History

Being born into a third generation construction family was a very natural evolution into the industry. My father had a successful construction company in the Midwest. My earliest recollections of the building industry came from spending most of my free time with him having the unique opportunity to wander around construction sites while he would go about the  business  of checking on various job sites.

As a boy of 8 years old construction sites offered more intrigue and interest than a boy that age could ever dream of. I got to look out the windows of old tall church steeples that others only saw from the ground. I rode on heavy equipment of every size and type and learned what that strange assortment of levers switches and pedals did. When summer came around and other kids went off to camp I would head off with my dad to North or South Dakota as his business base had expanded from his home state, Minnesota.

Original Woodworking in Boca Raton, FL

In 1970 my father relocated his business to Boca Raton, Florida. By then I was old enough to work in the business during the summer. It was apparent that the apple had not fallen far from the tree, the construction and woodworking industry seemed like the only thing in the world I wanted to do.

In 1973 I graduated Boca High and was accepted to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. The thought of law school was in the back of my mind.  My father’s business was struggling in a new market and it was obvious I was an asset he needed to survive. After some painful deliberation I decided I would continue to work in the construction industry and attend Palm Beach Community as a part time student.

The business began to prosper again and we became a prominent figure in the fast growing South Florida market. Despite my fathers age and the onset of a then little known disease (Alzheimer’s) we undertook the largest project we had ever tackled. Having built several churches in Minnesota, he desperately wanted to build one more for the priest and parish he had been involved with since moving to Florida, The Ascension Catholic church. Although not geared up to handle a project of that size somehow we managed to complete the project on time under budget.

Historical Restoration in Charleston, SC

Not long after my father passed away I married and moved to Charleston South Carolina after hurricane Hugo. I was soon recruited from subcontractor status to Project manager for a large insurance restoration contractor out of Pittsburg that specialized in historical restoration. They secured several of the original churches in downtown Charleston as well as some of the most prominent historical residences in one of the most well preserved cities in the south.

The most challenging and tiring 3 years I have ever spent followed. The rededications of the churches started to take place and historical homes were restored to their grandeur of 200 years early. The accolades of the historical society who had painstakingly watched and approved our every move made the work the most gratifying I have ever been involved with.

I decided it was time to go back to a normal family life. Fate also lent a hand - a hurricane had pulled me away from South Florida, and Hurricane Andrew was influential in our return. After a year doing extensive rebuilding in South Dade County I wanted to reestablish a business closer to home. The type of houses being built in the area made specialization more and more the norm. I had always been hands on to a certain extent and decided to specialize in the custom millwork, trim, and cabinet side of the industry.

Custom Millwork in Lake Norman, NC

DWJINC Custom Millwork was started and my shop quickly grew and expanded to the point where we were not only doing custom work in Palm Beach County, but evolved into another growing market in the Lake Norman Area north of Charlotte North Carolina. A huge boom of 9000 to 12000 square foot homes were dominating the lake shores. Our custom woodworking was immediately accepted as exceptional in the area. A total of 6 homes received libraries, media rooms den/offices and a variety of custom millwork.

However as many other companies have done recently we were forced with the difficult decision to choose one area on which to concentrate our efforts. Having lived and worked in South Florida for most of my adult life the choice was obvious. Leaving the North Carolina market was difficult, as we had met and dealt with some great people and the new client base we had developed greatly appreciated our expertise and I’m sure will enjoy the design, craftsmanship  and distinctive mark we left on there homes.