Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
If you've traveled the scenic coastline of Northeast Florida recently, you probably have seen some of the expert craftsmanship of Outback Enterprises. Since 1999, David Plummer and his crew have been building top-quality docks and decks throughout Northeast Florida and South Georgia.
Now, that same quality is coming to our area in a new venture for Plummer, called Outback Fence and Deck. Plummer will bring his commitment to quality to meet all types of fencing needs, including custom privacy fencing and agricultural fencing. Along with fencing and decking, Outback Fence and Deck also specializes in constructing all types of custom complex barns, to simple steel truss pole barns.
Outback Enterprises started out as a small family-run business. "I had a tool belt and a small pickup," said Plummer, whose first dock order came from a surprising source. "The Perry [Florida] phone book advertising department kept pestering me to buy an ad, so I finally did," said Plummer. His first customer from the ad called Plummer about adding a dock to a "small pond." Plummer didn't take the call seriously until the gentleman called back a month later, wondering when he was going to get a bid for the job. "When he told me he had two other bids, I decided I better look into it," said Plummer.
As it turned out, the "little pond" covered about 1,000 acres and needed 500 feet of dock constructed. The gentleman added a lot of requirements to the job that Plummer was not accustomed to. "Don't agree to the job unless you can complete it in 21 days and you can provide references and background checks for all your employees," the man demanded. "Why would you need all that?," asked Plummer. "Well, see that house over there? It belongs to the Vice President," said the man, who worked with the Buckeye Corporation, in Perry.
Plummer was mulling over in his head why the vice president of Buckeye needed all of those extra details before he built the dock. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by some additional information. "That's Dick Cheney's house," said the gentleman. Plummer proceeded with taking the job and getting it done on schedule. Business quickly increased for Plummer, whose company is now a certified building contractor firm with over 22 years of expert service and construction. Outback Enterprises now has over 20 employees.
Though Plummer's business shifted its focus in 2005 to dock construction in coastal areas, the fence and deck division returned to the forefront in the past year. Plummer and his family moved here in 2003 and he has had two different office locations in Madison. When the recession of 2008 slowed everything down, Plummer moved back to his native Ponte Vedra from 2009 through 2014. But, Plummer had grown to love the people and community of Madison and the family returned in 2015, while continuing to operate the construction business in the Ponte Vedra/St. Augustine area.
Plummer is happy to be serving local residents with their fencing, building or deck needs. If you happen to need a dock, he has a long list of satisfied customers for references. Plummer is not afraid to put in the extra hours and effort to be successful. Many years ago, Plummer and his wife, Brandy, were passing out advertising flyers in a neighborhood when Brandy noticed a back yard without a fence. "Hey, David, look out back. They don't have a fence," said Brandy. With that comment, Outback Fence and Deck was born. "Some people think our name has something to do with Australia," said Plummer. Previously, the company was called Dave Plummer Construction. "That name had folks thinking I was a plumber, so I needed a more unique name," said Plummer.
Despite the occasional confusion over his name, the business has continued to thrive, often because of the excellent "word of mouth" advertising that Plummer gets from happy customers. "We are really successful because of the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ, over our lives," said Plummer, who recently shared some of that grace with his hometown of Palm Valley, Fla. After helping a child with their fishing pole at his favorite childhood fishing spot, Plummer decided to build a 40' by 50' dock so that the community would have a safe area to walk and fish. Plummer named the donated dock "Mickler's Warf," as a tribute to his mother's side of the family. The Micklers have always been very supportive of the Palm Valley community.
Besides his business ventures, Plummer is an active supporter of the Madison County community, presently serving as the vice president of the Madison County Youth Football League, which is gearing up for the fall season. The Plummers have three children and one on the way. Plummer's oldest son, Jett, is vice-president and general manager of the Ponte Vedra office. Jadyn is a student at James Madison Preparatory High School and Jase is a student at Madison Creative Arts Academy.
If you need a deck or fencing, look no further than Outback Fence and Deck for quality construction you can trust. Contact them at (850) 948-2003 or (904) 860-4257, or visit their websites: outbackmarineconstruction.com or outbackfenceanddeck.com. To see samples of their work, check out their Facebook fan pages for both divisions so you can keep up with their latest work.