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Call us at 616.490.2487 to enhance your lakeshore property
Owner & Sales Director: Nick
Nick's transition from university professor to business owner has been exciting. He thrives on strategic planning, talking with clients about their vision, and connecting politics to our work (e.g., how will tariffs in Brazil affect our Ipe hardwood costs next year?).
When not at work, Nick enjoys listening to classical music, doing home renovations, discussing politics over a scotch or gin and tonic, spending time with family, and serving at church.
Owner & Director of Operations: Sherri
As a psychology professor for 20 years, Sherri loved learning new things and mentoring students. Both of these passions have carried into her work at DRS as she develops the company's crew and oversees production processes.
Away from work, Sherri enjoys fishing, kayaking, reading thrillers, and perennial flower gardening; she longs to snorkel and scuba dive in ocean reefs far from Michigan's cold winters.
Project Manager/Designer: Jake
Jake’s journey from laborer to builder to project manager and designer has been very quick. He’s mastered the tools of our trade and now loves problem-solving, mentoring, and design. Jake understands the whole project and its lakeshore context so he can offer big-picture insights and evaluate the crew's solutions to problems in the field. He enjoys fine-tuning projects to bring a client's vision to life.
Away from work, Jakes enjoys shooting hoops, building things, watching MMA, and playing with his two rottweilers.
Lead Foreman: Brody
Brody brings boundless energy to every project, always eager to keep things moving and keep the crew engaged. His favorite part of the job? Helping clients get to the beach and enjoy nature with their families. His 5 years at DRS have seen him grow from laborer to builder to lead foreman, where he now prepares crews and jobsites for efficient work.
When not at DRS, Brody likes to hang out with his family, kayak, and renovate his new house and gardens.
Carpenter: Matt
Matt is our longest-serving crew member and knows how to do all the things. He is detail-oriented and careful, which makes him excellent for doing tricky cuts or leading unusual jobs.
Outside of work, Matt loves spending time with his family, running Tough Mudders, and enjoying a good pipe.
Carpenter: Zane
Zane enjoys building stairs and using the bow wrench because "nature doesn't get to decide when my board fits or not." He also loves spending the day with all his work brothers. Zane learns fast, but his sense of humor is even faster.
At home, Zane loves playing with his three daughters, attending their ballet recitals and sometimes catching fish.
Carpenter: Mikey
Mikey brings hardware store and arborist experience to our team. His favorite tool is the "weebler" (multi-tool) because it allows for good detail work. He appreciates the variety of jobs at DRS and solving different problems every day.
Mikey loves fishing, hanging out with his family, and playing with his giant Cane Corso.
Builder: Gus
Joining us in 2026, Gus brings a variety of machinery and service experience to DRS. His favorite tool so far is the Sawzall so he can go hard during demo work. He loves working with the crew and being part of their lives.
Outside of work, Gus likes hanging out with his family, growing his beard, and whacking a golf ball around ("nobody who has seen it would call it golf, but I enjoy it").
Builder: Phin
Phin also joined DRS in 2026 with a background in construction. His favorite part of working with DRS is the opportunity to be part of building awesome projects along one of the most beautiful shorelines on the continent. His favorite tool? "My trusty bob-the-builder hammer because it represents the work we do."
When not working, Phin enjoys learning a new instrument or hanging out with friends at the beach.
Seasonal Builder: Seth
Seth joined our crew in the summer of 2026. He works hard to supply the carpenters with tools and materials, to install coir matting, and do lots of other "invisible" tasks that support our work.
When not at DRS, he's attending college to earn a degree in psychology.
Builder: Jase
Jase brings military and construction experience to our team . He served in the Middle East and then lived in Washington State for several years before relocating to Michigan.
Office Manager: Elisabeth
El uses her business degree to improve our sales, project management, marketing, bookkeeping, etc. She is in charge of applying for township and state permits and making sure retirement accounts are in order. She has also taken the lead on dune vegetation, including how to manage invasives and what plants improve dune stabilization.
When she's not at work, she loves caring for animals, kayaking, and target shooting.
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