For my grandsons, here is the story of a career built one foundation, one frame, and one neighborhood at a time. It spans from humble beginnings as a teenage apprentice to leading major residential developments across California. This is more than a résumé—it is a testament to hard work, resilience through recessions, and the deep satisfaction of creating places where families put down roots.
Roots in Craftsmanship: Learning from My Father (1956–1968)
My father was a general contractor who built custom homes and small commercial projects. He learned carpentry from his own father, a successful home builder in Detroit before the Great Depression. During World War II, Dad worked at Douglas Aircraft Company as a wood jig and fixture builder—skills that translated perfectly to postwar construction. By 1946, he held a California contractor’s license. He started with framing contracts and, by 1951, was building and selling his own custom homes.
Dad was a man shaped by the Depression and a strict English upbringing. At 5'4", he approached everything as a competition. He demanded excellence and instilled a powerful work ethic in me. In 1956, as a teenager, I began working for him after school, on weekends, and every summer. He insisted I earn my own money for clothes and school supplies.
When work slowed, he hired me out to subcontractors. I learned plastering, brick masonry, concrete, and advanced framing. One unforgettable summer in 1958, we built a motel using a one-sack cement mixer because ready-mix deliveries from Fresno to Oakhurst were too expensive. I shoveled sand, gravel, and cement all day. That summer I went from a skinny 112-pound sophomore football player to over 150 pounds by the start of my junior year.
I mastered concrete work, rough and finish carpentry, sheet metal, lathing, insulation, and countless other trades. Dad taught me everything needed to become a capable home builder. In 1966, he made me a junior partner. Those years formed the bedrock of my career, and I remain forever grateful.
Entering the Professional Ranks: Kaufman & Broad and Early Lessons (1969–1972)
In 1969, I joined Kaufman & Broad (now KB Home), one of the nation’s largest and most innovative home builders. Founded in 1957 by Eli Broad and Donald Kaufman, the company pioneered large-scale production housing, making quality homes accessible to more families and helping define the postwar suburban boom in California and beyond.
I started as a pick-up carpenter on a completed tract and quickly rose to assistant superintendent. My first major project involved building a three-acre lake, four model homes, a future recreation center, and the initial phase of 34 production homes on land once owned by movie producer Rowland V. Lee.
Under a seasoned superintendent, I learned project scheduling, coordination, inspection, grading, off-site improvements (streets, curbs, utilities), and even lake reconstruction. Soon I was promoted to superintendent on a 130-acre project with its own Hollywood pedigree: previously the Marwyck Ranch of Barbara Stanwyck and Zeppo Marx, later owned by comedian Jack Oakie. The estate connections added a touch of glamour to the daily grind of foundations and framing.
Recessions were a recurring challenge in California homebuilding. The 1970 downturn brought layoffs, leading me briefly to apartment work, then framing mountain cabins in Big Bear Lake with my dad. In 1972, K&B rehired me as Director of Customer Relations. I oversaw quality control and warranty service for about 1,500 homes across five counties, managing a staff of 12 and launching a new inspection program. I learned that standing firm on standards—sometimes dramatically—earned respect and improved outcomes.
Expanding Horizons: Land Planning, Multi-Family, and Leadership Roles (1974–1983)
K&B taught me that advancement often meant changing companies. In 1973, a headhunter recruited me to Larwin, another major California builder active in both single-family and multi-family housing. I managed a troubled 450-unit apartment project that was over a year late and significantly over budget. Subcontractors had walked off, and materials sat exposed to the elements. I rebid contracts, rebuilt teams, and turned it around while also delivering another 400 units, recreation centers, and major off-site work, including highway alterations. Federal tax changes later forced asset sales, but the experience sharpened my development and turnaround skills.
During the mid-1970s recession, I ran my own remodeling business—working days as a tradesman and nights as designer, estimator, and salesman. It provided flexibility to coach my kids’ sports and a steady income.
In 1976, I became Director of Construction for McKeon Construction in the San Fernando Valley. Founded in Sacramento in 1953, McKeon grew into one of the nation’s top 32 homebuilders, known especially for attached housing and fourplex condominiums that still characterize many California neighborhoods. I oversaw 246 attached and 94 detached homes.
Next came California Development, where as General Manager (1978–1983) I built over 75 townhomes, 35 more attached homes, and several large custom residences up to 6,000 square feet. These luxury projects helped weather the 1981 recession. We then consulted on a modular housing venture, “Sequoia Homes,” designing systems, securing approvals, and launching production that sold dozens of units at a single trade show.
In late 1983, I took a Division President role with Carlsberg Construction in Northern California, developing townhomes, tract homes, and entitlements for future phases before the division was sold.
Peak Leadership: Glenfed Development (1984–1992)
In 1984, I joined Glenfed Development, a subsidiary of Glendale Federal Savings Bank, as Senior Purchasing Agent and soon Director of Construction. During a period of rapid growth, I managed teams building nearly 900 planned unit development (PUD) homes, over 400 attached homes, and hundreds of detached homes.
Promoted to Senior Joint Venture Administrator, I negotiated partnerships that delivered hundreds more homes and substantial commercial space. By 1989, I was Senior Vice President and Director of Residential Development. Federal regulations separating banks from development, followed by the early 1990s recession, forced wind-downs. I stayed to complete projects, manage sales and auctions, and reduce staff thoughtfully while still delivering 266 PUD homes, 138 attached, and 233 detached units, plus more entitlements.
Reflections on a Lifetime of Building (1992–2013)
From 1956 to 1992—except for three Army years—I worked continuously in California homebuilding, rising from 14-year-old apprentice to executive managing major portfolios. After 1992, I pursued cowboy folk art (Molesworth-inspired furniture) while doing part-time consulting: expert witness work, land planning, and construction management for homeowners associations, banks, and real estate attorneys.
Post-2008, I briefly worked with foreclosed properties, but the human toll proved too disheartening. In 2013, at 71, I let my B-1 General Contractor’s license expire and retired fully.
Looking back, the greatest joys came not from boardrooms but from the hands-on work—standing back at the end of a day to see a new structure rising, knowing it would shelter families for generations. Through booms and busts, I helped shape California’s landscape, one home at a time. That legacy of craftsmanship, perseverance, and community-building is what I hope you carry forward, grandsons. Build well, work honestly, and take pride in what your hands create.
No comments:
Post a Comment