Scott Bell: A Smooth Transition

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

ELK GROVE — When Scott Bell stepped in to help with his family’s pest control business, it wasn’t a difficult transition, in part because he was already acquainted with the industry. “My dad was a pest control technician, so I grew up around the business,” he explains. “After working as a technician for a number of years, he and my mom started their own pest control business in 1978. They started it out of their garage, and over the years, it grew significantly. I worked for the company for a short time after high school but ended up pursuing a career in sales and marketing. Read more

Antonia Rodas: Flooring With the Family

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN CARLOS — When Antonia Rodas followed her father and brothers into the family trade, she had no idea how far the path would lead. “My father, Waldo, has been a carpet installer for more than 20 years, so I grew up around the flooring industry,” she says. “My brothers ended up following him into the industry and becoming installers, so when the time came for me to choose a career, I decided to try it as well. My first job was working in the warehouse, where I handled phone and online orders. A couple of years later, Read more

Raul Carrera: A Crystal Clear Opportunity

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

VALLEJO—When Raul Carrera was given an opportunity to purchase the window cleaning business he worked at, the choice was crystal clear. “I’ve been cleaning windows for more than 20 years,” he says. “My uncle and cousin were window washers, and they trained me in it when I was young. Later, I got a job working here at Crystal Clear Window Cleaning. When the owner decided to retire in 2018, he offered me an opportunity to buy the company. I had been working here for 12 years at that point, so I was very familiar with the company’s operations and customer base. Read more

Eddy Deniz: Adding Value

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

NAPA—After finding success in commercial construction, Eddy Deniz took an opportunity to do what he loved on a smaller, more specialized scale. “I was born and raised on a dairy farm in Petaluma,” he says. “My father and I always did a lot of building and maintenance around the farm, and as a result, I gravitated toward construction. I went to college for construction management and then got a job with a large commercial firm. However, I had a passion to start my own business—something smaller and more akin to the environment I grew up in. I decided I should specialize in one aspect of the industry, Read more

Jean-Claude Rochat: An Evergreen Career

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN FRANCISCO—Jean-Claude Rochat has pursued several fields of interest throughout his lifetime, from music to mathematics to the culinary arts. However, when it came to a professional livelihood, he decided to stay with a trade that had been perennial since his youth: arboriculture. “Growing up on a farming community in Switzerland, I was exposed to forestry work from a young age,” he remembers. “By the age of 15, I was doing forest management professionally. After taking a few years off to study music in the United States, I returned to Switzerland and began a landscaping apprenticeship for the city of Lausanne, Read more

Victor Grajeda Jr.: Like Father, Like Son

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

VALLEJO — Long before it became his professional livelihood, Victor Grajeda Jr. received an early introduction to the construction industry from his father. “My dad taught me to work with my hands at a young age,” he remembers. “We started building houses together when I was a teenager, and I would spend my summer breaks from school working with him. After high school, I took some time to travel and do photography, but ultimately I returned to working construction alongside my dad.”

Today, as superintendent of VMG Renovation, Victor says his favorite part of his job is the satisfaction of pleasing clients. Read more

Sergio Garcia: A Silver Lining

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

PINOLE — As a young man living in Mexico, Sergio Garcia never planned to become an auto mechanic. However, when he found himself in a position to learn the trade, he took to it like tires to the road. “In my early 20s, I worked as a taxi driver,” he remembers. “My father knew how to fix cars, so whenever my taxicab broke down, I always brought it to him. After a while, I realized I needed to learn how to do my own repair work, so I jumped in and started learning the trade. That’s pretty much where it all started.”

If Sergio’s involvement with automotive work was sparked by necessity, Read more

Oliver Aguirre: A Roof With a View

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

DALY CITY — While in between jobs, Oliver Aguirre picked up some extra work doing roofing, unaware he was taking the first steps toward what would become a full-time career. “My wife’s uncle, James, needed some help at his roofing business, so I started working with him,” he recounts. “I started out as a helper, transporting materials back and forth for the roofers. I ended up working there for a couple of years and learning all about the roofing process. A while later, James was planning to retire but he wanted to keep the business in the family, Read more

Martin Vizcaino: An Unexpected Opportunity

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

CLOVERDALE — For Martin Vizcaino, becoming an HVAC professional was the eventual outcome of an unexpected opportunity. “I got into HVAC kind of by accident,” he relates. “My best friend had just bought a house, so I was helping him get it move-in ready. His dad was the manager of the HVAC shop at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and he asked if I was interested in getting into the HVAC trade. I had never considered HVAC before and had no experience, but he said it wasn’t a problem and they would teach me everything I needed to know. Read more

Derek Dwight: Exterminator Extraordinaire

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SANTA CLARA — Thanks in part to a paternal connection, Derek Dwight got an early start in the pest control industry. “My dad was involved in pest control, so I grew up around it,” he explains. “As a young man, I didn’t see the value of pest control initially—I was targeting something a bit more…glamorous, let’s say. But I eventually came to see the value of a career in that industry and got more involved. When I was 19, I got my pest control license, and in 2007 I started my own business.”

Today, as owner of Coastal Termite & Read more