Joel Gruber: Choosing a Focus

By James Florence, Senior Writer

SAN JOSE — After years of splitting his livelihood between two seasonal jobs, Joel Gruber came to a point where he had to choose between a paintbrush and a snowboard. “Over a six-year period following high school, I worked two jobs,” he explains. “During the summer, I was a painter, and during the winter, I was a ski lift operator up at Squaw Valley. It was an awesome time. Eventually, however, I realized I needed to choose a focus. Ultimately, I chose to go with painting. Since I had a lot of experience, I decided my best move would be to start my own business. Read more

Sami Dadon: Living the Dream

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

MILPITAS — Ever since he was a child growing up in Israel, Sami Dadon always dreamed of moving to the United States, and eventually, he made that dream come true. “My father was a contractor and I worked in construction for more than 25 years in Israel,” he explains. “When I was nearing my 50th birthday, I told myself it was now or never, so I moved to the U.S. and made my dream a reality. I opened my own construction company, and soon after, two of my four kids came to work for me, so it has become quite the family affair.”

Sami relates some of the differences he found working construction in the U.S. Read more

John Alden: An Inspired Estate

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

CLOVERDALE — Between his past livelihoods as an agricultural engineer and a real estate broker, John Alden has a pretty impressive professional resumé. However, one credential he never imagined he’d add is owner-operator of a wedding venue. “Not in a million years did I expect to be doing this,” he laughs. “It was sort of a coincidence, really. After living in Carmel for several years, I decided to move north of the Bay Area to be closer to my family’s timber and vineyard properties.

There was a property I’d driven by many times—over the years, I watched it be developed and go into foreclosure. Read more

Tommy Ngai: Exclusive Expertise 

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

REDWOOD CITY — Few automotive professionals can boast equal expertise in mechanical and body work, but that’s precisely Tommy Ngai’s claim to fame. It all began with an early introduction to the field. “I’ve been working on cars since I was 12 or 13 years old,” he recounts. “Growing up on a farm, my first encounters with auto repair work consisted of fixing tractors. My brother-in-law owned a gas station that had a little repair shop, and I went to work for him as soon as I was old enough.”

During subsequent years, Tommy worked at Honda and Subaru dealerships before opening his own repair shop in 2012. Read more

Scott Yeaman: An Educator at Heart

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

PALO ALTO — Soon after he started doing auto body work to supplement his day job, Scott Yeaman realized he could make a better living if he made it his main career. “I used to be a math and science teacher in Palo Alto and Los Gatos,” he recounts. “I’ve always enjoyed working on and driving cars—I restored my ’55 Chevy and raced Porsches. My uncle had an auto body shop in Oakland and offered to give me some work to help me make ends meet. After training with him, I started doing auto body jobs on the weekends and during winter and summer breaks. Read more

Pat Martinez: Service-Oriented

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

LIVERMORE — After years working on the outskirts of the HVAC industry, Pat Martinez decided to venture further in, not realizing just how far those first few steps would eventually take him. “I used to work as a warehouse manager for a supplier of HVAC air filters,” he recounts. “At a certain point, I was feeling tired of managing people and wanted to do something a little more hands-on. I saw these HVAC technicians coming into the warehouse every day and I figured, ‘Why not try that?’ I ended up getting into the union and becoming an apprentice. The funny thing is, Read more

Luiz Cardoso: A Select Opportunity

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

HAYWARD — A career setback can be disheartening, but Luiz Cardoso isn’t the type to lose heart easily. Even after being laid off from his long-time position, he kept his head up, and as a result, he was able to spot an even bigger opportunity. “I used to be a manager for Comcast, where I supervised more than 80 employees,” he recounts. “In 2012, the company started downsizing its managers and I was let go. It was a sad day, but with the experience and training I had under my belt, I knew I wouldn’t be out of work for long.”

Unable to find another managerial job that paid as well, Read more

Forest Kirk: Professional Growth

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SANTA ROSA — Thanks to an early introduction to the tree service industry, Forest Kirk was able to achieve uncommonly rapid professional growth. “When I was growing up, my mom’s boyfriend owned a tree service business,” he explains. “When I was 11 years old, I started working with him after school and during the summer. I’d also go with him to Fort Ross, where we’d clear out forested areas and process the timber into firewood. Following high school, I started working for another tree service company and trained with a certified arborist. A couple of years later, I decided to start my own tree service business. Read more

Paul Gerrard: Pursuing Excellence

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

ALAMEDA — Originally from England, Paul Gerrard may have come to the United States in pursuit of adventure, but he stayed to pursue excellence in his trade. “My father was a plumbing and heating contractor, and I apprenticed with his company when I was a young man,” he recounts. “Having an itch for adventure and excitement, I left England in 1996 and came to the States. I found that plumbing in the U.S. was very different from what I was used to, so I basically had to relearn my trade.”

However, the nuts and bolts of the job weren’t the only differences Paul noticed between the plumbing industries in England and the U.S. Read more

Angel Garcia: Expanded Expertise

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

LIVERMORE — Starting out in a subset of the remodeling industry, Angel Garcia gradually expanded his expertise to encompass all aspects of construction. “Several of my family members were in construction, so I basically followed in their footsteps,” he recounts. “My first job was installing garage doors when I was 18 years old. Later, I started doing handyman services, which I enjoyed so much that I decided to get my general contractor’s license. In 2011, I started Gar-Cal Corporation, and today we handle every aspect of construction, from foundations to framing to whole home remodeling.”

Angel says his favorite part of his job is the opportunity for creative ingenuity. Read more