Dustin King: When opportunity meets determination

At Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS), we talk a lot about having the grit to get the job done. That means rising to the challenge and pushing through, even if it’s not the easy route. Dustin King is an example of that grit in action and the benefits of tackling opportunities. 

An unexpected start

Dustin’s story with ESS started at our Family Fun Days event a few years back. He was there with his dad, Steve King, an ESS operations manager in Northwest Arkansas. Like any good construction company event, we had mini excavators to operate on-site – and a friendly competition. Dustin, who’s paralyzed from the waist down, hopped in the cab ready to go.

With no prior training, he handled the machine like a pro. It wasn’t just impressive; it was inspiring. What started as a fun game turned into an opportunity. 

Brandon Finn, assistant vice president of operations, saw something special in that moment. He walked up to Dustin’s dad and asked if he knew who Dustin was. Steve responded proudly “That’s my boy.”

After that, Dustin was offered a job running a roller for one of our asphalt crews. That was over three years ago, and Dustin’s tackled every job and challenge head-on, exceeding expectations and crushing it, every day. 

Today, Dustin’s part of our dirt crew in Northwest Arkansas, operating compactors and rollers. If you ever catch him getting in or out of his equipment, you’ll see the grit: no lift or ramp, just pure arm strength and a determined mindset.

Getting involved in OZASA

While Dustin was working on a project one day, someone from the Ozark Adaptive Sports Association (OZASA) saw him in his wheelchair and pulled over to talk to him. He introduced Dustin to OZASA. Dustin didn’t have any experience playing adaptive sports, but he figured he’d give it a shot. He’s been actively involved ever since. 

He’s now a regular at wheelchair mountain biking and basketball events, building a community and pushing his limits even further. ESS was proud to recently present a $12,000 check to OZASA to help them purchase adaptive equipment to continue keeping athletes with physical disabilities in the game and on the trails, doing what they love.

Dustin King is an asset to our team. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t ask for an easier road, but is always ready to take on any challenge or new opportunity that comes his way. We’re proud to have him in the ESS family.