Today we’d like to introduce you to Whit Gammon.
Hi Whit, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In April of 2020 Covid was in full swing and the lockdowns had the world on standby for the foreseeable future. I was a corporate guy for 20 years and traveled almost every week (usually via plane). Well, all of that came to a screeching halt with Covid and it was time for me and my family to make some tough decisions.
We talked about it, prayed about it, and talked about it some more. I confided in several close friends, parents, mentors, etc to figure out what the future would, could, and should look like for the Gammon family. My wife Callie is a real estate agent and also takes care of our boys (one of which has special needs). Real Estate came to a halt as well so making ends meet became more and more on my shoulders. Providing financially didn’t bother me at all; it was a matter how to provide after taking a huge pay cut almost immediately when travel was restricted.
Sometime in mid-April I was fishing with a good friend Drew Boggs, who happened to be a General Contractor with emphasis on land acquisition, development, and new construction homes. I bounced the idea of being a “garage builder” off him and his initial impression was that I was crazy and there wasn’t enough money in it to make a good living. I didn’t have the financial means to just start building speculative houses nor did I have any idea how to build a house. As the day went on, I would subtly bring it up a few more times and just try and pick the brain of a successful builder. At the end of the day, we had caught a bunch of fish but hadn’t derived a good business plan for me moving forward.
I kicked around a couple of different business ideas including land clearing/ forestry mulching etc. What I learned was the barriers to entry in that market were difficult to overcome without a nice rainy-day fund to hold you over for a year or so.
A week or so later Drew called me and asked if I were serious about building garages and forming a partnership. I was watching my income go down and take the savings account with it, so I immediately said yes let’s meet up and talk about it again. Since our fishing trip Drew had gotten several leads for detached garage projects. God was smiling on us.
It didn’t fit his model, but it ended up fitting our model. At that point Outback Construction was born in early May 2025 with the slogan “If it goes Outback, we can build it”.
The balance of 2020 was a blur. I had a few t shirts made, some yard signs, some business cards, etc. Looking back, it makes me giggle just a little to think we started in a Suburban with a single axel utility trailer. We built decks, porches, patios, pergolas, garages, and even a pool house or two.
The winter of 2020-2021 was brutal for a guy who was trying to make a living building decks and outdoor projects. Q1 2021 was a low point, and I began to ask myself if I had made the right decision. It was cold and the phone was NOT ringing. Drew and I had lunch, and he had just bought some lots at auction our in Statesville TN (NO CELL SERVICE). He knew I was struggling and asked me to build 3 houses for him. At this point I knew decks, porches, and garages but houses were still off in the distance a pretty good way. I jumped on this opportunity for a couple of reasons. 1- It was a source of steady income to make end meet and 2- It gave me a chance to learn how to build houses. I spent a ton of time there and watched the process. I asked a ton of questions. I worked really hard to make sure the subs had what they needed when they needed it. No one was waiting on me or materials and that was appreciated more than I realized. Those 3 houses ended up being profitable projects for Drew and taught me a ton about the process.
Next step was getting my General Contractors License which I did in December of 2021, and I was able to move on by myself. I am very grateful for Drew and all the hope and opportunities he gave me. In 2022 I ended up building several more houses for Drew under the Outback Construction name. This was the beginning of investor builds which we have done quite a few of in past few years.
In May of 2022, I talked my good friend, hunting buddy, and neighbor Chet Allen into joining the Outback team. His background was new home construction as a superintendent for another large builder in town. Chet is the most meticulous person and has a process for “all things construction”. He has a process and a spreadsheet for just about everything. I needed this organization in our company and in my life. I would like to think I am a planner and have my stuff together but not even remotely close to Chet. He complimented me very well and am grateful for him, his knowledge, and even keel. When Chet joined the team, we decided that we wanted to get into the custom home building side of things. We were not going to abandon garages and pool house construction but add homes to the mix. God blessed us with 3 customs in 2022 and 2 investor builds in addition to the ongoing garage and pool house projects. The end of 2022 was a wild ride, and we were looking forward to the future in custom home building.
In April of 2023 we got a call from college friend that was looking to build in College Grove. His plans and ideas were above and beyond anything we had ever built or thought of building. This wasn’t your average custom build. It was 135 feet long, 40 feet tall, 12-foot ceilings, on 5 acres nestled in the woods down in College Grove. We met with our Architect and drew the plan from scratch. It was such an awesome process to see this beautiful home come to life over the next year. This project put us on a different level in a different market. It was a showstopper and is the home page picture on our website.
Over the years we have built many pool houses/cabanas and in some instances we would work with Pool installers that didn’t share our idea of customer service and communication. In those instances the client would ask us why we do not install pools. My reply usually was because of the challenges you are having with your pool installer. It was rare that you heard someone say “I had a great pool building experience”. I am not saying there are not some great pool builders out there because there are. After being posed this question 50 times over a few years period I finally caved and dug into what it takes to be a pool builder. It didn’t take much and that is where we are today. We are Custom Home Builder that also takes on back yard projects. If a client wants a full back yard transformation we can handle the pool house, hardscape, firepit, swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, etc. We are all things back yard. It is such a great compliment to building homes because almost all of our custom home clients and up getting a pool as well.
Today Chet is my business partner. We just hired our first employee Harrison who will oversee the pool construction piece of our business. Callie handles our accounting. Greer our oldest son (16) moves materials for us as well as the trailers and the skid steer. He is a gopher today but will be the face of the company before we know it.
We still learn everyday how to make our wheel roll smoother. We still make mistakes. We are not rich. We are making a living and answering the phone when it rings. Every chance I get to tell this story I end up with a new friend. Every person and company have a story. Not every story is easy to write or read but it is their story. I am super grateful to be able to use this platform to tell our story.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Tons of obstacles. The first couple of years it felt like one step forward and two steps back. Learning obstacles more thena financial obstacles.
As you know, we’re big fans of Outback Construction. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a custom home builder. We also build Pool Houses, Garages, and Install Fiberglass swimming pools. We specialize in being able to handle the entire back yard project as a General Contractor.
Our transparency and communication is what makes us who we are. We answer the phone when it rings. We are transparent with our financial position with our clients.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Interest rates have a pretty big impact on the our market. While Middle Tennessee is a thriving housing market, interest rates have had an impact on a portion of the back yard project we have been a part of recently.
I see more and more people wanting a contractor to handle it all. Not just pool installation but hardscaping, cabanas, pool houses, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.outbackconstructiontn.com
- Facebook: Outback Construction
