what it actually takes to fabricate steel on a deadline, why communication makes or breaks a project, and how a blue-collar trade is changing with technology, tariffs, and a tight market. In this episode: The P&M Steel story — three generations and an employee-owned shop From the Army to the steel floor: Mike's road to running the company Deploying with his dad — and a Vietnam vet finally getting his welcome home Why steel is the backbone of a building (and the parts nobody sees) When is the right time to build? Reading the shop, the schedule, and the market. How 20–25 people touch a single project from bid to delivery The real timeline: 12–16 weeks from drawings to steel on site Tariffs, interest rates, and the risk of buying steel before approval Building schools — including the Harrisburg Freshman Academy his daughter sat in first Technology and automation: from hand layout to one machine that does it all Welding programs, young talent, and the future of the trade Family business, succession, and letting your kids find their own path Rapid fire: steel vs. concrete vs. wood, and what GCs get wrong ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 The steel keeps getting bigger 00:52 Welcome to 2 B's in a Podcast 01:23 Meet Mike DeJong & P&M Steel 01:55 Three generations of P&M Steel 02:55 From the Army to running a steel company 04:01 Growing up on a Platte, SD farm 05:55 Deploying alongside his own dad 07:01 What people don't understand about steel 07:43 When is the right time to build? 09:17 Bigger city, bigger steel 10:05 Surviving COVID 11:00 Choosing partners — why communication wins 13:27 The backbone nobody sees 14:53 Building schools & the Harrisburg Freshman Academy 15:44 How many hands touch one project 16:45 Drawings to delivery: the real timeline 17:58 Steel mills, buying, and tariffs 20:57 Welding programs & young talent 22:18 Technology: from hand layout to one machine 24:24 Family, kids & finding your own path 26:41 Back to the farm? Cattle, small towns & the hat 29:15 Rapid fire 31:01 The toughest builds: dairy barn trusses & curved steel 33:01 Backlog, paint, finishes & galvanizing 33:57 EOS and the 5–10 year vision 36:18 Employee-owned: what ESOP really means 36:55 Military leadership on the shop floor 38:54 The future of PNM Steel 39:52 Where to find PNM Steel 40:56 Small jobs, big jobs — steel for your home too 41:37 Keep building 🏗️ About the guest Mike DeJong is the President of P&M Steel, a third-generation, employee-owned structural steel fabrication company in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, serving the region from Pierre to Aberdeen and into Minnesota and Iowa. 📍 4401 Northwest Port Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 🌐 pmsteel.net 🎙️ About the show 2 B's in a Podcast is hosted by Brad and Brian Jans of Jans Corporation — a Sioux Falls commercial construction company. We go beyond the blueprint to talk about construction, family business, leadership, ranching, and the people building South Dakota. Connect with Jans Corporation: 🌐 https://www.janscorp.com 💼   / jans-corp   📘   / janscorp   📸   / janscorporation   If something here resonated, like the episode, share it with someone in the trades, and subscribe for new conversations every week. #pubgmobile P&MSteel #SteelFabrication #SiouxFalls #SouthDakota #StructuralSteel #ConstructionPodcast #FamilyBusiness #2BsInAPodcast #JansCorporation #BuildingSiouxFalls