DOON—Rock Bottom Construction has established itself as a leader in concrete work across Northwest Iowa, thanks to a skilled team and deep local connections.

Founder Trevor Lems, a lifelong Doon resident, values building strong relationships with clients just as much as delivering quality results. “The part I enjoy is talking with the customers, really,” Lems shared. “Coming up with a plan for how we’re going to get through the project — that’s the part that I enjoy.”

Trevor launched Rock Bottom Construction in 2012 alongside his brother, Kyle, and brother-in-law, Greg Bakker. The decision to start their own business came after years of hands-on construction experience. “We were looking to just do work for ourselves and wanted to give it a shot,” Lems explained. “We had all been working construction right out of high school. We had done it for several years and just decided to try it, to get together and go for it.”

Since then, the company has perfected its craft over the last 13 years, focusing on projects within an hour of Doon. While Bakker eventually branched out to launch Bakker Building Movers, and Kyle created Rock Solid Slingers, Lems gained a new partner in Grant Van Bemmel.

“Grant actually worked for us for a lot of years,” Lems said. “When my brother got out, Grant had an opportunity to buy in, and he took it.”

Today, Rock Bottom Construction employs a crew of six, many of whom have been with the company for years. “Our work speaks for itself, but I would also say that our crew is one of the best in the area,” Lems said. “The employees we have, they’ve all stuck around. One guy’s been here for 10 years, and the rest of them have been here for at least four or five years.”

Key Projects Showcase Expertise

Rock Bottom Construction has tackled a range of concrete projects, from cattle confinements to residential developments. A standout project from 2024 was building a cattle confinement near Boyden. The facility, designed to hold 600 cattle with a 12-foot manure pit, was completed in just two and a half weeks.

Another notable project was the Berkley Heights development in Spirit Lake. Between 2019 and 2023, the company laid foundations for 53 homes in the area. “We would go there every year for about five years and do 10 of them at a time,” Lems said. “We would stay there for about a week and just do as many as you could. That was always a fun thing.”

Community and Future Plans

Doon’s supportive community plays a big role in the company’s success. “Everybody in Doon supports local businesses, so that’s a big thing,” Lems said. “We’ve built relationships with other contractors that, over the years, call us to do their cement work.”

While winters are slower, Lems and his team are busy preparing bids for the 2025 construction season. As they look ahead, Lems is grateful for his dependable team and the work they’ve accomplished together.

“We’ve just got a good, solid group of guys,” Lems said. “It’s almost like a family.”