Neil Struby
Neil Struby founded his home renovation company in 2003 after working as a mechanical engineer, designing large heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems for hospitals and colleges. Neil holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University.
In 2013, his firm earned the Customer Service Award from Guild Quality, an independent assessor of contractors. In 2012, EarthCraft awarded Struby Construction "Project of the Year" honors for a home addition project. And in 2009, Struby captured three top honors from the Certified Professional Home Builders of Georgia – Excellence in Customer Service, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Recommendation.
But all work and no play does not make a well-rounded contractor. Here’s a little more about Neil and his interests:
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Master Scuba Diver with specialties in night diving, deep diving, wreck diving, underwater navigation, enriched air, and search & rescue diving
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Climbed Devils Tower, Wyoming and all three Teton Mountains – Grand, Middle and South
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Survived mini avalanche when climbing Winter Summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire
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Member of the Formula One and Mini Baja Racing teams at Clemson University
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Eagle Scout with three Eagle Palms Order of the Arrow brother, an Honor Society of the Boy Scouts of America
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Competed in over 10 24-hour+ adventure races, over 20 marathons and 4 Iron Man triathlons (and still counting...!)
Karl Kortemeier
Renovation projects can be stressful for homeowners. As Project Manager for Struby Construction, Karl Kortemeier works to minimize that stress.
Karl’s role is to manage the day-to-day operations of projects – overseeing subcontractors, assuring craftsmanship, troubleshooting the unexpected and communicating with homeowners. “ Maintaining open communication is so important,” he says. “You have to respect that you’re in someone’s home, and they need a clear picture of what’s going on – and what’s going to happen next.”
A NARI-certified lead carpenter, Karl brings more than 14 years of operations and management experience to Struby, as a business owner and as Project Manager for Small Carpenters at Large. There, he turned his passion for woodworking into a new career: Hired as a carpenter, he was promoted to Project Manager after just two years on the job.
His appointment at Struby marks a welcome return to construction after experiencing the “other side” of home remodeling as a licensed real estate agent. “I really enjoyed helping people find and sell homes, and I gained customer service experience in the process,” he says. “But I knew I wanted to get back to the building side someday.”
Karl’s building experience includes businesses: He and his brother, Keith, started the Jittery Joe’s Coffee franchise in Athens, Ga. in 1994. He later launched a fly-fishing business in Athens, which he ran for three years before pursuing home carpentry and home renovation work.
But he remains an avid outdoorsman. Karl has fought fires in the Everglades and out West, worked as a fishing guide in Alaska and the Bahamas, and explored caves in Alabama and Georgia. He enjoys archery, writing and tinkering with motors and tools in his shop at his home in Decatur, where he lives with his wife and two sons.
Struby climbing Mount Washington
Approach to vertical in Smugglers Notch, VT
Sunrise before diving in Belize
