Things Started Early
Even as a kid, Brad had the bug to build. “I liked to tear things apart and rebuild them. If it could be fixed, I would do it.” He tinkered with cars, rebuilt their engines, and learned to weld before his teens. Once, when rebuilding a car with his dad, he didn’t want the newly perfect transmission sitting untended in the garage and brought it to his bedroom for safekeeping. While plenty of parents would order the pile of metal back to the garage, Brad’s mother got it and let it be. On another occasion, realizing that his brother’s bike was faster than his, Brad pulled his apart and changed out parts but couldn’t figure out how to put it back together. After his brother and dad told him they had to get rid of it but secretly reassembled it, he swore that that would never happen again.
“I liked to tear things apart and rebuild them. If it could be fixed, I would do it.”
Construction Wasn’t Originally in the Plans
Independence and freedom have always been a draw. When it came to choosing a college, Brad enrolled in flight school. But before starting, he found a summer job with a construction company. Just a summer job, no connection (yet) to a future career. He headed off to flight school in the fall, but soon found that he wasn’t suited to sitting behind a desk. So he got back in touch with the construction company. They invited him back, and this time it stuck. “The minute I hit the ground with them I knew that was what I wanted to do,” he says. He spent the next twelve years helping them build the business.
A Career Full of Variety
Mentors have played a big role in his career, from his earliest tinkering days to contracting. Builders at his first company took him from knowing hardly anything to becoming a master craftsman. Throughout his career, he credits both co-workers and clients with fueling his growth. His construction projects have ranged from homes to airports and even to the finish work on two luxury yachts. Ever independent, when he left his first company, he spent 20 years running his own construction firms in Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii. He and his wife also developed a ski and snow workshop for five years during that time.
Joining AT6
While joining AT6 wasn’t a foregone conclusion, Brad and AT6 Founder and Principal Jason Langkammerer go back many years. Jason explains, “I’ve known Brad socially since I was in high school and we have always kept in touch, both personally and professionally, since we are both in the construction industry. I knew I’d love to work with him if we ever lived in the same part of the country. So when he said he was planning to move to the Bay Area, I jumped at the chance to ask him to join AT6.”
“Brad’s willingness to go above and beyond for our clients is not only amazing to watch, but an extremely admirable quality”
The Road Ahead
As we publish this blog, Brad is actually leaving AT6 to be an independent general contractor again. “I love California, so we might stay here and might do part-time here and in Washington State,” he says, while also explaining that, “I’ll always be a general contractor. I have no architect in me. For my whole career, I’ve tried drawing something on a wall to explain what I am thinking, and no one ever understands my drawing. It’s a running joke.”
For his part, Jason says, “Brad is a serial entrepreneur, so I knew his time working for my company would be limited and just a stepping stone to bigger and better things. I am really grateful for the three years he was with the company. He helped grind us through the pandemic with his ‘whatever it takes’ attitude (literally tattooed on his forearm) to get the job done.”
Looking back, looking forward
Brad has always been inspired by the creativity of the designers he’s worked with, as well as personal relationships that are forged in the heat of a project. He cites the satisfaction of a job well done and understanding and overcoming challenges in each project as major rewards. He also emphasizes that, from his earliest mentors to great clients and partners, his success has always been shared. “There isn’t one thing I could have done alone, including here at AT6. Working here is truly a team effort. Everyone supports one another every day.”
We’re excited about Brad’s next steps. As Office Manager Johanna Cutlip says, “Brad’s willingness to go above and beyond for our clients is not only amazing to watch, but an extremely admirable quality. His upbeat attitude and cool vibe make you want him on your team every time. We are going to miss him terribly!”
