Directory Category: Portland

RYAN KLOBAS, OWNER

I grew up in the 80s, working in construction with my father. One of my very first jobs was carrying lumber in the cold Oregon winter rain; I remember my boots sinking in the mud while carrying 2x4s for framing. Not just 2x4s but hundreds of 2x4s and 2x6s. Not only was it hard work trudging around in the mud, but I would then climb the 2 flights of stairs and then head back outside to reload. Every 10th trip back outside, I was allowed to take a short break, which meant I would count my trips to help myself deal with the anguish of what was ahead of me.

I hated every…single…minute… of that three-year gofer job. I still have flashbacks of breathing heavily, drenched in rain, wanting to quit with every trip to reload, every hole that needed to be dug, and every crawl space that I had to crawl through to spread insulation.

Fortunately, I don't have to do these integral parts of the job. These days, I focus on creating jobs and implementing subcontractors. Those early days taught me the value of hard work and the importance of quality in craftsmanship in every job that we do.