Jimmy Moore
Born and raised in Boulder County, Jimmy grew up enjoying working with his hands. His introduction to construction came as an early teen by way of working along side his dad, building an addition on their house. From then on he spent his summers working as an apprentice for a local contractor giving him a glimpse into all aspects of construction.
Post graduation from Lyons High School Jimmy attended the University of Wyoming on a wrestling scholarship. Following his career as an NCAA athlete Jimmy secured a position as a carpenter with a large commercial construction outfit, specializing mostly in building schools. He quickly moved his way up through the company, eventually into the role of Superintendent, the youngest one the company had ever known. After gaining the experience he was seeking, Jimmy branched out on his own and Petra Custom Builders was born.
Today Jimmy lives just outside of Longmont with his four children; Karson, Sheldon, Lawson and Graceon. In addition to spending time with his family he enjoys playing golf and target range shooting.
Brian Gurley :: Director of Production
Brian Gurley, a native of Colorado, grew up in Louisville. After graduating from Centaurus High School he attended Metro State where he played hockey and then moved to Fort Collins to study Construction Management. In 2006, Brian moved back home and began working for a company framing residential homes throughout Boulder County. Intrigued by all aspects of building, Brian started his own company and before long before found himself as a long-term subcontractor for Petra Custom Builders. In 2014, he became an official member of the Petra Custom Builders team working as a project manager. Brian is the longest standing PCB employee and has worked his way up to Director of Production. Today, Brian and his wife, Missy have two daughters, Brynn and Taylor, and spend their summers camping and boating.
Dennett Marston :: Superintendent
Dennett Marston was born in Guilford, Connecticut and moved to Colorado in the early 1980s with his family. After graduating from Niwot High School, Dennett attended Metro State and and then pursued a career in both residential and commercial construction management where he specialized in masonry for over 20 years. His most interesting projects include the CU Boulder Art Museum and adding to the Denver skyline high rises. He joined the Petra Custom Builders team as a Superintendent in 2016. Today, Dennett lives in Broomfield with his wife, Molly, and three daughters, Shawni, Lilly, and Margaret and their two dogs. They enjoy spending weekends with their third daughter, son in law and two granddaughters. Additionally he is a certified sailor who enjoys captaining voyages on the ocean blue.
Celeste Grow :: Designer
Celeste’s inspiration as a designer stemmed from a love of architecture and design that dates back to her early childhood. A Boulder native, Celeste studied Art History at the University of Colorado and moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduation where she studied under acclaimed Architect, John Maienza of Maienza-Wilson LTD. Celeste ventured out on her own as an ASID designer in 2013 and established her own interior design firm, Spruce Designs, in Orange County, California to accommodate the ever-changing schedule of her young family. She and her family relocated back to Colorado in 2017 where she settled with her three sons; Cole, Jude and Harris in Niwot. She has since joined Petra Custom Builders as the in-house designer where she is known for her passion for the perfect balance between beauty and function that remains to be her signature. She is continually recognized for her crisp, timeless designs that capture her clients’ unique styles and incorporate local materials, craftspeople and landscape.
Ryan Richards :: Controller
Ryan Richards joined the team after five years as general manager at a local business. Ryan graduated from the University of Colorado in 2012 and has been engaged in a controller type role for seven years. Ryan is the third generation in his family to be involved in general contract construction. Outside of crunching numbers, Ryan enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, traveling to tropical destinations and researching new medical developments at a ‘hobbyist’ level.
Andrew Cain :: Carpenter
Andrew Cain grew up in Vermont and following high school graduation enjoyed a career in culinary arts and spent a number of years traveling the States, primarily focusing on places he could hike, backpack, rock and ice climb. It’s no surprise his travels lead him to Boulder, Colorado where he started his career in carpentry. He worked for a friend for several years and joined the Petra Custom Builders team in 2016. Andrew, a true adventurer, is often found on backcountry trails enjoying all the mountains of Colorado have to offer.
Vadim Misko :: Finish Carpenter
Vadim Misko was an industrial electrician in Ukraine. After moving to Colorado, Vadim started working as a carpenter installing interior trim, focusing on artisan finishes in new custom home builds and large scale remodels. Vadim joined Petra Custom Builders first as a subcontractor in 2003 and then transitioned into a full time member of the team in 2018. Outside of the workshop Vadim enjoys spending time with his two daughters.
Ben DeSantis :: Director of Operations
Ben DeSantis was born and raised in Boulder, CO. He attended CU Leeds School of Business but decided to chase his passions rather than entering the corporate world. Shortly after graduation, Ben found himself snowboarding and spending time in the mountains. He lived in several ski towns managing snowboard shops until he met his wife, Savanna, in Telluride and decided to move back to the Front Range to settle down and start a family. Ben continued to work in the snowboard industry with Volcom for eight years and most recently, managed the retail and rental departments for Eldora Mountain Resort. Ben is a husband, father, and friend. He believes people hold tremendous worth and should be treated with the love and respect they deserve. Ben was drawn to Petra Custom Builders because of their beliefs and contributions to the wellbeing of the individual, the household, and ultimately, society as a whole. It's a noble cause that Ben is thankful to be a part of.
Matthew Strope :: Sales Coordinator
Matthew Strope was born and raised in Longmont, Colorado. Following his graduation from Niwot High School, Matthew studied finance at Syracuse University in New York. Matthew worked in the field for Petra Custom Builders during his summer breaks. After graduating college, Matthew stepped into a full time office position for PCB as the Sales Coordinator. Away from the office, Matthew enjoys spending time with friends and family, exercising, hiking, and traveling.
Braddon Reese :: Carpenter
Braddon grew up in Boulder and recognized early on that Colorado was home forever. He graduated from Centarus High School in Lafayette and shortly thereafter secured a job in framing and carpentry where he worked for 15 years before joining the Petra Custom Builders. He and his wife, Allison, and daughter, Autumn, live in Firestone and in his free time is found on the golf course or at home gardening.
Seth Ritchie :: Superintendent
Seth was born and raised in Pennsylvania. At age 6, he found himself drawn to construction as he started helping his dad remodel their kitchen and still remembers asking him a slew of questions about the loop vent for the sink. Dissatisfied with the direction his college education was taking him, Seth decided to drop everything and move to Colorado to spend more time rock climbing and enjoying the outdoors. Upon arriving in Boulder, Colorado, Seth decided to start working in construction and took the same motivated, academic approach to his life as a self employed contractor. He tried his hands across multiple trades, trying to find a place where he really fit. After 9 years, a wedding, and two kids, Seth had a diverse background and sought a community with resonant core values where he could make a contribution and be a part of something greater. Seth started working as a Superintendent for Petra Custom Builders shortly after and believes he has finally found the perfect fit.
Mark Hunter :: Estimator
Mark Hunter has over 40 years of experience in the construction industry. He has been involved with projects in several states such as MO, LA, WY, & CO. One of Mark's favorite projects was renovating a historic 22,000 SF "Polar Wave & Ice" building in St. Louis, MO; 8000 SF of that building was turned into a high quality recording studio. Mark played guitar in a rock & roll band for many years and still enjoys playing today. His other hobbies include spending time with his family, playing tennis, biking, and building miscellaneous things.
Aaron Johnson :: Carpenter
Born and raised in Lyons, Colorado, Aaron Johnson had passion for outdoor activities from a young age. Following his graduation from Lyons High School he knew he wanted to stay in Colorado and secured a job in construction, recognizing his own appreciation for every job being different and every new job requiring a new way of thinking. He joined the PCB team in 2018 as a carpenter and enjoys the ever-changing pace of his vast range of responsibilities. In his time away from work Aaron enjoys playing basketball and is an active participant in Muay Thai, a combat sport from Thailand resembling kickboxing, both as a competitor himself and coach for young children starting off in the sport.
Luke Sawyer :: Superintendent
The son and grandson of carpenters, Luke picked up wood working at an early age in his hometown in the woods of Maine. After moving to Cape Cod, Massachusetts in his early 20s, he worked in all phases of residential construction, specializing in high-end finish carpentry. A year spent in New Zealand helped broaden his horizons and sparked a love for travel - Mexico and Europe being regular destinations. From the vacation beaches of Cape Cod, Luke moved to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the spring of 2020 and joined Petra Custom Builders soon after as a Superintendent. Luke is a certified Yoga and AcroYoga instructor, and enjoys activities as diverse as cooking, meditation, hiking and entrepreneurship, to name a few. On weekends he can often be found (or not found, depending on cell reception) camping with his girlfriend Sophia in remote corners of the Rockies.