New Castle

Steel Specialist of the Year

French’s Custom Outdoor Concepts

Q. How did you get started in construction?

A. I started installing hardwood floors over the summer when I was 15 and picked up a room addition here and a fence there. A few years out of high school, I replied to an ad in the newspaper looking for laborers, helpers, leads, and project managers for a new deck company in town. I was hired as a lumber grunt, but after being paired with a lead for the day and proving that I knew how to read a tape and cut a straight line, I was moved up in the ranks.

Q. Why did you first start using New Castle Steel?

A. I considered offering steel framing for a while, but hadn’t messed with it or seen it installed. With changes in building requirements in select municipalities in my area, having firsthand knowledge of the product was a good idea. I decided to pilgrimage to the Steel Sharpens Steel event in Mt. Pleasant, TX., hosted by Extreme Backyard & Beyond, to see the different options and how they differ in quality and installation. I was very impressed with the look and strength of New Castle Steel and that it was manufactured here in the USA. I’ve worked with many

Owner: Christopher French

Location: San Antonio, TX.

Year Founded: 2013

Website: frenchscustomconcepts.com

Instagram: @frenchs.outdoor

Facebook.com: French’s Custom Outdoor Concepts

Specialty: Steel deck framing different products over the years, but I only have the owner’s personal cell phone number for one—and that’s Jason (Alloway)—and that’s New Castle Steel.

Q. What’s ahead for your company?

A. I’ve always felt like I marched to the beat of my own drum. I always do things differently than the rest. Owning my own company and embracing that drumbeat to its full potential allows me to design things that represent who I am as an individual and a brand. Thank God I have a group of guys that work with me that jam out to the same song.

I’m taking my company to a spot where I’m known, hands down, as the local expert of proper building techniques and how to implement those techniques into genuine custom works of art. I want to merge interior elements with the exterior and make the flow seamless. I want to make my place as the outdoor living design-build company that does custom, unique work like you see in the deck we were nominated for. We used New Castle Steel framing for the deck, but the pergola is also New Castle Steel clad in Deckorators decking. Incredible.

MOSO Specialist of the Year

Dustin Grzybowski Construction

Q. How did your company get its start?

A. I have been working in the field for over 20 years. I found joy in the work and the skill I developed. I decided to open my own company.

Q. How did you first begin to use MOSO?

A. I was introduced to MOSO through my local supply company, Tuckerton Lumber. At the time, my

Owner: Dustin Grzybowski

Location: Ocean County, N.J.

Year Founded: 2022

Facebook.com: Dustin Grzy

Specialty: Bamboo decking customer was looking for a specific hardwood, along the lines of ipé. I then introduced MOSO to my customer. My customer chose to use MOSO bamboo for the upcoming deck product.

Q. Tell us more about a project in which you used MOSO bamboo decking.

A. The above-mentioned customer chose to use MOSO bamboo for the upcoming deck product. The project being an approximate 1,000 sq. ft., flat and verticals on a bi-level deck with built-in planter boxes.

I found working with MOSO bamboo would be a medium to expert skill level, with extra attention to cutting, pre-drilling and fastening. The final product speaks for itself in clean lines, strength and durability and in an exotic appearance which can blend with any environment.

Q. What’s next for your company?

A. As a new company, branching out on my own, I look to continue satisfying my customers, making their visions and dreams a reality, one project at a time.