Rising Stars: Meet Jason Harrison

Interview Conducted by VoyageMIA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Harrison.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2007, while attending Florida State University my father started AccuDock with a simple idea in mind to provide floating platforms for doing work on boats. I graduated in 2009 with a Business Real Estate degree, and the timing wasn’t great to start a career in that field, so I was talked into coming to work for AccuDock.

At the time, we were operating out of a 6,000-square-foot warehouse and had 5 employees, but it didn’t take long for me to get hooked on the product and begin my journey in assisting grow the company. The customer base and need for different types of floating dock systems evolved rapidly from the single-work float concept.

I began looking at larger projects for residential, commercial, rowing, etc. applications all while keeping the unique manufacturing process in place where an emphasis is put on quality and structural design integrity. The key component of our success as a company can be attributed to the way we build our floats, and the willingness to be adaptive to custom design requirements.

Our float-building style allows us to vary the depths of floats which got us introduced to the rowing community and their need for a low-to-the-water dock. Quickly we were designing and producing docks across the country in high-visibility locations at major rowing venues – which ultimately led us to secure a contract with the 2016 Olympic Committee to supply the docks for the games in Rio De Janeiro.

Showing our flexibility to adapt to application requests – during Covid, the number of residential projects went through the roof. We were able to mostly side-step any supply chain issues and get projects turned around quickly so people could enjoy their time on the water while ‘WFH’. At the same time, our commercial products have also taken a step forward in the past few years in the development of complete docking systems for 100+ boat slip marinas.

We recently started a new company – AccuSolar – specializing in producing floating solar for utility-scale. Our manufacturing processes and standards easily cross over to focus on a new application, as the country pushes towards renewable energy production. The United States is a few years behind Europe and Asia in this market which has already installed hundreds of Floating Solar Arrays and we are in a great position to assist with the demand for solar in areas where land is not a viable option. Floating solar also has many ancillary benefits such as a reduction in evaporation, and water quality improvement to name a few.

My goal at AccuDock/AccuSolar is to not only build the highest quality dock systems possible but also to build a company based on team values that people are proud to be a part of. I think as a leader it is important to be highly visible and approachable and that proper communication leads to positive results. Although we have accomplished a lot so far as a company, I think we are only scratching the surface!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No! Growing pains are real! We have had to make many changes throughout the years, whether it be design, material suppliers, working relationships, or internal decisions on the best direction moving forward. I am a big believer in making the best decision you can at the time with the information you have available and not looking back or second-guessing yourself. Some decisions turn out to be correct and some don’t. You move forward and hope to learn from all your experiences.

We do an excellent job of keeping employees engaged with benefits and company gatherings, and our retention rate is outstanding – but hiring new employees has always been difficult. Finding employees with positive attitudes who are willing and able to show up on time for work is way harder than I would have thought it should be.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think what separates me from other business owners is my leadership style. Approachability is key for me. I always have time for everyone regardless of the situation or topic at hand. Having employees understand they can talk to me about work or life is important to me to show that I am a person too, and not there to nitpick or dictate their M-F.

I think my respect has been earned through knowledge and understanding of products and business but also handling situations. I am the type of person who is not going to tell you as an employee to do something, but rather explain to you the reason I am asking something to get done a certain way.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Speaking for the tri-county – Obviously, our business is designed around water-based products, so having so many residential properties on water that are all potential clients for us is key. I also like the diversity and different backgrounds that are present in South Florida. I think we have something like 12 different countries represented within our employees and it is cool to see the differences blend together to form a bond and work family.

For more information about our Floating Dock and Gangway products, contact us!