Teammates Matter: Pat Madden

Pat (left) and Hunter showing off the balcony on our newly framed Church Hill addition.

At RIC, every member of the team matters. From designers to project managers to carpenters, everyone holds themselves to the same level of excellence and respect for each other.

That’s what RIC carpenter Pat Madden believes sets the company apart. “It’s great to work with people who are all aligned in our drive to really get things right and execute high quality, lasting work.”

Pat came to RIC in February of 2017 from the food service industry. While it may not seem like a likely transition, Pat had grown up helping his dad renovate their family’s home, and he enjoyed working with his hands, so when he was ready to move on from his job at an online grocery store, he began to look for jobs in construction. After seeing an ad we had placed online, Pat did some research on RIC and decided it sounded like a good match. We agreed, and a year and a half later, Pat’s carpentry skills have taken off to the point where he’s been able to take on and handle some smaller scale projects in addition to providing his services on our larger projects.

Whether he’s digging a footing or hanging crown molding, Pat continues to find satisfaction in working with his hands. “I like seeing tangible results at the end of the day, plus I like that we often have to use creative problem solving to find alternate ways of completing a task. There’s nothing better than working out an especially tricky piece of trim.”

Throughout the team, Pat is best known as the walking inventory system. His organization skills mean that he always knows which tool or piece of equipment is at which job site. Perhaps it’s a skill he picked up in his grocery and food service days, but in any case - we all appreciate his internal database.

Pat is a great example of how you don’t have to have an extensive career or formal training in carpentry as long as you’re willing to work hard and have an interest in working with your hands. It’s not everyone whose favorite part of their job is figuring out a tricky piece of trim, but we are sure are glad to have that person on our team!

When he’s not working with his hands, Pat’s listening to his record collection or biking, hiking or swimming - anything that gets him outside.