At 6 years old, Mike Kelleher climbed into dozer operator’s cab. It started a lifelong passion for construction.
Today, Kelleher heads Skyline Contracting, an $8 million to $10 million operation in Grand Junction, Colorado, that he founded in 1987. They are one of Equipment World’s 12 finalists for the 2025 Contractor of the Year award.
The above video highlights the journey he took from installing farm irrigation pipelines to excelling in site development, demolition, commercial excavation and utilities.
“I started out Skyline with one rubber-tired backhoe,” Mike recalls. “We got into municipal pipelines and got some bonding so we could bid that work, and then we’ve just kept growing from there.”
The family legacy continues through Mike’s son, Blake Kelleher, who joined the company at 17 and now serves as foreman and minority owner.
Blake’s construction introduction came even earlier than his father’s – at 6 months old, his father strapped him into a bassinet in an operator’s cab when a much-needed job came up.
“I’ve just been a fan of running equipment my whole life,” Blake says. “That’s just what my passion’s always been.”
“Blake’s probably going to be similar to me,” Mike says. “He’s going to be mostly field oriented.”
“I’ve been fortunate to have a good collection of good people to help teach me the right way to do things,” Mike continues. “That’s been a big part of our success.”
