Pete & Co. - Team Introductions
September 6th, 2023 | by Madison Stone
Pete & Co. – Team Introductions
So, you’re probably wondering—who are Pete and Company, anyway?
Since this is our first post, it seems introductions are in order. We do have employee bios on our website if you’d prefer a more clinical view of our team, but for this we thought we’d let everyone speak for themselves. How would they describe their position at Stonewall Homes? What do they like best about their job, or the building process?
Here’s a little glimpse into Pete & Co., the team behind Stonewall Homes’ success.
Pete Jackson - Owner/Builder - 20+ years
Q – How would you describe your job?
Pete – At Stonewall Homes, our work is to help people through the homebuilding process. That process begins with the initial visit and goes through the design of the home, selection of the lot, the estimate and bidding process, and the contract. It continues through all of construction and selecting the different items for the home. After closing, we also provide a one-year warranty.
When our company was small, I more or less handled these different aspects directly, but as we have grown we have hired people to specialize in different aspects of this process. Now I find myself more in a management role. I’m still involved with each of our clients, but I also help our team as they do their work.
Q – What do you like best about what you do?
P – I am so blessed to have work that I really enjoy. I’m always excited to come to work each day. I think my favorite aspect of what I do is that there is a lot of variety. It seems like I’m never doing the same thing, and a lot of times my work takes me out of the office, which I’m happy about.
I also really enjoy being around people, so I like getting to work with people all through the process. Homebuilding is very personal, and I like that.
Q – What’s your favorite part of the building process?
P – I don’t know if there’s any one particular phase that I enjoy more than the others. If I had to pick one, it might be the very early phase where we design the house plan and do all the initial planning. I actually really enjoy all of the trades we work with. Insulation gets a little itchy, and paint is a little stinky, but as long as you can avoid getting in the insulation or smelling the paint for too long, even those phases are good!
Q – What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
P – King Solomon said in Proverbs 2:2, “Make your ear attentive to wisdom; incline your heart to understanding.” I was advised when I was young to start my day out by reading the Bible, and I try to do this every day. One of my mentors in college also urged me to always seek out good counsel and advice, and that has had life-changing consequences for the good.
I also remember advice I received when I was first thinking about real estate in my early twenties. I met a guy who owned a bunch of rental properties in Texas, and I drove down to meet with him. He was the first to recommend that I buy a lot and build a house to see if I liked homebuilding. I took his advice and built my first home!
Tyra Weston - Customer Liaison - 2 years
Q – How would you describe your job?
Tyra – I am the communications gal. I serve as the point person for the customer, and I make sure the customers know when to make selections. I then monitor those selections by making sure they are ordered in a timely manner. Next, I communicate with Jim, the building superintendent, to keep him in the know.
Q – What do you like best about what you do?
T – I love going to the job sites and watching the house take shape at each phase. I find it very interesting. It helps me understand every aspect of the build so I can communicate the progress with the customer.
Q – What’s your favorite part of the building process?
T – I love to see what our customers choose for their home and how it all comes together in the end. It is really satisfying to watch the process and be part of such a happy moment on closing day.
Q – What’s your favorite style of home?
T – I like homes that resemble a “cottage feel.” I love a cozy rock fireplace, a lower ceiling height in certain areas, and little nooks and crannies, like a window seat to read a book or magazine.
Jim Pitt - Superintendent - 3 years
Q – How would you describe your job?
Jim – Project manager: oversee the project build and manage contractors and materials to see it through to completion.
Q – What do you like best about what you do?
J – I am a people person, and I enjoy communicating the clients’ wishes to the contractors so their house ends up being exactly what they expect.
Q – What’s your favorite part of the building process?
J – I enjoy seeing the final result come together at the end of the build. It is admittedly the most stressful part, too.
Q – What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn to do?
J – Welding. I can put metal together and it hold, but it’s not very pretty.
Paul Thomas - CFO - 10 years
Q – How would you describe your job?
Paul – I have the most fun job and the least fun job at the same time. It is the most fun to sit down with clients and help them create their dream home on paper. I love hearing all the fun things and customizations they see for themselves. I also have the least fun job, which is telling people what all of those things cost.
Q – What do you like best about what you do?
P – Helping clients customize a home that is designed for them and the way they want to live their life.
Q – What’s your favorite part of the building process?
P – Seeing the end results of all of our hard work coming together to fulfill the vision the clients have for themselves.
Q – If you won the lottery tomorrow, what’s the first unnecessary purchase you’d make?
P – A golf simulator.