In this episode of Breaking Ground SA, Stephanie Reyes and Rob Killen sit down with Trey Dawson, President of Pape-Dawson Engineers, one of San Antonio's most established and respected civil engineering firms. Trey is a third-generation leader of a company his grandfather co-founded in 1965 with $6,000, a six-month runway, and a Sunday school connection that barely kept the doors open.

What started as a two-man land development firm has grown into a 2,000-person operation now active in 10 states, built on a simple mission: not to be the biggest, but to be the most respected.

This is a conversation about family legacy, what it really takes to scale a company without losing its culture, and why San Antonio remains one of the best places in the country to build something.

In this episode:

• (01:53) How Pape-Dawson was founded in 1965 with $6,000, a six-month runway, and a Sunday school connection that saved the company
• (08:26) Why staying in one market for 40 years was a risk and how diversification changed everything
• (17:32) The math behind expanding beyond Texas and why the organic growth model breaks down at 1,000 employees
• (18:56) How Pape Dawson protects its culture through M&A by partnering with firms that already share their values
• (22:12) What Trey learned about leadership from his grandfather, father, and uncle and why being seen matters as much as doing good work
• (23:21) His time chairing the Metro SA Chamber during COVID, including the gala he never got, and what leading RECSA taught him about himself
• (29:48) Why San Antonio punches above its weight as a place to do business and what local agencies need to hear
• (32:32) Rapid fire: steakhouse rankings with his kids, the Spurs playoff game he skipped for the lake, and why he'd be a real estate agent if engineering wasn't an option

Links and Resources

• Pape-Dawson Engineers: https://www.pape-dawson.com/
• Real Estate Council of San Antonio: https://www.recsa.org
• Greater SATX: https://www.greatersatx.com

Sponsor Links:

• IRC Capital Residential: https://www.investmentrealty.com

Podcast Production Services by https://EveryWord.Media

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