Nwagbaraocha a diamond in the rough

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For Ugo Nwagbaraocha, success isn’t measured simply by what you do for yourself; it’s also about what you do for others.

Nwagbaraocha, president of Diamond Discs International, a company that produces diamond-edged cutting tools and other components used in the construction industry, has worked to broaden opportunities for minority contractors since he bought the business in 2007.

It’s a lesson he learned by example from his father, a long-time professor at Milwaukee Area Technical College and founder of various groups that helped young people find their way into a career.

“It’s about more than just making a buck,” Nwagbaraocha said. “There are things that we can all do well for ourselves, but we all have an obligation to do for our community, for our city. How do we plant seeds and make this fertile soil for others to grow and be successful?”

Nwagbaraocha didn’t always see himself working in the construction industry. He had initially wanted to become a lawyer, and pursued a political science degree with a legal emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

After graduating, he had planned to go to law school. But another opportunity nagged at him. Between classes, Nwagbaraocha had worked part-time selling construction tools and discovered an unsuspected talent. With his days at the company numbered, his manager pulled him aside to persuade him to stay full-time. It took several offers before Nwagbaraocha agreed.

Eventually, after years of working in the industry, Nwagbaraocha was recruited to be director of sales at Diamond Discs International, which supplies cutting tools and other parts to the construction industry. In 2007, he was offered a chance to buy the business, and took it.

As the president of Diamond Discs, Nwagbaraocha has presided over an expansion that promises to add as many as 30 employees in the next five years. He has also been involved in groups that aim to increase opportunities for minority-owned businesses, such as the National Association of Minority Contractors of Wisconsin.

“To me the goal of diversity and our initiatives is how we can create platforms for diverse firms to invest in the future,” he said. “The long-term success is what’s most important. To me, that’s how you turn things around.”