In a time when much of what we buy comes from across the ocean and is shipped to our door by Amazon or Wal-mart, Ulrich sheds are still made by hand. Whether in our factory, or built on-site in our client’s backyards, we depend on skilled craftsmen to deliver the quality that we promise to our customers.
Bob Holtman is one of those craftsmen. He builds our sheds in backyards. In fact, now 62, Bob probably has more hands-on construction experience than almost anyone else with Ulrich.
Bob credits his work ethic to summers spent with his grandpa in Florida, working at his grandfather’s hotel. In those early teen years, Bob learned the rhythm of working hard early in the day, and then enjoying some fun after the day’s work was done.
So what’s unique about Bob? One is the steadiness of his career path. He began framing right out of high school. And in all the years since, that’s what Bob has continued to do. How many 62 year old framers do you know? Yeah, I thought so.
Secondly, Bob works alone. Not alone as in “sit in the truck while the young guys put up the building.” No, Bob puts up each Ulrich building with his own two hands, without a helper. Whether it’s moving heavy beams into a backyard, or lifting heavy walls into place, Bob does it himself. He uses a combination of sheer brawn and smart technique to get the work done efficiently on his own. And Bob isn’t limited to small buildings. One of the largest buildings that he built by himself was 22 ft wide and 64 ft long.
Bob has worked as a contractor for other companies in the past, but Ulrich stands out as unique in his mind. With other companies, he’s felt the ups and downs of the construction market. Ulrich’s growth, however, has provided very steady work for him over the last four years. This is great for Bob. With his two boys now on their own, and his wife working as well, this is prime time for building his retirement savings.
Bob can complete small to medium sized sheds in one day. Large sheds and cabin shells may take two or three days. On average, he completes three buildings each week!
Maybe we shouldn’t call him Bob the Builder. We should call him Bob the Incredible.
Thanks Bob for working hard and constructing wonderful buildings for our customers!