Eric Hucke, 39

Carpenter / Aleto Construction Group / St. Louis

Coming from a family of tradespeople, identifying carpentry as his path was no surprise for Hucke.

He says he’s not an office person, enjoys working with his hands, and has a mechanical brain.

Carpentry brings Hucke something new every day. Armed with a detail-oriented approach and type A personality, Hucke is known to go the extra mile for clients and never settles for less than perfection.

“I guess I’m picky,” he admits. “The little details are what makes it fun for me.”

Going Above

When a shipment of warped cabinets came in, Hucke had enough.

The disrupted supply chain resulted in consistently low quality cabinets, but this particular project compelled him to correct things right away.

The clients were a husband with Alzheimer’s and a retired teacher, and Hucke spent hours of his own time meticulously reworking the cabinets.

“He loves to get to know our clients on a personal level and takes a deep pride in sharing his knowledge and explaining every detail to them,” wrote his nominator.

Memorable Projects

One of Hucke’s favorite projects was a historic home with a modern edge.

Taking his time and flexing his skills combines his detailed eye and passion.

“Get more people in the trades, it’s fun,” says Hucke.

Business Book Recommendation:

The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling

Ian Martinez, 35

Pro Remodeler · Forty Under 40: Ian Martinez

Lead Carpenter / CRD Design Build / Seattle

Martinez comes from a family of contractors, and always had mechanical aptitude and enjoyed working with his hands. Yet, as he recalls, the negative stereotypes around trade professionals left a mark.

“I remember in school they would say, ‘You’re going to end up being a plumber, one of those fat guys with his butt crack hanging out.’ There was a lot of negative imagery.” Today, Martinez sees that dynamic slowly changing due to the labor shortage, and the pride that many trade professionals take in their work.

Significant Challenge

A recent project involved building a set of open concept stairs weighing nearly 2,000 pounds. “We had 17-foot long, 3 1⁄2 X 10” Glulam beams,” Martinez recalls. The weight posed potential danger to the team, so he acquired a winch and implemented a system of snatch blocks to distribute the load. His approach allowed the carpenters to guide the stairs into place, mitigating risk.

Advice

As a true team player, Martinez advises contractors to remember that, “you don’t need to be the big man on the jobsite. Yes, you’re the plumber, tile, or flooring professional, but it’s also a collective. All of these pieces are coming together to provide a home for somebody, and remembering that can be really helpful.”