With a dedicated leader and a team that continues to add skilled members, the H.J. Holtz & Son carpentry division is building on past success to reach a new level of service that matches the painting and wallpapering teams.
“There’s a big difference between carpenters who build houses and those who handle renovations,” says Scott Copal, who joined the company in October 2025 to manage the carpentry team. “Our guys are multitalented: They can handle renovations of all types, including kitchens and bathrooms, attics and basements, windows and doors, and historic properties. We take the time and precision to do it right the first time.”
Copal himself has years of experience in building and project management. For more than two decades, he worked for a local home renovation company that specializes in high-end properties. Through shared jobs, he got to know Dick Holtz, the company’s second-generation owner, and also current company president Rick Holtz. “Rick had told me for years to come see him [to join the company],” Copal laughs. “I wish I would have done that years ago.”
When Copal joined H.J. Holtz & Son last fall, he began by working in the field alongside existing team members. “I wanted to get a feel for everything from the viewpoint of a carpenter working for Rick,” he says. He saw the abilities of the team – which include all types of exterior and interior carpentry construction and repair – and knew that he could add value through connections with subcontractors who provide excellent completion services, such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, tile work, stone work, sheetrock, plaster, and roofing.
“It helps designers and homeowners when they don’t have to source out all the subs and coordinate all those schedules,” Copal notes. “I have good relationships with these skilled trades, all of whom do excellent work and move things along by communicating well. That makes jobs go more smoothly.”
In one recent situation, Copal’s connections prevented a delay. “A designer had said we were going to install cabinets on Monday, but then we got all sorts of emails [from her] on Sunday about electrical work,” Copal says. “I texted the electrician late Sunday afternoon, and he showed up Monday at 8:30 a.m. I like to make things happen, even if I have to pull a favor. That keeps clients happy.”
Copal sees a forthcoming project as a pathway to the company’s ability to offer more services: a client wants to turn a walk-up attic into a home gym. “I had an engineer come to make sure there was enough support for the exercise equipment,” he says. “We’ll coordinate HVAC, insulation, sheetrock, and lighting, and – of course – painting.”
Ideally, the carpentry team of Josh Hastings, James Marshall, Ricky Reid, and Guicho Virgil will expand to include others, Copal says. “It’s about getting the right people, folks who know what they’re doing and like the satisfaction of seeing something done correctly. That’s what we care about.”
