Today we’d like to introduce you to John Hall.
Hi John, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Born and raised in England, I came to America to work at a summer camp in Southern MD (Camp St Charles) in the Summer of ‘99. I fell in love with an American girl and immigrated to the US in the Spring of 2000. As a Xennial, I was raised just as the first computers were coming into classrooms. Think Oregon Trails. Death from dysentery was a real problem in my school; we all must have died a dozen times from it.
I am what I now know to be a ‘Renaissance soul’. To understand that, I recommend reading Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine. Basically, I have a proclivity for becoming interested in something, becoming proficient (sometimes expert), then getting bored and moving on to something else, starting the cycle all over again. This has provided me with quite a varied life/career path at age 46. As society does not particularly cater to the Renaissance soul character type, I didn’t do great in school. It felt then like there was only one way to learn, and if you didn’t fit the mold, you struggled. This led me to fall into the building trades upon leaving school, not because I always wanted to do that, but because that’s where society puts you if you don’t do well in school. Society’s views on work roles are a topic for another time, but suffice it to say that coming of age in a profession generally looked down upon has left me with some scars that I am now working through by helping the next generation of young folk navigate their own paths. Though I did not initially seek a job in the trades, I wouldn’t change a thing about my path. Skilled tradespeople are excellent real-time problem solvers, high earners, and are essential to the success of the construction industry.
As an intuitive person, I like to think I’ve taken full advantage of the opportunities that have come my way. Throughout my adult life, I have been involved in the construction industry in some capacity. One of my first jobs upon moving to this area was working for a local building supply company. This is where I developed knowledge of residential remodeling, materials, and home construction. From there, I made connections in other areas by talking with remodelers, home builders, and general contractors alike. I transitioned from the building supplies to a local contractor that worked in the commercial space, servicing the smaller construction needs of local malls and outlet stores. From there, I moved on to work for a local home remodeler that specialized in larger-scale, higher-end remodeling. I spent over a decade with him before going out on my own in 2022.
In 2000-2001, I also started two small home businesses. I became a professional auctioneer (attending Mendenhall School of Auctioneering) and became a firearms instructor (certified in multiple disciplines). I also started and currently run a ministry that provides security training and education to missionaries in Honduras. In 2010, I spent six weeks in the Papuan jungle, one of the most remote jungle regions on the planet, with a tribe of indigenous people called the Bayono. There, I helped a missionary build their house from scratch. This trip fundamentally changed some aspects of my character that not too many people get to work on. That’s another story for another day.
Two years into starting my construction business, I was blessed to participate in a local Business Growth and Development program. Attending this program made a significant difference in the future of my business and has become a huge part of what I champion in my community: business owners helping business owners. I have also consciously chosen to make my company a community-focused business. We exist to serve the community to the extent we can, and if we get to make a little money at the end of the day, that’s a good thing too. Members of the Advanced Architectural General Contracting team are encouraged to volunteer within our community and are paid for up to 40 hours of volunteer time per year. We care about the people in our community. We recently hosted a group of young adult volunteers at our office for a workday in recognition of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. We absolutely loved having them here, and I am confident that we benefited as much or more than our helpers that day. We are also in the process of building a ghost structure with the Friends of Rich Hill/The Historical Society of Charles County and the Charles County Garden Club. This ghost structure intends to preserve history and recognize the 109 enslaved African Americans who lived and worked at Rich Hill Farm between 1762 and 1860. Advanced Architectural General Contracting is honored to design and build this ghost structure as well as coordinate fundraising efforts.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has not been a smooth ride. I will say that I certainly have been blessed plenty of times along the way, and that’s why I’m here now. While it has not been easy, it has been worth it. A key takeaway I’ve learned along the way is that the best way to succeed is to fail. Fail a lot! Having an adventurous spirit certainly helps with this. When you’re young, you can fail ‘easier’ than when you’re older. Rather, recovery is much easier when you’re younger. And with less to lose, you can risk more.
Being good in the residential remodeling industry is more difficult than you’d think. There are very few resources focused on folks starting, growing, and maintaining a residential remodeling company. Outside the limited electrical and mechanical schools, there are far fewer courses in carpentry, general building knowledge, etc. Couple that with the massive demand for our profession and the general entrepreneurial spirit that runs through this country, and you get the current state of our industry. Our industry is hard, and it is becoming harder by the year. The knowledge pool is shrinking, and the available labor pool for our industry still suffers from the antiquated social stigma of ‘that’ is where the folks who didn’t do too well in school end up. In reality, this industry produces some of the smartest, most capable, and adaptable individuals.
I read recently that 92% of the current construction workforce needs in this country are not being fully met. The next industry with the second-greatest workforce demand is Health & Human Services at around 53%. A huge reason for this is the lack of education/training of skilled workers. I have made it my mission to help educate the next generation of home remodelers and builders. We are working with local high schools to offer internships to qualified juniors and seniors. These young people are eager to learn and gain real experience. We are also working with the local community colleges to help new project managers navigate the construction industry. Many of these folks have a background in trades and are ready for an opportunity to develop skills needed to oversee larger projects. At the time of this interview, we are proud to share that Advanced Architectural General Contracting has taken on five interns and one apprentice.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I was very fortunate to have a good boss/mentor, as I gained valuable experience becoming a residential project manager for a small but reputable construction company, Barnes Builders Inc. In the years prior to this, I had been gaining valuable life experience in resilience and bouncing back from setbacks, mainly through an adventurous spirit and a curious mind.
As I became an experienced project manager, I gained a greater understanding of our work. As a home remodeler specializing in large-scale residential remodeling, custom additions, custom homes, and insurance restoration, I am mastering (and continue to improve upon) the art of large-scale residential remodeling, and believe me, it is more of an art than a science.
There’s a big difference between remodeling a bathroom or kitchen and removing the side of an existing house and adding another whole seamless section. From budget and engineering to timeframe and project management, expectations, sales, advertising, and branding. All of it matters, and we tailor it all to specialize in large-scale residential remodeling.
Relationships are king! According to market research, the biggest issues potential clients face are TRUST and budget. Now, the budget is the budget, and things cost what they cost. To be a successful professional contractor, just run your business well and offer your clients the best value you can for what you need to charge to stay in business, while hopefully making a living. But trust is the big one. If there is a secret sauce, it’s relationships. Every day, we enter people’s personal spaces, take them apart, and put them back together. Sometimes we are in these homes for anywhere between two months and two years. Throughout the project, we must keep the client informed and happy. Setting a clear understanding of how expectations work and what happens when they are not met is a fundamental skill of any good contractor. While we do this work every day, for many of our clients, this is their only remodel, their only concern, the scariest thing they may have taken on, etc. At Advanced Architectural General Contracting, we strive to be mindful of our relationships with our clients and finish each project as strong and trustworthy as we began.
Experience matters also. Our company has over 65 years of combined professional project management experience in residential home remodeling. I’m fortunate that my previous employer/mentor chose to spend his last years before retirement as my senior estimator. Both he and our other experienced project manager have been mentoring our younger folks, and it’s great to see that come to fruition. This experience transfer bridges the gap for the next generation of high-quality construction leaders.
Advanced Architectural General Contracting is a client focused – quality driven company. This means that we look at every issue with these two things in mind. Is the client the center of this decision? And does this decision bring the best value to our client? We are Southern Maryland’s premier large-scale residential remodeler, and it takes considerable effort to earn and maintain that reputation. We love what we do, and we are good at it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aageneralcontracting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aa_general_contracting/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advancedarchitecturalgc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/105459977/admin/dashboard/
