We are beyond fortunate to enjoy the support and dedication of community partners who embrace the Land Bank’s vision and don’t mind rolling up their sleeves to get the job done. Here we spotlight one of these partners.
John Scott likes to say he’s good at breaking things. As a demolition contractor, he gets a lot of practice.
John’s company, Bladecutters, has been working with the Land Bank since 2012, tearing structures down, cleaning properties up and hauling debris away. But he also does a lot of building up – of people’s lives.
For many years, John has made a practice of hiring people from underserved areas of Dayton. He trains them for a specific job, teaches good work habits, and signs them up for insurance coverage. He’s hired hundreds of individuals over his years in business.
“I’m trying to help people who’ve made mistakes to get on the right track,” he said. “I tell them they always have to be moving forward.”
The bottom line is that John is planting the seeds of progress across the community.
“Sometimes I come back a year after a demo and see someone has put up a fence or planted a garden,” he said. “Getting rid of the blight they’ve been living with can spur people to make improvements on their property. It’s a satisfying feeling.”
