John & Christine Nichols

Meet John and Christine "Cris" Nichols of Kalamazoo, a two-year client of The Wiser Financial Group and owners of James E. Fulton & Sons, Inc. The excavating contractor business is based in Kalamazoo and has been in business since 1971.

After growing up in the thumb of Michigan, farming and working for his father's construction business, John moved to Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University. While attending school, he began working at James E. Fulton & Sons, Inc., starting as a laborer and operator, moving up to foreman, and, eventually, owning the company.
Cris is a Kalamazoo native who grew up in the construction industry as well.

"My entire family is in the trade business; it's no wonder that I followed suit," she said. "While attending school, I was head-hunted by James E. Fulton & Sons, Inc.'s original owner. I was 20 years old, and, since then, I have had many opportunities for growth here."

One of those opportunities was meeting her future husband. The couple now owns and runs the business jointly.
"Not many couples can work together, but we shine best as a team," Cris said.

"John works on the day-to-day operations; it's a non-stop job juggling the trucks and crews around," she said. "We have a large fleet of trucks that haul locally and out of state. We also have several crews taking care of excavation, underground utilities, and demolition work.

"Sometimes John is in the office estimating. Sometimes he is in the field playing in the dirt. He is always trying to accommodate customers with great service."

"I am the financial controller," Cris said. "I work on the numbers and human resources for the company.”
"There are two key components I take pride in: I want to make sure that our jobs are profitable and our employees are happy."

James E. Fulton and Sons, Inc. is a proud sponsor of Greater Kalamazoo Girls on the Run and a member of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association.

For more information about the company, visit fultonexcavating.com.

As one of southwest Michigan's oldest and largest independent financial services organizations, The Wiser Financial Group is both highly skilled and trusted in the community—often serving families for generations. The professionals at WFG have decades of experience in financial planning. Our team includes Certified Financial Planners® (CFP®), Chartered Life Underwriters (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultants (ChFC), Certified Public Accountants (CPA), attorneys, and financial advisors.