“If we make a promise, you can take it to the bank!”. Those were the words of our founder that initially attracted me to the company. It didn’t take long for me to realize how ingrained this mindset is throughout the Couts team. It’s the #1 reason this “employee-owned company” stands strong 47 years later; our customers trust us to do what we say.

I grew up in Cambridge, a small town in southeast Ohio. The competitive spirit was instilled early, playing multiple sports from as early as I can remember through college baseball (my pops being my biggest fan AND critic). Faced with the deafening silence of “pro scout phone calls”, I finished my mechanical engineering degree at Auburn University, and joined the Navy. The long hours, discipline, and accountability experience of serving on a US Navy fast-attack submarine has served me well ever since. And, I could tell you stories, but I’d have to eliminate you.

I will always be thankful for the journey. I gained an appreciation for state-of-the-art processes and tools at a handful of Fortune 500 employers early in my career. The last 15 years has involved a deep dive in teamwork and intimate attention to detail at a few smaller family-owned businesses. I have been blessed to be mentored by, and learn from, some of the very best in the industry.

Family is everything. At Couts, we are a family in the service of others. That includes our employees, partners, clients, and those in the communities where we work. My wife, Cindy, our daughter and I are busy on the weekends at Daybreak Church in Carlsbad, or the beach near our home in Oceanside. I have 3 amazing kids, and 5 grandkids that I enjoy spoiling (sometimes against their parents’ wishes). And to be perfectly candid, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do during the week than work in construction. I see it as the opportunity to create the spaces that “heal”, “educate”, “entertain”, “create”, “research”, and so on…the ultimate service of others. As the President at Couts, my job is to share this passion for our business, and to mentor and coach the next generation of “employee-owners”, so that they become the very best at what they do. My goal is simple; that they enjoy the same success that I found in this industry, largely as a result of the mentoring I received from those before me. Rinse & Repeat.