G. D. Enterprise

Greg Danz: Unshakeable Roots

By James Florence, Senior Writer

REDWOOD CITY — Heading into college, Greg Danz was determined to transcend his family’s roots in the trades, but he ultimately found them harder to shake than he’d anticipated. “Most of my family is in the trades, including my uncles, who are contractors and electricians,” he explains. “Following high school, I went to college with plans to pursue a different kind of career and ended up studying finance. After graduation, I got into property management and did some speculative real estate on the side. My brother and I bought and flipped a house, which gave me some hands-on experience with home remodeling and repairs. As it turned out, I became a professional building contractor, so even with a degree in finance, I still got sucked back into the trades!”
Despite not working in the financial sector, Greg says his education wasn’t wasted—on the contrary, it still comes in handy on a regular basis. “A lot of contractors will give their clients numbers and assume they’re going to make money, but they don’t know how to calculate things like net profit versus gross. So, from a business standpoint, having a finance background has helped me a lot, especially when it comes to doing project estimates.”
Today, as owner of G. D. Enterprise, Greg says his favorite part of his job is the challenges it entails. “Almost all of my work is residential, and we work with a lot of older homes, so there’s the constant challenge of how to bring things up to code while preserving the home’s integrity and antique style. It’s like a puzzle—you have to find a way to make it work, and that’s a challenge I really enjoy.”
A lifetime resident of Redwood City (where he lives with his wife, Brigit, and daughter, Emma), Greg expresses his appreciation for his hometown roots. “Being born and raised here, I have a lot of great connections, which is a big advantage. I’m constantly running into people I know, whether at the store or on the street, so it’s nice to be so connected to my community.”
Outside of work, Greg engages in a wide range of interests and pastimes, from wine tasting to outdoor activities. “My wife and I love spending time in the wine country,” he affirms. “We’ve actually made wine on a novice level, which was a lot of fun. I’m also a big outdoorsman and enjoy hunting and fishing, both at our family’s property in Montana and up north in Oregon and Washington.”
In regard to a professional philosophy, Greg espouses the value of simple honesty. “I consider myself a straight-shooter—I give each client the best job I can for a fair price,” he says. “A lot of contractors try to take advantage of people, but it’s really not necessary. If you simply do right by the customer and deliver a quality product, you’ll have that customer for life. A lot of my business comes from repeat customers, so it goes to show that honesty and quality go a long way.”
When asked what his future retirement might look like, Greg says it’ll likely involve a mixture of country and city living. “We own property in Montana and I’d like to retire there, but my wife is more of a city girl, so it might not work out. Instead, we may end up moving to the wine country, where we can enjoy the slow pace of life and beautiful scenery while still being fairly close to the city. Plus, maybe we can get more involved in winemaking.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What are your favorite sports teams?
A: The Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco Giants.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
A: I’m actually not a big breakfast eater—I usually just grab an apple and a cup of coffee on my way out the door.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: Probably South America, just because I’ve never been there before.

Q: Did you play any sports in high school?
A: I played football.

Q: Do you collect anything?
A: Wine.