{"id":2612005,"date":"2026-06-08T13:12:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T17:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-boys-how-a-veteran-owned-construction-firm-earned-a-national-stage\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T13:15:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T17:15:36","slug":"the-boys-how-a-veteran-owned-construction-firm-earned-a-national-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-boys-how-a-veteran-owned-construction-firm-earned-a-national-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The boys&#8217;: How a veteran-owned construction firm earned a national stage"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-boys-how-a-veteran-owned-construction-firm-earned-a-national-stage%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2612005&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>After Jared Gay\u2019s veteran-owned construction company, TGU Home Solutions, won Fox Business\u2019s \u201cMade in America\u201d contest, the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >business quickly drew national attention-earning <\/a>,000 and a Fox Nation feature-and Gay says the publicity sparked new leads and sustained demand. He describes the team as \u201cthe boys,\u201d a group he built after serving more than 20 years in the Army and founding the company in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>TGU focuses on custom residential work,curated speculative homes,and commercial advancement,and Gay credits the company\u2019s military-rooted culture for its approach to projects-emphasizing honor,integrity,accountability,teamwork,communication,and transparent billing.He also frames the business as more than a career: he sees it as a way to help veterans who struggle with purpose after leaving the military, especially as the emotional weight of retirement often hits months later.<\/p>\n<p>Gay recounts how the Fox call came unexpectedly after a friend had nominated his firm. Winning the contest accelerated growth, allowing him to plan for bonuses, manage debt, and eventually pay employees and the team the kind of future he says they couldn\u2019t have imagined while in uniform. He and his staff view success as \u201ctaking care of the boys,\u201d and he hopes the business can serve as an example for other veterans adjusting to civilian life.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After winning <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4583211\/fox-business-rewards-top-small-businesses-america-250\/\">Fox Business\u2019s \u201cMade in America\u201d contest<\/a>, the phone has not stopped ringing for veteran and TGU Home Solutions founder Jared Gay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TGU Home Solutions, a veteran-owned construction firm based in Aberdeen, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-carolina\/\">North Carolina<\/a>, was one of three businesses thrown into the national spotlight through the Fox Business contest, earning $25,000 and a feature on Fox Nation.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4598999\/burt-jones-company-sues-rick-jackson-100-million-early-voting\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Burt Jones\u2019s company sues Rick Jackson for $100 million ahead of early voting<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4590091\/at-82-marilyn-burns-is-still-defining-the-american-small-business-dream\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>At 82, Marilyn Burns is still defining the American small business dream<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4587584\/four-branches-bourbon-wins-fox-competition\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Veteran-founded bourbon brand wins $25,000 Fox Business contest: \u2018Sip to remember\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo hear that you know this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/silver-squeeze-precious-metal-prices-hit-eight-year-high-but-redditors-say-theyre-not-behind-surge\/\" title=\"\u2018Silver Squeeze?\u2019 Precious Metal Prices Hit Eight-Year High, But Redditors Say They\u2019re Not Behind Surge\">small company<\/a> from Aberdeen, North Carolina, can be on a national stage with some pretty healthy companies \u2026 is amazing,\u201d Gay told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cI never thought I\u2019d own a business \u2026 [and] I never thought I\u2019d be here, and on a national stage, and having the boys be spotlighted and get their story out feeds our story as a company.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After serving over 20 years in the Army, Gay decided to do something he never thought he would: start his own business, which he describes as \u201cthe boys.\u201d In 2020, he founded TGU Home Solutions, an acronym for \u201cthe ground up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team of eight at TGU Home Solutions specializes in \u201cbespoke residences,\u201d \u201ccurated speculative homes,\u201d and \u201cdistinguished commercial developments,\u201d according to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tguhomesolutions.com\/\">firm\u2019s website<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I left the military is when I really found out how hard civilian life is and that I had buddies that were struggling as much as I was,\u201d Gay told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. Starting TGU \u201ckind of changed, changed from just me growing a business to me growing friends and family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/small-business\/built-grit-fox-business-crowns-three-made-america-small-business-winners\">Fox Business\u2019s \u201cMade in America\u201d competition<\/a> highlighted small businesses that \u201cembody the American spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-military-service-translates-to-tgu\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Military service translates to TGU<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Military service remains at the heart of everything TGU does. Built by former soldiers, the business is grounded in the same values that guided them through years of service: honor, integrity, accountability, and teamwork.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll of us have Army values \u2026 like all of those things have been burned into us for 20 years,\u201d Gay said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But he also said the military taught them lessons that go beyond values, including maintaining a positive mindset, even in difficult circumstances, personal or professional.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI choose to be positive every day,\u201d Gay said. \u201cA lot of people just don\u2019t choose to be positive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the company started, Gay employed people outside without military backgrounds. But he noticed early on that most civilians lacked the important values ingrained in service members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Gay said he was heartbroken to fire those people, he explained the company would have gone bankrupt had he kept them on staff. Gay went back to his roots, hiring those who shared his values.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll of us went from a killing company to a construction company, and we\u2019re happy to be around each other, and we try to provide that kind of happiness to our clients as well, like just that positivity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees approach projects with the same teamwork, communication, and shared responsibility they relied on during deployments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s just like a military operation, you know, that we\u2019ve conducted in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/iraq\">Iraq<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Afghanistan\/\">Afghanistan<\/a>, just \u2026 nobody\u2019s shooting at us, which makes it a better day,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great day, because nobody\u2019s dying. Even if there\u2019s a problem, it\u2019s not a bad day, it\u2019s not killing anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4563578\/we-sleep-because-they-serve\/\"><strong>MAGAZINE: WE SLEEP BECAUSE THEY SERVE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This shared perspective helped Gay and his team navigate some of the company\u2019s toughest moments and shaped a culture that sets the business apart.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHaving those core principles with communication, honesty, integrity, and I honestly think a lot of that is what sets us apart from other general contractors or home builders,\u201d Gay said. \u201cWe show you every dollar it does when you get your final bill, every single dollar that has been spent, you can see it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After leaving the military, Gay said he struggled to find purpose. But starting TGU helped him find that again by building a community for former service members and showing them there is life after the military.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said that for many veterans, the six-month mark after retiring is when the \u201cweight hits your shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the military teaches retirees lessons on how to manage finances, Gay said the lessons do not include helping them navigate a lost sense of identity or purpose. Through TGU, Gay strives to fill that void.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s my purpose in life is just to be with the boys and make sure that they know, like, no matter what we do, we\u2019re going to do it together, whether it\u2019s good days or bad days,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 It just drives me to be a better human every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo one can beat us, because the team is so strong, and that sense of purpose to have more guys come is really one of the only reasons we\u2019re continuing to grow \u2026 and hopefully by the end of next year we have five more barrel-chested freedom fighters ready to start building sales.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-the-call-with-fox\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The call with Fox<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winning <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fox-news\/\">Fox Business<\/a>\u2018s competition accelerated the business in ways Gay never expected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gay was sitting in his office when he got the call from Fox that \u201ccaught him off guard.\u201d After hearing about the contest from a Fox director, Gay thought there was a catch, asking, \u201cThis sounds amazing, but how much is this going to cost?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The TGU founder heard laughter burst out after asking his question, suddenly realizing he was on speakerphone with a room full of producers. The Fox team eased his concerns, telling him they \u201cgot it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gay would later learn that one of his friends had sent a letter to Fox, nominating his firm for the competition. Prior to this, Gay knew nothing about the contest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s been super cool to be able to put my guys in the company out there in a light that they deserve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simply being among the top 10 finalists generated new leads and attracted clients from outside North Carolina, Gay recalled. After the company was named a winner, demand surged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe phone never stops,\u201d he said. \u201cSix months\u2019 worth of time has probably given us 10 years\u2019 worth of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4525381\/fox-maria-bartiromo-honored-with-prestigious-award\/\"><strong>FOX\u2019S MARIA BARTIROMO HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AWARD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gay described hearing Fox News anchor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Maria-Bartiromo\/\">Maria Bartiromo<\/a> say on national television that she voted for his company as a cool moment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo hear somebody that is \u2026 so knowledgeable and so intertwined into business to be like, \u2018You\u2019re my pick,\u2019 like, that was \u2026 validation [that the] boys were killing it, like, this is awesome,\u201d Gay said. \u201cWe\u2019re a real local builder, we\u2019re not regional, we\u2019re not national. There\u2019s literally eight of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each winner of the \u201cMade in America\u201d contest receives $25,000 and a feature on Fox Nation. The other two winners are <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4590091\/at-82-marilyn-burns-is-still-defining-the-american-small-business-dream\/\">Marilyn\u2019s<\/a> in Lakeside, Ohio, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4587584\/four-branches-bourbon-wins-fox-competition\/\">Four Branches Bourbon<\/a> in Bardstown, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kentucky\/\">Kentucky<\/a>, another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-gives-trump-administration-one-day-to-pay-usaid-bills\/\" title=\"Judge gives Trump administration one ... to pay USAID bills\">veteran-owned small business<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gay said the cash reward will be used to help grow the business, giving each employee a bonus and folding the rest into covering the company\u2019s debt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The money from the contest, in combination with a property TGU is about to sell, will allow the firm to become debt-free, Gay said. Because of this, the $6,000 that would be used to pay off the debt each month can now be \u201cput into the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI can\u2019t give them where I want them, but I can definitely get about halfway there by selling the property and with the Fox money,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Gay, success as a business owner is paying \u201cthe boys\u201d what \u201cthey\u2019re worth.\u201d As of now, every employee, including Gay, earns $25 an hour.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gay said the business is about a year or two away from achieving his idea of success.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo be able to take all this work that\u2019s coming and provide the boys with a life that they could have never dreamed of the day they left the military, I\u2019m successful on that day,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s when I will truly say that I\u2019m a successful business owner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey\u2019ve taken a risk to come hang out with me on my journey and be a part of it, and so if I can give them the life that they deserve, I feel like that\u2019s when I\u2019m successful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4583211\/fox-business-rewards-top-small-businesses-america-250\/\"><strong>MAIN STREET WINS: FOX BUSINESS REWARDS TOP SMALL BUSINESSES FOR AMERICA\u2019S 250TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Almost losing the business six or seven times taught Gay that making mistakes along the way is OK. And while there is not much mentorship in the civilian world, Gay said he hopes this business helps other veterans as they adjust to life after the military.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne of the greatest gifts you can give the world is to plant a tree that you will never sit under the shade of,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After Fox Business\u2019s \u201cMade in America\u201d win, calls keep coming-TGU Home Solutions earned $25,000 and a Fox Nation feature<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3984,"featured_media":2612006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-collage-62qkb1c7a-1780802339722-e1780802443700.jpg?1780923625&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[51500,81018,19522],"class_list":["post-2612005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-business-growth","tag-construction-industry","tag-veteran-owned"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-collage-62qkb1c7a-1780802339722-e1780802443700.jpg?1780923625&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3984"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2612005"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2612009,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2612005\/revisions\/2612009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2612006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2612005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2612005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2612005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}