Mitchell Stokoe (Founder of Slimline Excavations) | Jimmy Talks Construction Episode 49

In Episode 49 of Jimmy Talks Construction, Jimmy sits down with Mitch from Slimline Excavations to talk about his journey from underground coal mining to building his own excavation business. Mitch spent 10 years working in the coal mines before buying a 1.7T digger and taking the leap into business. What started as small excavation work grew into subdivisions, civil works, mountain bike trail construction, National Parks projects and helicopter-lifted materials into remote sites. This episode dives into the real side of construction business ownership — building trust with clients, learning from mistakes, training operators from scratch, hiring for effort over experience, pricing difficult jobs, building the right circle of mentors, and why you cannot be half-in when running a construction business. Jimmy and Mitch also break down what it takes to build a reliable crew, why some operators “just have it,” the importance of work ethic, and the lessons you only learn by getting punched in the face by business. If you are in excavation, earthmoving, civil construction, plant hire, mining, subcontracting or trying to grow a trade-based business, this episode is packed with real construction business advice from someone who has lived it. Featuring Mitch from Slimline Excavations. Subscribe for more real conversations with the people building Australia’s construction industry. Connect with Mitch: 📸 Instagram:   / slimline_excavations   📘 Facebook:   / slimlineexcavatins   Connect with Jimmy: 🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au 📺 YouTube:    / @jimmytalksconstruction   📸 Instagram:   / starbuckexcavation   📘 Facebook:   / starbuckexcavation   💼 LinkedIn:   / james-starbuck-13336546   Sponsorships + Guest Enquiries: [email protected] Send in Business Problems: [email protected] CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 03:21 Working underground in the coal mines 07:00 Buying a digger while still working night shift 11:11 Starting with a 1.7T excavator 13:07 Building trust with clients 15:32 Subdivision work and growing the business 21:04 Helicopters, remote access and construction logistics 28:27 Building a reliable excavation crew 49:03 Business mistakes, pricing and learning the hard way 50:59 The importance of mentors and your business circle 56:12 Why you cannot be half-in with business