I began my journey as a carpenter at thirteen working summers for my father. Under the watchful eye and guidance of my uncle Jake I learned about both construction and life. He taught me not only about millwork and hardware, but also about the value of a good sense of humor on a construction site. It came in handy on days when it could be 15 or 110 degrees. We truly loved what we were doing so it never felt like work to us.

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Through my 20's I worked as a forklift operator and framing/punchout carpenter building apartment houses with my father. When the local economy faltered in the mid 80's, I called the National Chamber of Commerce and asked where unemployment was down and construction was booming. They told me about  Montgomery County Maryland, just north of Washington D. C. It had the highest per capita income in the nation at the time. We moved there in 1987 and I spent the next 13 years contracting framing, trim and cabinetry in Potomac Maryland on luxury homes ranging from 5000 to 28,000 sq. ft.