Dan Buckmaster was barely old enough to drink when he founded Tresca Design, an engineering firm that specializes in design and prototyping.
Three years later and both Buckmaster and his company have matured, expanding into an office in Tri-Main Center with a team of eight and customers that range from local tech firms such as ACV Auctions to national medical transportation firms.
On top of that, Buckmaster recently brought on Dave Schneggenburger as a vice president and minority partner. Schneggenburger will focus on a new division aimed at the supply chain and turn-key manufacturing.
Still just 24 years old, the New Jersey native is firmly dedicated to Buffalo, whose startup community welcomed him with open arms a few years ago and supported him along the way. Buckmaster is part of the University at Buffalo’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Core program this year as well.
This is what he’s learned about building a successful business.
Mistakes are opportunities
After several years of running a service-oriented engineering firm, Buckmaster now knows that mistakes are inevitable. Doing something wrong is less important than how you react to that, he says.
It’s about coming to work with a personal focus on learning.
“I’ve done a good number of things right, but I’ve made twice as many mistakes,” he said. “Focusing on learning from those things and making changes — that’s the only reason I’m able to do what I do.”
Trust your team
Buckmaster said hiring is his biggest privilege as a company leader, even if he’s often bringing in more experienced subject matter experts.
His answer to being a young CEO is to let those people do what they’re good at.
“With a company our size, I don’t just pick you,” he said. “You buy into the vision and the mission. My job is to bring in sales and manage projects. At the end of the day, if you’re micromanaging the smart people, then there’s no real point in having smart people there.”
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Your network is everything
Buckmaster said his CEL course is helping him focus on the essentials of the business, which in Tresca’s case is its service to customers.
He says he couldn’t have taken the company back to New Jersey and had the same success. As he completed UB bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering, he was embraced in a unique way.
“I learned very quickly that the only reason I had an opportunity to start a company was because of the network and community in Buffalo,” he said. “When I started building this company, I would sit down for lunch three to five days a week with anyone who would sit down with me. That’s something I never could have done in New Jersey.”
