Three years later I became a salesman for United Builders Supply in Westerly, RI. When the owner chose to expand, he asked me to facilitate the construction of two new lumber yards in CT. Post construction, I was the General Manager of UBS Niantic, overseeing a sales, distribution and manufacturing operation that grew to more than 50 employees. I became talented at purchasing product for the entire company, creating and managing efficient operations and leading the employees to ensure all four yards operated effectively.

In 2000 I was recruited by Orvedal Builders to manage their latest construction project, an Active Adult Community in Niantic called Chapman Woods - building 95 individual homes in a wooded 32-acre cluster development. As the Construction Manager for an entire subdivision, I was responsible for scheduling and coordinating the many subcontractors to ensure that each house was built on-time and within budget. I used my purchasing expertise to assure budget accountability. I learned not only how to build a custom home, but which products are best suited to create an effect a client is seeking to achieve.

With 29 years of experience in the building business and after building over 100 homes in the last 6 years, I know there's always more to learn. Every new building project offers a new challenge as we move through the process.

I am a strong believer in continuing education. I am a Certified Graduate Builder (CGB), a Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS) and a Graduate Master Builder (GMB); all are designations earned from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). I serve on the Board of Directors of three organizations, the NAHB, the Home Builders Association of Connecticut (HBACT) and the Builders Association of Eastern Connecticut (BAEC). I am the Immediate Past President of the Builders Association of Eastern Connecticut and the youngest member of the Connecticut Housing Hall of Fame. In January 2006, I was appointed to the NAHB Senior Housing Council board of trustees.

In my precious spare time -- I love to sail, having grown up right here in Mystic, CT. I've had the good fortune of logging some serious distances in Long Island Sound and 'blue water' sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to Mystic and Annapolis to Bermuda. I've raced in the Great Lakes and wherever someone will let me take the helm.

My family makes my life complete. My wife Sandra is a selfemployed small business owner by day and manages the house and kids by night so that I can focus on the business. She has come to accept my love, passion and commitment for the building industry. We have two wonderful boys -- Mason 15 and Jackson 13. We enjoy watching them grow and discover the world. They are very good students and in their spare time they keep active with basketball, karate, soccer and music lessons.

On weekends, the boys often accompany me to job sites. They enjoy policing the site to leave it spotless for our customers and safe for our workers. Who knows, maybe they'll follow me into the business one day. If they do, I can tell you this: they see the effort required to build a quality structure that their dad is proud to associate with our family name. They know the quality that goes into a space our client is delighted to own and put their name on the mailbox. Once the boys have inspected the job, the may scratch their initials in your concrete somewhere. Look closely at all the details. We don't mind. We're proud of every inch.

Andy is a HERS rater and recognized as a Certified Building Analyst by the Building Performance Institute. He is currently working toward completing his degree in Engineering Science. Andy is an accomplished carpenter and knows how to do just about anything when it comes to building. He is a member of the Builders Association of Eastern CT and serves on the Board of Directors and was recently named the BAEC 2011 Builder of the Year. He also serves on the BAEC Membership Committee and is Chairman of the 2011 House of the Year Committee.

Several years later Nort recruited me to work with him on the Chapman Woods project in Niantic. On that project, I learned about production housing. The transition into custom home building has been a great experience.

My commitment to you, our client, is to learn what matters most to you in a home and work closely with you to create that special space where you are comfortable, safe and very happy.

By listening to you throughout your project, I can be a guide on your wonderful journey of discovery and creative expression.

My pursuit of knowledge has taken me from the classrooms of the National Association of Home Builders to the wilderness of North and South America. Although knowledge is valuable, I have found my experiences to be timeless. Having learned there are no shortcuts to success or happiness, I live each day accordingly.

I am a natural-born organizer, scheduler and 'task master' who makes sure that everything we need to build your home from securing permits, compensating subcontractors and having all the paperwork needed at the right time and in the right place is a 'sure thing'.

To describe me in one word, I would say, 'family'.

My husband Ted and I live on a beautiful river that feeds into the Long Island Sound. We like to kayak and enjoy the sunny days on the water. We have two wonderful daughters - Jessica, a mechanical engineer with Raytheon and 'Jack' (Jaclyn) who is pursuing her career in the music industry with Sony BMG. And I'll soon be traveling on a 'family reunion' cruise where we'll be reconnecting with a number of family members from all over the country. We did this ten years ago and it was great!

I am an avid golfer who plays in a local league and, while Anika Sorenson doesn't have to worry about me, I do enjoy being outdoors and the camaraderie of good friends.

My other interests include gardening, listening to music, traveling to anyplace that's warm and sunny (we just returned from Hawaii) and being with my family and friends. I also volunteer at the Garde Art Center in New London, CT in my 'spare' time.

When you are a Mystic River client, I make sure the paperwork aspect of the process goes as smooth and orderly as the construction. You will find that if you build your dream home with us, you can start to relax before you ever move in.

I bring considerable expertise with post and beam building. I have worked in every facet of this industry from designing the frame using an AutoCad program, laying out and cutting the joinery to erecting the completed frames in the field.

My evenings and weekends are spent with my lovely wife Holly and our five children Severa, Ben, Analee, and one year-old twins Addison and Becca. We live in the country in a traditional saltbox built in 1740 where my time is consumed with the ongoing restoration of our home. When we do get away, we love to explore the woods and the shoreline.

After working for my brother for a year in remodeling I soon found myself employed as a laborer for a prominent Decorative Concrete company based in Warwick, RI. I took the job out of necessity but soon found a passion for the work we were doing. I quickly moved up in the company, learning all aspects of the business and found a sense of accomplishment in both the physical nature of stamped concrete and the high quality product we were able to consistently produce. Over the 5 years with the company I became the lead form setter, working with customers to get the exact right shape and size of their aprons or walkways that were both visually pleasing and functional.

Later, I was able to move to Manhattan with my now fiance Jamie and found a job based out of Queens core drilling concrete. I quickly found that nonunion construction was an entirely different world there. I never thought I would find myself on a subway with chisels and drills in my backpack or loaded into a minivan with 5 other guys working all over the boros but the experience was life changing. With that job I was able to see a side of New York most people don’t get to experience. I have been 15 stories high on the Mercedes Benz Manhattan building before any walls or windows were in, I worked underground between floors of department stores in Union Square and got a look into the homes (and parking garages) of the Upper East Sides perminant residences.

When I returned to Rhode Island I began once again working with my brother Andy. Since then my focus has shifted to new construction and finish work. I've worked on many new homes from start to finish and have raised my knowledge and skill level considerably in all areas. I've become self sufficient in areas like roofing, window installs, hanging doors, drywall and deck building but found I personally enjoy the phases after drywall and paint the most. After installing my first custom kitchen and learning how to trim out a house I found the same enjoyment and passion for work I had in the past. I've been fortunate enough to work with some very talented carpenters and learn from their experience. I enjoy how every job is different and presents a new challenge. There is always a new method or trick to learn to save time or make a higher quality product. Since coming to Mystic River Building I've been happy to be a part of a team that shares the same high standard of quality and truly cares about their finish product and costumer satisfaction over all else