Celebrating 15 Years in Business 2010 - 2025
2010 ~ 2025
15 YEARS IN: HOW MADISON AREA BASED US VET USED MILITARY KNOW-HOW TO BUILD A BUSINESS
January 27, 2025, McFarland, WI - If you congratulate Matt Bell, President of US Vet General Contracting, on building a thriving construction company from the ground up, you’ll quickly be corrected. “It wasn’t me, it was our team”. You wouldn’t call the story of this Madison area construction company an overnight sensation, but rather a modern day telling of the tortoise and the hare. In an industry where low price and quick builds often wins the deal, success can be quick one day and out-of-business the next.
US Vet has methodically grown from three people to one of the largest federal construction contract holders in Wisconsin, with an impressive portfolio of public and private clients. In 2024, they won their largest contract ever. In this toughest of environments with a high fail rate, how did they do it? What was their formula for success?
For the answer we must go back to Matt Bells years in military service. What Non-Commissioned Officers in the military know that civilians may not, is that a successful mission depends on a team of well-selected, well-trained people working in unison who are disciplined, accountable and authorized to solve problems in changing environments. In the execution of the mission, the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. Matt’s strength and experience in team leadership from decades of military service had primed him expertly for this role. US Vet was built on the bedrock of Army values: “It takes a team and tenacity”.
While serving in combat, these principals can mean the difference between life and death. Units must work together with machine-like cohesion to ensure the success of a mission. In the business environment, harnessing that “strength of team” has been the foundation of the US Vet mission.
No shortcuts here, just one foot in front of the other making daily practical, beneficial decisions for client, team and subcontractors, week after week, year after year. When all parties work together and deliver a successful project, the company is going to thrive. Quality of team is the predictor of success.
For Matt Bell, life has been a journey shaped by resilience, hard work and unwavering commitment to service, first to country and then to his customers. The call to serve came early, inspired by a family legacy of military service. Matt felt compelled to join the Army, drawn by the camaraderie and duty to serve. “The Army gave me a chance to grow and develop as a leader by instilling me with the traits and values that have served me on my journey as President.”
Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage are all values that are taught in the military and translate well into business. Clients will seek out and have preference a company that has such values as part of their ethos. Contracts get renewed and customers keep coming back because Matt upholds these values, and his customers know it. In 2025 US Vet is celebrating its 15th year in business and continuing the principals on which it was founded, looking forward to enjoying increasing success for many years to come.
