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Evolution Specialist of the Year
Q. How did you get your start in construction?
I have always enjoyed building things. I grew up on a rural family farm in Kansas and I learned to weld things out of metal as a teen. From personal experience, we knew that if we built something on the farm out of wood, we would need to replace it. However, if we built it out of metal, our grandchildren would be able to use it one day. We moved out to Colorado Springs in 2012 because we had always wanted to live near the mountains. Two years later, StoneCroft Construction was born. From the very beginning, we’ve focused on building decks because these structures blend our love of construction and the outdoors.
Q. When did you first come to use steel decking framing and why Fortress Evolution?
We assembled a beta deck with Evolution steel deck framing in 2018—it was hook, line and sinker. I knew it was a fit for us. Our company focuses on building decks that are as beautiful as they are strong, and as strong as they are beautiful. Steel framing allows us to carry out this vision. We made the complete shift to the Fortress framing system a year later and never looked back. In fact, we just completed our 58th steel deck framing project. We believe in steel because here in the Southern Rockies, wood is exposed to dramatic fluxes in temperature and extreme weather conditions. The dry heat of summer, paired with the wet, cold of winter, can wreak havoc on wood frame decks. It’s not uncommon for typical builder grade decks around here to show signs of deterioration after exposure to moisture or begin warping with drastic changes in temperature. These issues can cause critical places Owner: Philip Purdy Location: Colorado Springs, CO. Year Founded: 2014 Website: stonecroftconstruction.com Specialty: Fortress Building Products’ Evolution Steel Decking Framing EVOLUTION Specialist of the Year StoneCroft Construction Summer 2021 | Deck Specialist | 37 like stair stringers and support beams to fail. Framing with steel sidelines these problems.
Q. What percentage of jobs do you use steel on?
We recommend—and use— Evolution steel deck framing on 100% of our deck builds. We are all steel all of the time. We offer Fortress railing products almost exclusively. We also offer FortressAccents to equip our customers with a lighting component for their deck.
Q. Do you ever work directly with Fortress?
Over the years, I have worked closely with many folks over at Fortress Building Products. In running my business, I work directly with reps from a variety of building product companies, and my local Fortress rep, Brent Gesnik, stands out. He is available, knowledgeable and has done an excellent job of supporting our small company through numerous growing pains. I have worked directly with the Fortress warranty team. Their ability to solve problems quickly and take care of my customers has built my trust in the company. I know they will always do the right thing. Also, Fortress hired an excellent PR firm that is very good at working with contractors.
Q. How did your business change in the pandemic?
Over the last year, our business has exploded with requests for steel-framed decks. That being said, we have a slow and steady growth mindset in order to keep the quality of our deck builds in check with our high standards. Because of these values, we have sought to streamline our building processes and improve how we build. The Evolution steel framing system supports this approach, as we can build faster and more efficiently than with wood.
Q. What’s next for StoneCroft?
To offer customers the best possible deck system, we’d like to continually improve on how we frame with steel. Innovation is a big part of who we are—my team is very creative in coming up with solutions for quicker, stronger installs. Looking at the industry as a whole, the steel deck framing category is still in its infancy, and we are excited to see where Fortress takes it. 38 | Deck Specialist | Summer 2021
