ARTICLE LISA VAN HORNE
PHOTOGRAPHY LADD FORDE
HOW ONE LOCAL BUSINESSMAN BRINGS PASSION AND A COMPETITIVE SPIRIT TO ALL HIS PROJECTS
CONSTRUCTION EXPERT. Avid scratch golfer. Outdoor enthusiast. Native Boulderite. However, if you know Jimmy Moore, founder of Boulder’s Petra Custom Builders, chances are his passion for building meaningful, collaborative relationships has shone through all of your interactions. From his childhood in Boulder County to his days as an NCAA Division I athlete and now as a successful local business owner, Jimmy’s multifaceted experiences and pursuits embody the open, sincere and fun-loving nature that is so characteristic of Boulder living. Jimmy grew up involved in a variety of sports and activities, developing a deep appreciation for the outdoors and a passion for exploring alongside his brother, Bill. An affinity for working with his hands likewise sprouted early on. “I was always interested in building things from a hobbyist level,” says Jimmy. “But my deeper interest in construction really was fueled starting in my early teenage years.” After working alongside his dad to build an 800 square foot addition onto his family’s home, Jimmy spent his teenage summers working as an apprentice for a local contractor. The role gave him a glimpse into all aspects of construction and, after college, Jimmy continued in the field working as a lead carpenter with a large commercial construction company. Specializing in building schools,
Jimmy moved up the chain of command and became the youngest superintendent the company had ever known. After paying his dues working for a large operation, Jimmy decided it was time to branch out and create his own business, his way. “Starting Petra Custom Builders, I knew I wanted to build it on the relational aspect of the business, which was definitely a deviation from how it has been done in the past,” says Jimmy. “The construction industry has always been very transactional, and I feel like something is lost in that.” With a vision to revive the collaborative side of construction, Jimmy launched local designbuild firm Petra Custom Builders with the intent to provide incomparable service with a personal touch, focusing on building meaningful partnerships with clients. The company’s main business is working with local homeowners on their residential remodels, with Jimmy noting that, in Boulder County, there is much more freedom and flexibility for homeowners to create their dream homes by reworking their existing spaces versus starting from scratch. “We really enjoy seeing homeowners who’ve had challenges with their home’s functionality transform those spaces so they work ideally for the lives they live within them and serve as an inspirational space from which they can attack life,” says Jimmy. While Petra engages in projects from historical preservations to ground-up builds, Jimmy says it’s delivering homes that define their homeowners’ lifestyles that is the most rewarding. While the market for home remodels in Boulder County is ever-growing, Jimmy has remained steadfast in his commitment to keep his core business values of exceptional customer service and experience thriving. He has intentionally taken a slower approach to his business’s growth, letting it grow organically versus expanding for the sake of running congruent to the size of the market. Yet there is always room for internal growth and development in Jimmy’s view. Relentless forward momentum, a motto at Petra, is an idea that permeates the professional and personal lives of its whole team. At Petra, Jimmy notes that he’s most proud that the values of his “pack” include being part of a team that facilitates fulfillment for everyone involved in a project. It’s a culture that consists of treating the business as its own entity and in which no one, including Jimmy, feels that Petra is part of their identity. This allows everyone to be part of a company that serves both its clients and its employees. In his free time, Jimmy has also long had the drive to push himself to his limits in his athletic endeavors. A graduate of Lyons High School, Jimmy spent a large percentage of his time at school in the wrestling room working towards his goals and ultimately achieving them. Jimmy then attended the University of Wyoming on a wrestling scholarship but, after four surgeries in three years, decided to retire from the sport and walk onto the golf team instead. Having started golfing with his brother and dad at a young age, Jimmy finds enjoyment in being able to partake in an outdoor sport and sees golf as an outlet for his (admittedly perhaps overly) competitive nature. He can often be found on the greens and fairways at Fox Hill taking colleagues and business acquaintances out for a round to get away for a while. At the end of the day, whether it’s as a businessman, as a golfer, or in any of his other pursuits, it’s being part of and watching people succeed that’s most rewarding for Jimmy. And just as he encourages Petra’s clients to do through the company’s purposeful home design, Jimmy looks forward to continuing to “attack life” in all his many undertakings
