Opportunity, Leadership, and the Long Game with Derrick Schatte

In this episode of On the Surface, we sit down with Derrick Schatte, Delta’s Paving Superintendent for Missouri, to trace an unconventional path from a thousand-acre farm to leading crews and building winning asphalt operations. Starting on a tractor at nine years old, Derrick shares how farming shaped his work ethic—and why increasing red tape, unstable margins, and debt pressure pushed him to find a more sustainable future for his family.

From land investing (including strategic flips and big “catapult” moments) to habitat creation and waterfowl management, Derrick explains how passion projects can become real businesses—and how construction became the perfect blend of building something tangible and solving problems in real time. He tells the story of how fate (and one very unlucky paver operator) put him in the driver’s seat early at Delta, and how he grew from paver operator to foreman, to estimator/project management, and now into a superintendent role.

Along the way, Derrick opens up about leadership learned in the field—earning respect through empathy, calm, and consistency—plus the real challenges of stepping up: new terminology, paperwork, pay requests, and the fear of missing details that matter. It’s a candid conversation about taking opportunities before you feel “ready,” staying grounded in faith, and building a life your family can enjoy—not just endure.

Thanks for listening!

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