January 2005 - FCA Leader Nelson No Stranger to Hard Work
By Mandi Harding

Nelson Framingâs very own Jerry Nelson has been elected to be the leader of the Framing Contractors Association in 2005.
Nelson was born and raised in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu, Calif. area. After high school graduation without a specific career path in mind, Nelson relocated 61 miles away to Santa Barbara where he settled in as a flatbed driver for a water salt delivery company.
Nelson admits he has always possessed a knack for handiness and had a mechanical inclination. In fact, in his teen years he spent much of his spare time building skateboard ramps, and for about two years was even a professional skateboarder.
After a year or so with the delivery company, Nelson was approached by Coke Construction, a small general contracting company in Santa Barbara, to come aboard as a trainee.
Coke specialized in custom homes and residential remodels. Nelson, still a novice, was quickly thrown in on every phase of the companyâs projects.
ãEd Coke did everything on the project. Ed did his own framing, electrical and finish work and details of the project, such as building custom cabinets,ä Nelson remembered, ãI even remember once we built a custom pool table for a project. And boy, did I dig some trenches.ä
Nelson fondly remembers his partner at Coke Construction, Bob Reed, as having taught him everything he knows.
Nelson expanded his breadth of knowledge for 10 years at Coke, and in the early 1990s when the economy took a turn for the worse, he began looking at other options and locations.
He was hired on by the now defunct, Las Vegas, National T.I. to complete interior packaging for Ross Dress For Less stores around the country.
ãI quickly realized that life on the road was very expensive, so when an opportunity to head up a new patio division for another Las Vegas company presented itself, I jumped on it,ä Nelson said. ãThe work experience at this company is where I first began to foster my passion for framing.ä
Nelson began a small operation working on custom homes for owner/builders, specializing in framing. Within a year, he was approached by Kelly Cooper of Tradewinds Construction to assist with the companyâs large custom homes in Tournament Hills.
Nelson was quickly promoted to field superintendent where he oversaw all field operations, and then to division manager where he was given office desk space to deal with contracts, bidding and lending.
ãThe monotony of residential framing wasnât a challenge to me personally anymore, and as division manager I was able to focus on commercial framing, which was far more intriguing because of the many complexities from project to project,ä said Nelson.
A year and a half ago, in July 2003, Nelson decided to make a go on his own and opened Nelson Framing, specializing in commercial framing.
Nelson felt if there was one thing he had learned well in his prior work experience, it is that personalized service is a must. Therefore he strives to make himself accessible to the general contractor. This not only provides excellent communication on every project, but provides Nelson with a sense of personal accomplishment at the end of the day.
ãI have grown to 18 full-time employees and I work harder than I ever have before thereâs no doubt about it. This personalized service approach, of course, requires a lot of extra time and a very understanding wife,ä laughed Nelson.
In an effort to maintain his personalized approach, he has recently brought on a new member to the company ö his wife Dee Dee.
With regard to the FCA, Nelson became involved in the association in the late 1990s during his tenure with Tradewinds Construction.
ãIâve always liked what the FCA has had to offer and I can only say that I wish more framing contractors were involved, because they just donât know what they are missing. Although Las Vegas is growing exponentially, the framing market remains rather tight-knit,ä said Nelson.
Aside from his goals for membership recruitment over the next 12 months, Nelson is admittedly looking forward to the opportunity to sharpen his speaking skills, too.