VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION | BUILT AMERICA MAGAZINE

TRIBUTE EDITION

VOLUME I | EDITION I

on the cover Operation Finally Home

EARTHCRAFT CONSTRUCTION INSIDE THIS ISSUE

CONSTRUCTION CORPS Service , Wisdom, and Homes That Hold Both Building With Honor : Rewriting What Integrity Means in the Trades

Lisa Shimkat of the SBA on Serving the Businesses That Build America

Chief Executive Officer Tamara Bellamy-Breen

Chief Financial Officer William Breen

Executive Publisher Mara Mather

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Director of Operations Scott Carter

Business Development Managers Laura Dobson Mary Ann Taylor

Editor-in-Chief Skyler Grey

Production Manager Bill Gregson

Editorial Outreach Managers Brianna Jordan Darlene Muise Chief Digital Officer (CDO)/Digital Strategy Manager Peter Gibbs

Mara Mather e: editorials@builtamericamagazine.com

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Built America Magazine | South

In this special edition of Built America Magazine, we honor the men and women whose service to this nation did not end when they returned home. These are the Veterans who traded uniforms for tool belts, who now strengthen our communities with the same courage, discipline, and integrity that once protected our freedoms. From California to Idaho, Texas to the Carolinas, this issue brings together veteran builders, leaders, and organizations whose stories define what it means to construct with purpose. Inside these pages, you will meet the veterans and organizations shaping the future of America’s construction industry: Operation Finally Home , whose mission to build mortgage- free and fully accessible homes for wounded warriors stands as one of the most profound acts of service within our field. EarthCraft Construction Design & Build , where service- shaped discipline and generational mentorship come together to form homes that hold legacy in every wall. Construction Corps , Giving young veterans and transitioning servicepeople the skills, structure, and community needed to build a new purpose in civilian life. And many more partners across the West, South and beyond. Whose work reflects the intersection of craftsmanship, patriotism, and resilience.

These stories remind us that the trades are more than a profession—they are a calling. A place where discipline becomes craftsmanship.

Where service becomes leadership.

As you read through this tribute,

I encourage you to reflect on the veterans in your own community. The builders, mentors, and quiet leaders whose influence is shaping the next generation of American construction.

This issue is more than a collection of features.

It is a salute. A thank-you.

And a reminder that the heart of this industry has always been built by those with service, integrity, and grit.

With Great Appreciation, The Editorial Team

INSIDE

COVER FEATURE

OPERATION FINALLY HOME Bringing America’s Wounded Warriors Back to a Place They Can Call Home

BC DIRTWURX LLC

From Fighter Jets to Georgia Clay

46 CONSTRUCTION CORPS

Rebuilding Lives, Redefining an Industry

CONSTRUCTION CORPS

EARTHCRAFT CONSTRUCTION DESIGN & BUILD A Veteran Shaped by Service, A Mentor Shaped by Wisdom, and Homes That Hold Both Their Legacies in Their Walls

VALHALLA DECK & PATIO Where Service, Purpose, and Craftsmanship Converge

92 EAGLE EYE HOME SERVICES

Where Precision Becomes Protection, and Rebuilding Becomes a Promise

CLOSING LINES:

Lisa Shimkat, Associate Administrator of the SBA on Serving the Businesses That Build America 112 SBA BREAKFAST: LBM EXPO SPOTLIGHT

OPERATION FINALLY HOME

122

THE IBS SPECIAL EDITION

Showcasing the must-see exhibitors shaping this year’s IBS experience.

124

DISASTERS & RESILIENT CITIES EXPO Built America Readers Get Free Expo Passes.

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

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06 VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

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OPENING LINES

In this Veterans in Construction Tribute Edition of Built America Magazine, we turn our focus to the men and women whose dedication to this country did not end when their military service did. Today, they build in a different way—through homes, communities, and craftsmanship that continue to strengthen the nation they once defended. This issue honors a remarkable group of veterans and veteran-founded organizations whose impact reaches far beyond job sites. From the life- changing work of Operation Finally Home, to the service-shaped craftsmanship of EarthCraft Construction Design & Build, to the purpose- driven training and mentorship cultivated through Construction Corps, and many more across the country, these leaders remind us what it truly means to build with honor. VETERANS IN CONSTRUCTION TRIBUTE EDITION

S P E C I A L I N T E R E S T

Since 2005, Operation Finally Home has been restoring stability, dignity, and a sense of belonging for America’s wounded, ill, and injured veterans by providing mortgage- free homes, critical home modifications, and transitional housing. What began as a single act of compassion in Texas has grown into one of the nation’s most respected veteran-support organizations, now operating in over 40 states with hundreds of completed projects. Founded by Dan Wallrath and sustained by the building community, Operation Finally Home brings together builders, trades, suppliers, and local partners to create homes designed for veterans’ unique physical and emotional needs. But their mission extends far beyond construction. Each project begins with deeply understanding the veteran’s story, service, and struggles. Their work also responds to an often-overlooked crisis: thousands of veterans live in homes that do not meet their mobility needs. Through critical home modifications, widened doorways, accessible bathrooms, ramps, functional kitchens, Operation Finally Home helps veterans reclaim independence in spaces that once held them back. And as homelessness continues to affect veterans nationwide, the organization is expanding its impact with tiny home villages designed to provide stability, privacy, and a path to long-term housing. Operation Finally Home’s mission is simple but profound: To honor America’s heroes with the safety, stability, and dignity of a home tailored to their needs. Keep reading to learn more about founder Dan Wallrath, whose vision and compassion continue to change lives the most powerful way we know how—one home, one family, one hero at a time.

Page 16-33

Bringing America’s Wounded Warriors Back to a Place They Can Call Home

Written by: Skyler Grey Editor in Chief | Built America Magazine

Dan Wallrath didn’t know that the day he walked into a small Texas home, everything he thought he understood about building would change. He didn’t know that two photographs— one taken before Iraq, one taken after an IED—would sit heavy in his hands, revealing a transformation no blueprint could ever prepare him for.

In the first image, a young soldier stood tall, full of promise.

In the second, he faced a lifetime of profound injuries and mobility challenges. The hospital was ready to release him, but the home waiting for him was impossible to enter. The doorways were too narrow. The halls were too tight. The bathroom offered no access at all. When the soldiers father tried to explain this, his voice broke. In that moment, Dan realized this wasn’t about construction. It was about giving a wounded hero a path back to the life he’d hoped to return to.

Courtesy of Cherisse Salisha Young/Lennar U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Brian Cassidy and wife Tracey Dedication- Dec. 8, 2022 in Inman, South Carolina

“He started tearing up and said he needed to bring his son home,” Dan remembers. “He told me he didn’t know how they were going to pay for it, but he’d find a way.” Dan wasn’t a remodeler. He didn’t have a plan, a nonprofit, or funding. What he did have was a skill set, his faith, a network of builders, and a conviction he couldn’t ignore. “In all the emotion, I got caught up,” he says. “I told him, ‘I know a bunch of good guys. I think we can do this for you. Don’t worry about the money; we’ll take care of it.’” Later, sitting in his truck, reality hit. “I bowed my head and said a little prayer, ‘Lord, what in the world did I get involved in here?’ I had just signed up for a major renovation.”

He did it anyway.

“We’d see a need, and as builders, the easiest thing we could do was build homes.” He brought the story back to his local builders’ association, and the trades rallied around the family. Together, they transformed that house into a place where a wounded soldier could return with dignity. “That had a big impact on our group,” Dan says. “From there, we started to build our first home. And it just grew.”

Homes That Restore Independence Providing mortgage-free, custom-built homes and life-changing modifications for wounded veterans and their families. Powered by America’s Builders Powered by the nations construction community. Hope Made Tangible Stability, dignity, and a foundation for veterans to rebuild their lives.

— Dan Wallrath | Founder Operation Finally Home

That first yes became the seed of Operation Finally Home— a simple act of compassion that grew into one of the nation’s leading organizations dedicated to giving America’s heroes what they deserve most: a safe, stable place to call home.

In the beginning, Operation Finally Home didn't even have its iconic name.

“We started out calling ourselves the Bay Area Builders Association Support Our Troops,” Dan explains. “We weren’t even a 501(c)(3). We’d see a need, and as builders, the easiest thing we could do was build homes.”

They built one. Then another. Then another .

“I just felt like we needed to do one more,” he says. “We did four or five in a row before we were even an official nonprofit.” The turning point came when the team emailed the National Association of Home Builders asking if they could have a small booth at the International Builders’ Show. “We got an email back that said, ‘Hey, we’ve been hearing about what you guys are doing. We’d love for y’all to come out and be part of our opening ceremony. And we’re going to give you a booth.’” The response was overwhelming. “That’s when I knew this was bigger than us,” Dan says. “We realized we needed a new name if we were going to take this across the nation. That’s when we became Operation Finally Home.”

18 VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

From One Family to Forty States

Today, the numbers tell the story:

• Operating in 40 states • Over 250 mortgage-free new homes • More than 260 home modifications • A growing program providing tiny homes for homeless veterans “For the last 20 years, on average, we’ve delivered a brand-new mortgage-free home once a month,” Dan says. “Every month.”

Courtesy of Ashton Woods U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Nathan Rodriguez and family, Notes of Love, April 8, 2021, Melissa, Texas. Operation Finally Home, Ashton Woods and MA Partners

“You just don’t realize how much of an impact you can make just by doing what you do each and every day.”

Operation Finally Home doesn’t just offer shelter. It offers stability and sometimes, a complete life reset. Dan often returns to the story of a young Green Beret who was severely wounded in combat and returned home with nowhere stable to go. “Operation Finally Home built him a mortgage-free home,” Dan says. “And it inspired him. He went back to school, got a full ride, graduated with honors, worked on Wall Street, and eventually moved into senior leadership at a major bank.” 20 VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

The Power of a Home

Dan never pretends that a home fixes everything. But he knows it can change the trajectory of a life.

“That’s what I tell builders,” he says. “You just don’t realize how much of an impact you can make just by doing what you do each and every day.” But Dan is equally honest about the reality that not every story ends in triumph. Some wounds reach far deeper than a home can heal. He recalls another young veteran they had helped—a husband and father of six, who lost both legs after the armored vehicle he was riding in hit an IED and erupted into flames. Operation Finally Home built him a two-story, fully accessible home with an elevator so he could move freely and live safely with his family.

Courtesy of Ashton Woods U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Nathan Rodriguez and family, Groundbreaking, Dec. 9, 2021, Melissa, Texas Operation Finally Home, Ashton Woods and MA Partners

Courtesy of Fox Fuel Country music entertainer, award-winning TV host, Army veteran and Operation Finally Home Ambassador Craig Morgan (third from left) with Operation Finally Home recipients at the Operation Finally Home’s 20 anniversary celebration Oct. 8, 2025 in League City, Texas th h Carolina

Courtesy of Operation Finally Home

DAN WALLRATH | FOUNDER

Goodgame Photography/Stephen Goodgame U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Third Class Luisa Velez and son Dedication, July 26, 2022, Irving, Texas,– OFH’s 200 Home th Operation Finally Home, Dallas Builders Association, Winston Custom Home, the City of Irving and NEC Corporation

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

He was just a great young man,” Dan says quietly. “He went with me to events, spoke to builders, helped raise awareness. He was always willing to share his story.” But the trauma he carried never loosened its grip. Despite the support, the home, and the community surrounding him, he ultimately lost his battle with the invisible wounds of war. “It was devastating,” Dan says. “It’s a reminder that builders can provide a home—but some battles continue long after the keys are handed over.” He shares this story not to darken the work, but to illuminate its urgency. For many veterans, a safe and accessible home is not just shelter—it is one of the few steady foundations in a life forever changed by service. These stories stay with Dan. The victories and the losses. They are the quiet weight he carries, the reason he refuses to let this mission slow down. Every home, every ramp, every widened doorway is an act of defiance against the darkness so many veterans face. These homes are so much more than a house. They provide the moment a family moves from surviving to rebuilding—when children hang pictures on walls instead of living out of suitcases, and spouses shift from crisis to healing.

Courtesy of Fox Fuel U.S. Army Sergeant Ethan LaBerge and family Notes of Love, May 11, 2021 – Mt. Juliet, Tennessee Operation Finally Home, Beazer Homes, Ashlar Development and Nichols Vale

Courtesy of Paul Mobley

Courtesy of OFH/Bridgett Reid U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Nathan Tomshack groundbreaking – July 18, 2024, Fresno, Calif. Operation Finally Home, Lennar and Beyond the Barracks

“Operation Finally Home is about far more than bricks and mortar. It creates stability where there has been

uncertainty. It gives families a foundation again.” 25

“Operation Finally Home is about far more than bricks and mortar,” Dan says. “It creates stability where there has been uncertainty. It gives families a foundation again.” While many organizations must raise the full cost before building, Operation Finally Home operates differently. “Our program starts with willing builders,” Dan explains. “Once a builder raises his hand, we go out and find the veteran family who needs it most.” Their signature Town Hall Meeting brings the community into the mission from the beginning. Builders gather suppliers, subcontractors, bankers, and partners as the family’s story is presented. Labor and materials are pledged on the spot. “We try to garner at least two- thirds of the support from the builder and their network,” Dan says. “Then we raise the rest.” Then comes the surprise reveal—the moment that never gets old. “We’ve surprised families at NFL games, NBA games, churches, concerts… that moment is something special.”

A Build Process Rooted in Community

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Courtesy of Cherisse Salisha Young/Lennar U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Brian Cassidy and wife Tracey Dedication- Dec. 8, 2022 in Inman, South Carolina

The build includes a groundbreaking ceremony and one of the organization’s most emotional traditions: Notes of Love. “We invite the community to write notes of encouragement on the studs before the walls go up,” Dan says. “Often scriptures, often messages from little kids.” By the time the home is complete, something else usually happens— something not listed in the budget. Most homes end up fully furnished. “Furniture stores donate. Grocery stores fill the pantry. People bring dishes, towels, even Q-tips,” Dan says. “It’s amazing to see a community come together around one family.”

“I hope our legacy is one of lasting faith, gratitude, and tangible action. If we can inspire others to turn appreciation into action, then we will have fulfilled our calling” 27

The Hidden Crisis: Veterans in Homes They Can’t Use

While mortgage-free homes remain central to the mission, the needs of America’s veterans are evolving. “So many of the homes they live in weren’t built for wheelchairs or limited mobility,” Dan explains. “There are veterans who can’t even get into their front door. Some have to crawl into their own bathrooms. It shouldn’t be that way.” One project manager told him about a Vietnam veteran whose grandson cut the front off the bathtub with a Sawzall so he could step into it. “It sounds unbelievable,” Dan says, “but they had no other choice.” That’s why Operation Finally Home has set a goal to complete 100 projects in 2026 through new builds, home modifications, and transitional tiny homes. “This is something our builder community can really step up and help with,” Dan says. “Building a ramp, widening a door, this is what we do. And it makes a world of difference.”

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Final Beam “If you know a veteran struggling with their home, let us know,” Dan says. “If you’re a builder, supplier, or sponsor, we can plug you into a project. That’s what we do every day.” Operation Finally Home doesn’t grow through advertising. It grows because the building industry is generous—because word spreads, because people step forward. “We’ve picked up so many partners through the International Builders’ Show,” Dan notes. “The more the word gets out, the more families we can help.” How to Join the Mission From Words to Action Dan speaks about legacy in practical terms. “I hope our legacy is one of lasting faith, gratitude, and tangible action,” he says. For veterans and first responders, that means stability, dignity, and the reassurance that their sacrifice was seen and valued. For the nation, it means redefining “thank you for your service” into something real. “If we can inspire others to turn appreciation into action, then we will have fulfilled our calling,” Dan says. His message to builders remains simple: “Don’t minimize what you do. A small act—building a ramp, modifying a bathroom—can change the rest of a veteran’s life.”

Courtesy of Operation Finally Home

Closing Call to the Industry

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION 30

Carlton Family – Courtesy of H-E-B U.S. Army CW2 Daniel Carlton and family, Dedication, June 9, 2017, New Braunfels, Texas Operation Finally Home and H-E-B Tournament of Champions

Hearing Dan, you can’t help but absorb the weight of his message.

How one small act can ripple into something far beyond the build itself. It invites our industry to consider a simple but important question : 31

If we build the neighborhoods, skylines, and communities of this country, shouldn’t we also help rebuild the lives of the men and women who protect it? Because when we offer a hero a safe place to rest, we are not just building homes. We are honoring sacrifice, restoring dignity, and shaping the America they helped defend. .

Become Part of the Mission Your skills can change a veteran’s life .

Operation Finally Home partners with builders, suppliers, and trades across the country to deliver mortgage-free homes and life-changing modifications. Join the mission. Visit OperationFinallyHome.org to learn more. .

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION 32

Courtesy of Operation Finally Home

Built America Magazine

Courtesy of OFH/Bridgett Reid U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Nathan Tomshack and family surprise – July 18, 2024, Fresno, Calif. Operation Finally Home, Lennar and Beyond the Barracks

Looking for a Meaningful Way to Give Back? Here’s How Builders Like You Can Change a Veteran’s Life Forever Bring Hope Home to America’s Veterans. Those who serve our nation often come home carrying injuries seen and unseen. For many, the house waiting for them is no longer one they can safely live in. Narrow doorways. Inaccessible bathrooms. Daily barriers most of us never notice. Operation Finally Home partners with builders, trades, and suppliers across the country to give these heroes what they’ve earned: a safe, accessible, mortgage-free home — and a chance to rebuild their lives with dignity. Your craftsmanship becomes their freedom. Your generosity becomes their stability. Your skills become their second chance. Honor their service by building the one thing every hero deserves — a place to finally come home.

Become a Partner Today Visit operationfinallyhome.org/donate Questions? Call (512) 329-2661 Or Scan the QR Code

From Fighter Jets to Georgia Clay From Fighter Jets to Georgia

Long before Robert “Bobby” Coleman founded BC Dirtwurx, long before he signed off aircraft as airworthy for the United States Air Force, he was a boy sitting in the driver’s seat of an eighteen- wheeler he was far too young to operate. “My mama was five-one and a truck driver,” he says. “I was ten years old driving down the road. I wasn’t supposed to, but she let me drive anyhow.” She fed him in the steering wheel. She taught him gears before she taught him anything else. She made him guess the name of every country song before the first lyric hit. He can’t ask her about any of those moments now. But this year, when he bought his first 18-wheeler, the memory felt close. “Buying that truck really makes me think of her and all the times we had on the road,” he says. That mix of grit, heart, and responsibility carries straight into the company he runs today. BC Dirtwurx did not begin with investors or grand plans. It began with an old tractor Coleman bought while still serving. “I started doing tractor work with a 1950s Alice Chalmers tricycle tractor. Some people call them death traps,” he says. “We worked four tens, so I was off most Mondays. I’d do driveways and bush hogging for people.” The work snowballed. Small jobs turned into grading jobs, and grading turned into excavation. In 2018, he made it official: BC Dirtwurx was born.

“They found cysts in my kidneys. In 2017, the doctor was going to medically separate me,” he says. “I was already doing tractor work at the time, so I went full-fledged into the business.” Medication stabilized his health. He stayed in uniform long enough to retire. And the business kept growing.

Coleman spent over 22 years in the Air Force, much of it maintaining aircraft where mistakes could cost lives. “In the military, working on airplanes, it’s all about attention to detail,” he says. “You’re responsible for people’s lives. I bring that into my business. Sometimes I feel like I’m OCD on job sites and it’s got to be just right.”

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Built America Magazine

“We fix a lot of water issues. Either tearing concrete up and redoing it or installing drainage,” he says. “We make sure the water is flowing like it needs to. That attention to detail matters.” Sometimes that means costing himself a bid. “Some material I use is more expensive,” he says. “Some clients won’t pick me because of that. But I’ve fixed the cheaper stuff so many times that I’d rather do it right.”

BC Dirtwurx is a three-person operation, and Coleman plans to keep it that way. “I’ve been asked to do bigger commercial site work, but to do that I’d need more equipment and more employees,” he says. “I spent almost 22 years in the Air Force. I don’t want to do that anymore.”

That mindset is the backbone of BC Dirtwurx.

The company specializes in grading, site prep, drainage, demolition, concrete flatwork, and full residential pads. Coleman approaches each project like he once approached an aircraft: no shortcuts and no excuses.

His favorite work?

The kind that shows the whole transformation. “We’ll clear a lot, prep the foundation, come back after the house is up, finish the grading, pour the driveway,” he says. “Seeing the final product is rewarding. You’re taking somebody’s dream and making it come true.”

ROBERT COLEMAN | OWNER

Drainage is another part of the job where his precision shows.

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Built America Magazine

Being small allows Coleman to stay hands- on, present, and in control of quality. It also allows him to build real relationships with builders, GCs, and trade partners. “We’ve got great relationships,” he says. “A buddy will call and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a situation and a storm coming in.’ A select few of us will change our schedule around to help each other out.” He would love to employ more veterans, but he refuses to sugarcoat the financial realities of small contracting. “The money in residential isn’t always there to pay what a veteran deserves,” he says. “So our crew tends to stay younger.”

Still, the values he learned in uniform shape the culture of his company.

“As a business owner, you’re doing what I used to do as a first sergeant,” he says.

“You watch for changes in behavior. You teach the right way. You keep the culture strong. Do the job right, ask questions, and if something feels like it’s about to break, stop.” “Seeing the final product is rewarding. You’re taking somebody’s dream and making it come true.”

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Built America Magazine

he says. “Once you build the culture in your business, they will care. It just takes time.”

Coleman is frank about the ups and downs of running a small earthwork company. “You’ve got to be prepared not to receive a check sometimes,” he says. “Business bills come first. With equipment, things break, and some things break big.” He smiles when he says it, but it’s a hard-earned truth. “Life is like a roller coaster,” he says. “Businesses too. You’re going to have good months and bad months.” Even so, he encourages veterans to take the leap. “Do it,” he says. “The hardest part is starting. Just jump off and do it.” He knows the transition from military to civilian work is not always smooth. “It’s learning that civilians don’t have the same care factor you have, and that’s OK,”

Ask Coleman how he wants BC Dirtwurx to be remembered and he doesn’t mention scale, revenue, or market share.

He tells a story instead.

“A gentleman called me today,” he says. “I did something small for him four years ago at a pond while my equipment was there. I didn’t remember it. But he did.” The man told him the project still looked beautiful. He called to say thank you. And to hire Coleman again. “It’s making sure you do the job the best you can,” Coleman says. “So they refer you out or call you again.” For him, that is the measure that matters.

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Built America Magazine

“We won’t sacrifice the quality of the product or the experience for our clients,”

“She told me, ‘They don’t take people like you,’” he says. “I proved her wrong.”

Next week, Coleman will watch his son graduate from Army basic training. He laughs when he talks about the branch choice. “I’m not going to hold it against him he went Army,” he says. “Since I’m Air Force. He’s the fourth generation of our family to serve.” Service shaped Coleman from the ground up. So did faith. Through every setback, every hard season, he talks about being grateful to God for carrying him farther than he ever imagined. It grounded him through a hard childhood. It gave him purpose when others underestimated him.

He remembers the man who introduced him to tractors when he was young. He remembers the SR-71 stories, the spark that first made him want to serve. And he remembers every mile in that truck with his mama. Construction is his second life. But service built the first. “In the military, working on airplanes, it’s all about attention to detail, you’re responsible for people’s lives. I bring that into my business. Sometimes I feel like I’m OCD on job sites and it’s got to be just right.”

He still remembers a guidance counselor telling him he wasn’t Air Force material.

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Built America Magazine

And both identities live inside BC Dirtwurx

Your project deserves a foundation built by people who take your trust seriously.

“Do it right,” he says. “Take care of people.”

Contact BC DirtWurx to get started with a team committed to doing the job right the first time.

If there is a quiet definition of veterans in construction, working far from the spotlight, BC Dirtwurx is living it in the Georgia clay. And somewhere, on a long straight road in his mind, a five-foot-one truck driver would be proud of the way her boy turned out.

Visit: www.bcdirtwurx.com

Written by: Skyler Grey Editor in Chief | Built America Magazine

“As a business owner, you’re doing what I used to do as a first sergeant. You watch for changes in behavior. You teach the right way. You keep the culture strong. Do the job right, ask questions, and if something feels like it’s about to break, stop.”

Rebuilding Lives, Redefining an Industry

Written by: Skyler Grey Editor in Chief | Built America Magazine

When Matthew Thompson stepped off the plane after 13 months in Iraq, he didn’t return to a life that looked anything like the one he left.

The war had changed everything.

Not only for the soldiers who served, but for the communities they came home to. Some returned to families. Others returned to silence. Many returned to questions about purpose, direction, and identity.

“The military teaches you a different kind of education. Structure. Accountability. Performing under pressure. You learn quickly that every job matters.”

— Matt Thompson | Owner Construction Corps

Thompson returned with all of that, and with something else: a conviction that structure, accountability, and team cohesion shouldn’t disappear when a uniform is hung up.

“The military teaches you a different kind of education,” he says. “Structure. Accountability. Performing under pressure. And that the weakest person can mess up everything if they’re not supported. You learn quickly that every job matters.” That mindset, forged in real conflict, sharpened by personal loss, and strengthened by a sense of duty, would later become the foundation of Construction Corps, the veteran-owned, family-run design-build firm redefining how construction can and should operate.

—

But to understand the company, you first have to understand the man.

Thompson doesn’t often lead with his military story. He doesn’t need to. It’s in the way he communicates, the way he leads, the way he talks about people. But his experience is not small. One of his closest friends in Iraq became entangled in a murder case. A tragedy that would later become the basis for a Hollywood film. Thompson served as a technical advisor, and in The Hurt Locker, the character “Sergeant Matt Thompson” carries his name. Behind that unusual footnote lies a more human truth: coming home is its own kind of war. “When veterans get out, they lose the team, the structure, the purpose,” says Serena Lorien, Matt’s wife and the vice president of Construction Corps. “A lot of them don’t know what to do with that loss.”

Construction Corps, in many ways, is Thompson’s answer.

It’s a company built to restore purpose, recreate structure, and provide a new kind of unit. One where accountability and camaraderie still mean something, and where every member knows their work matters.

A Return to Civilian Life, and the Weight That Came With It

48 VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

CEO | Construction Corps Matt Thompson

“It’s not about the money, It’s about integrity. The money follows when you do things right.” 49

Thompson grew up in construction. His father was a contractor; the job sites were his classrooms. He learned every skill the long, hard way. By doing it with his own hands.

I don’t ask anybody to do anything I haven’t done myself,” he says. “That matters. It creates compassion. You know how hard the work really is.”

50 VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

His leadership today is shaped by those early years. From pouring concrete in the sun, hanging doors, to tearing out old framing, essentially building from the literal ground up. Serena adds, “People feel valued here because they know they’re part of something. Not just a company, a purpose.” That philosophy would become the backbone of their multi-state operation. From California to Florida, and eventually the reason their crews stay with them 15, 16, even 17 years. An almost unheard-of retention rate in modern construction. A Company That Shows Up When It Matters Most If you want to understand Construction Corps, don’t look at their licenses — though they hold nearly all of them. Don’t look at their custom-built software system, or their 21 in-house trades, or the fact that other licensed contractors leave their own companies to join theirs. Look at what they did after the hurricanes. “People were getting taken advantage of left and right,” Serena says. “We couldn’t not step in.” They didn’t just help. They gave.

From the Trades Up: A Heritage of Craftsmanship

Vice President | Construction Corps Serena Lorien

“People feel valued here because they know they’re part of something. Not just a company, a purpose”

52 VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Demolition, remediation, and selective construction work provided at no cost across four homes. Each tailored to what the homeowner needed at the time. $10,000–$15,000 worth of equipment loaned out to support recovery efforts. Families who burst into tears, not because someone finished a job, but because someone finally showed up to do the right thing. “It’s not about the money,” Matt says. “It’s about integrity. The money follows when you do things right.”

It’s not charity. It’s identity .

Construction Corps functions with a philosophy that sounds simple but is incredibly rare: A Culture with No Ego and No Exceptions

No ego. No disrespect. No exceptions.

They treat their vendors, suppliers, and apprentices like people with value. They end every conversation with “thank you,” even the difficult ones. They pick up after themselves, clean job sites meticulously… and let go of people who don’t. “We’ll literally let someone go for not returning a shopping cart in one of our shirts,” Matt says.

“Not because it’s about the cart. It’s about who you are when no one’s looking.”

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Quality, Technology, and the 40-Eyes Rule Construction Corps runs its operations through a custom software system — adapted, expanded, and rebuilt to match the way they work.

Daily photos. Videos. Blueprints. Chat channels. Inspections. Logs . Full transparency .

Every project becomes a living, real-time report card.

Every team member can see every detail. “We have 40 sets of eyes on the pictures,” Matt says. “Someone always catches something. And if there’s a mistake, we fix it immediately.” It’s accountability, but it’s also community. It’s the reason their teams sing on job sites. “They want to come to work,” Serena says. “They feel this is their company.

56 VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

The Future They’re Building and the Legacy They Want to Leave

Construction Corps is expanding across Florida, preparing new divisions, and closing in on the final licenses they don’t yet hold: roofing and HVAC. But growth is not the goal. “Growing smart is the goal,” Matt says. “Keeping the quality, the communication, the accountability.” The long- term vision is ambitious:

• Full in-house divisions for every trade • Statewide design and engineering services • Multi-region build teams • A model of how veteran-owned companies can operate with integrity

They hire veterans not out of symbolism but because they understand what veterans need: structure, pride, a team, direction. 57

What They Hope the World Remembers

“A lot of veterans aren’t sure who to talk to when they get out,” Matt says. “But they can talk to me. I’ve been there.” Serena describes the feeling she sees on job sites: “They get purpose back. They get camaraderie back. They get pride back.” When asked about legacy, Matt doesn’t talk about scale or revenue. He talks about people. “A legacy of ethics, craftsmanship, and accountability,” he says. “That you can do the right thing and still succeed.” And then, softer: “We want the people we work with to feel like it wasn’t just a transaction. We want friendships. We want to know we made a difference.” Serena echoes the sentiment. “A lot of our clients buy lunch for the whole company or give gifts to the crews. People feel connected to us. You can’t fake that.”

In an industry plagued by shortcuts, egos, and corner-cutting, Construction Corps is doing something quietly radical: They’re proving that doing the right thing doesn’t slow you down, it sets you apart.

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

To the veterans they hire and the families they’ve stood beside, that difference goes far beyond construction.

It is the rare sense that someone is finally in your corner.

Construction Corps builds with the same discipline and honor that carried them through war — and every home they touch carries the weight of that promise.

Some companies build structures. Veterans build trust.

And Construction Corps is building a legacy strong enough for America to stand on.

Contact their team today and experience what it means to work with builders who put people first. To learn more or view their services, visit their website at www.constructioncorps.com Whether you're rebuilding, renovating, or starting from the ground up, Construction Corps brings honesty, precision, and care to every home they touch.

A Veteran Shaped by Service, A Mentor Shaped by Wisdom, and Homes That Hold Both Their Legacies in Their Walls

SQUAW BUTTE STRAW BALE PROJECT

62 JON CLARK & RON HIXSON VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Built America Magazine

Every builder can point to a moment when the path shifts.

When the familiar life they’ve been living stops feeling like the one they’re meant for. For Jon Clark, that moment came in South Louisiana, surrounded by the hum of an oil economy that couldn’t quiet the pull toward something more grounded. He wanted work he could hold in his hands. Work that mattered. Work shaped by land and light rather than pipelines and refineries. “I found Ron because he had the absolute worst website,” Jon says with a grin. “For an old-timer, usually the crappier your website, the better builder you are, and that was really when I knew I’d found the right builder.” The builder behind that terrible website was Mark LaRon “Ron” Hixson. An early pioneer of design-build in Idaho, and the man who would later shape Jon’s life, his career, and the soul of EarthCraft Construction Design Build. A Promise Made in Straw and Sunlight Long before Jon arrived, Ron had already been building custom homes in Idaho for decades.

“PEOPLE SAY IT’S BUSINESS, NOT PERSONAL. FOR ME, IT IS PERSONAL. THESE ARE HOMES WHERE FAMILIES WILL GROW. THAT’S SACRED TO ME.”

—Jon Clark | Owner

He was one of the early design- builders in the region, merging architectural design and construction long before it was trendy. Then in the mid-2000s, after the housing crash, a client walked in with a request that would change everything:

Had he ever built a straw bale home?

“After that job, he kept going,” Jon says. “He made it a promise to his granddaughter—to leave the world better than he found it.” From that promise, Mark LaRon Hixson Design Build became EarthCraft Construction Design Build, a company rooted in building science, ecological responsibility, and the simple belief that homes should make people’s lives fundamentally healthier.

JON CLARK | OWNER

“He told them he hadn’t,” Jon says, “but then he looked at his bank account and decided to take the job.” What began as necessity became purpose. As Ron shaped that first straw bale wall, something in him shifted. He realized the structure itself held a deeper integrity—one aligned with the kind of future he wanted for his new granddaughter. 64

Evolution Through Craft, Simplicity, and Incremental Brilliance

“We’ve stayed pretty true to straw bale,” Jon says. “The techniques have just gotten better and better.” Early in his career, Jon received advice that became a quiet mantra:

“Every build you do, make one improvement. Over time, that becomes exponential.”

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Built America Magazine

“You can spend a lot of money fighting the land, or you can work with it and spend less. Brilliance in the basics is what we strive for.”

EarthCraft embraced that fully. Each project is a meticulous refinement of the last—an evolution of air flow, moisture control, panelization systems, and passive design that elevates the comfort and resilience of every home they touch. These homes are deeply custom. No two structures are ever alike. “People don’t always know what custom means,” Jon says. “We are as custom as custom gets. Every single thing is tailored to the client’s criteria and the land’s criteria.”

EarthCraft listens deeply, first to the client, then to the land.

“You can spend a lot of money fighting the land, or you can work with it and spend less,” he says. “Brilliance in the basics is what we strive for.”

The Strength of Straw

In the military, there is an acronym Jon loves: KISS — keep it simple, stupid.

BIG SKY HOUSE | DANSKIN RANGE PROJECT

And in many ways, that philosophy shapes EarthCraft’s approach: Deeply complex design guided by uncompromising simplicity. EarthCraft’s service area spans Idaho and every state touching it, with projects or consulting in Oregon, Utah, Arizona, and new opportunities in Texas. Their builds range from 500-square-foot ADUs to 7,000-square-foot custom residences. Contrary to common assumption, straw bale construction is not limited. “You can build small, you can build big, you can go multi-story, multifamily, even commercial,” Jon says. “Straw bale has a two-hour fire rating. It handles moisture and vapor drive three times better than standard walls. It just works.” Today, the project that best represents EarthCraft is a 2,500-square-foot custom straw bale home with 1,000 square feet of outdoor living, built from raw land to finished dwelling.

SQUAW BUTTE STRAW BALE PROJECT

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Built America Magazine

“It’s the embodiment of what we do,” Jon says. “Green thought, green design, green building. But simple. Natural convection, airflow, heat banks, healthy indoor air, passive stabilization of temperature and humidity. You don’t have to use straw bales, but they do so many things at once it becomes a no-brainer.” A Veteran’s Path Into the Trades Like many veterans, Jon’s path into adulthood started with a choice to serve. “I was a young punk who needed straightening out,” he says. “I got that. I suggest it to any young person.” When he left the military, his skillset didn’t directly translate into civilian life—at least not on paper.

“I knew I wanted to do something tangible. Something I could see and touch at the end of the day.”

SQUAW BUTTE STRAW BALE PROJECT

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Built America Magazine

BIG SKY HOUSE | DANSKIN RANGE PROJECT

“But I knew I wanted to do something tangible,” he says. “Something I could see and touch at the end of the day.” Construction became that place. It gave him a way to build, to think, to lead, and to earn his way into mastery. “Somewhat naively and probably egotistically, I became a general contractor,” he says with a grin. “It took years to grind it out, but I’m super happy I did. I love what I do.” The military gave him the foundation he needed— discipline, determination, and a deep sense of responsibility. “When you’re only of mild intelligence and mild talent,” he says, half-joking, “you’ve got to rely on something. Determination is something I’ve always had.” That determination manifests in how personally he takes every project. “People say it’s business, not personal,” Jon says. 69

BIG SKY HOUSE | DANSKIN RANGE PROJECT

SQUAW BUTTE STRAW BALE PROJECT

VETERANS TRIBUTE EDITION

Built America Magazine

A Family of Trades and True Builders “For me, it is personal. These are homes where families will grow. That’s sacred to me.” Jon is quick to credit the team around him. “Our relationship with trades and suppliers? A family,” he says. “The subcontractors, the crew—those guys are part of the quality control.” The rule is simple: “If you do good work, communicate well, and give me a fair price, I’m going to keep using you.” EarthCraft builds long-term partnerships because true craftsmanship requires consistency, trust, and shared ethics. Scaling Without Losing Soul

SQUAW BUTTE STRAW BALE PROJECT

BIG SKY HOUSE | DANSKIN RANGE PROJECT

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