Dan and Richelle Southerland have faced more than their fair share of challenges in the four years they’ve been together, from a motocross crash involving Richelle’s son to a battle with Covid-19 that kept Dan in the hospital for more than a week.

But, despite it all, the Richland couple say they’re blessed – and they’re stronger for all they’ve gone through. Their struggles have brought them together, deepened their bond and made them appreciate all they have and all they can accomplish together.

One thing they’ve accomplished together is opening their new business, USA Building Solutions LLC. They’re leaning on Dan’s two-plus decades as a general contractor and Richelle’s background in public relations, business, construction and real estate to make it a success.

The new company handles everything from small home repairs, residential renovations and ground-up construction, to civil and commercial construction projects.

The company is licensed, bonded and insured.

“I’m really excited about where this business could go and the people we’re going to meet along the way,” Richelle said, noting they look forward to being involved in the community.

“Don’t hesitate to call. There’s no job too small,” Dan added. “We really are here to help.”

Facing trials

The Southerlands have motocross to thank for bringing them to the Tri-Cities from the west side – they both have sons who race, and they fell in love with the area through their many trips over the years to the Horn Rapids Motorsports Complex.

And they have motocross to thank for bringing them together in the first place. They met at a youth motocross event in Washougal in 2019 and soon began dating.

Not long after, they faced their first challenge as a couple.

Richelle’s son, Ryder, who’s now 18, was badly hurt in a motocross crash. He’s recovered now and is back to racing, but it was a frightening experience and a trying time, Richelle said.

More was to come.

In 2021, Richelle and two of the couple’s sons – they have three total between them, including Dan’s sons Braydon, 24, and Ryder, 12, along with Richelle’s son, who’s also named Ryder – became sick with Covid-19. Richelle, who has multiple sclerosis, was hit particularly hard.

Dan, meanwhile, seemed to escape the virus and did his best to care for the family. He was active and healthy, and he’d been told by a doctor a few months earlier that he had the heart of a 20-year-old. But eventually he became ill as well, and his condition quickly deteriorated.

Dan was admitted to the hospital in Bellevue, spending most of the roughly one-and-a-half weeks he was there in the ICU. Richelle had to watch remotely from an iPad as he struggled.

At one point, Richelle’s father, a veteran firefighter and EMS instructor, warned her that she should prepare for the worst. “He said, ‘Richelle, this isn’t looking good,’ ” she recalled. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through in my life.”

Thankfully, Dan eventually began to improve, and he left the hospital with a new lease on life.

Forging ahead

Within a few weeks of Dan’s discharge from the hospital, the couple were on a plane bound for North Carolina to see the band Alabama in concert. The country artists are favorites of Richelle’s; she remembers dancing with her dad as a little girl to their songs.

Dan wasn’t quite back to 100% after his Covid-19 battle – he was still using oxygen. But he was determined to make the most out of his second chance.

The trip turned out to be life-changing for both of them.

Richelle had sent the band an email when Dan was sick, sharing how much she loved their music and how difficult Dan’s illness had been. She never got a response.

But the band surprised the couple by reading Richelle’s email on stage. And, before the crowd of about 70,000 people, Dan seized the chance to get down on one knee and propose. He’d been thinking of popping the question to Richelle for some time, and the moment felt right.

The couple began planning their wedding.

As they did, another challenge cropped up: Richelle’s father became ill and was hospitalized. Fortunately, he recovered in time to see them wed on New Year’s Eve 2021.

A new opportunity

While Dan ran his own contracting business on the west side for years, he and Richelle are excited about the chance to work together through USA Building Solutions LLC.

The company officially debuted in April.

Dan and Richelle say they’re perfectionists who don’t take shortcuts.

“If we are putting our name on it and our reputation on the line, the work is going to be done right – the first time,” Dan said, noting they’re committed to working with clients on affordable and efficient options and solutions.

Dan has always operated largely on word of mouth and referrals from clients, and he and Richelle said they hope to begin building a similar network in the Tri-Cities. They look forward to giving back, noting they expect to donate some work to the elderly and single moms.

Although it’s been a challenging few years, it’s also been a time of growth, they said.

“I think all the challenges we face make us appreciate everything and makes us stronger. I think you realize what’s important,” Richelle said.

“And that’s family,” Dan said.

Yes, Richelle added, and “we want to be able to make a difference in the community and where we live. That’s really important – to be able to give back.”

Go to: usabuildingsolutions.com.