Eric Morley, Founder
Email: ekm@carolinatimberworks.com
Eric believes that a timber frame company by itself doesn’t deliver a high (or poor) quality timber frame and a good (or bad) experience. People do. His job is really about building relationships with people who desire a level of attention to detail and quality that is simply uncommon in the general construction industry. Eric was born in Monrovia Liberia, was kicked out of Tripoli Libya as a result of Colonel Gadhafi’s coup d’état in 1969, grew up in Switzerland & France, was educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned his MBA from Appalachian State University in 1992. Eric is a lifetime Timber Framer’s Guild member, currently serves on the Timber Framers Guild Board of Directors, has served on the Timber Frame Business Council Board of Directors, and teaches an AIA Continuing Education course on timber framing. He is a published photographer, enjoys tinkering with (and from time-to-time riding) his antique BMW motorcycle, and once bicycled the complete Blue Ridge Parkway from Staunton, VA to Cherokee, NC (469 miles). His current big project? Our new shop!
Craig Kitson, Vice President of Operations
Email: craig@carolinatimberworks.com
Craig Kitson was born in south Florida and moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina at the age of 12 and began working in the construction industry at 15. After high school and some college, he found himself in the steel construction business working in sales, while maintaining part-time carpentry work on extensive remodels and other conventional construction. In 2007, he joined the timber framing crew at Carolina Timberworks. He spent much of his time outside of work learning how to model and draft timber frames and traditional timber frame joinery, and in the fall of 2009, Craig took over design & estimating responsibilities for the Company and exceeded our already high expectations for him. He has the passion for quality that is part of Carolina Timberworks’ DNA. Craig’s hands-on experience cutting and installing timber frames, combined with his years in design and estimating, make him an unusually helpful resource for architects, builders, home owners, and designers.
On the weekends you can find him kayaking down the New River, running the roads of West Jefferson, NC or riding his bike around the High Country. He is an Apple aficionado, married, proud father of two beautiful daughters, and 2 dogs. His modus operandi: Against the Grain.
Derek Calhoun, Project Steward
Email: derek@carolinatimberworks.com
Derek’s sunny smile and easy-going disposition make it a joy to have him at Carolina Timberworks. A life-long resident of Jefferson, NC, he started woodworking at age 10 by watching his grandfather on trips to Ohio. His love of creating and working with his hands led him to start his own construction company and he obtained a NC General Contractors license in 2009. Derek has always had a “Reverence for Wood” (a favorite read by Eric Sloane).
His hobbies include anything outdoors, but especially fly fishing and sporting clays. But mostly he enjoys chasing his twins (a boy and a girl) with his beautiful wife through the meadows and forests of the High County. If you need to talk to someone about timber framing, give Derek a shout!
In the Office
Robert Hawes, Draftsperson
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Robert is a 1stgeneration college graduate from Appalachian State University and received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design in 2018. During the early years of his education he began learning architecture, sketching, and design. After stumbling across Computer Aided Design software, he knew that his future would evolve into creating whatever he could imagine at the click of a button.
“As a child, I enjoyed exploring my creative side using toys like Legos, Link-N-Logs, and K’nex. That desire to create eventually spread to other medias like sketching, rendering, Computer Aided Design. Discovering CAD was like finding an infinite source of unique Legos that were at my fingertips.”
Jeren Holman, Senior Draftsperson
Jeren Holman takes a very meticulous, demanding, and critical task–and makes it look effortless. Clients sometimes stand behind him and watch in fascination as he quietly and competently brings 2d plans to life on his screen as 3d models. Jeren is a native of the High Country, resides in Ashe County, NC, and graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Design and minors in both Marketing and Physics. Working at Carolina Timberworks marries his passion for architecture, engineering, and design. Jeren has worked with many 3D modeling software programs and excels in cadwork, an industry-leading CAD specialized Swiss software for timber framing.
“A product, system, or design needs to be crafted well above all else, where form follows function, but not by much. Through hard work, determination, and authenticity I aim to design high-quality timber structures that do not sacrifice craftsmanship or durability for aesthetics and usability. My objective is to enhance and enrich each and every life the product comes in contact with.”
In his free time, Jeren enjoys spending time with his four golden retrievers, family, friends and being outdoors; from kayak fishing off the NC coast to backpacking around the local Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountain ranges. Girls…he’s single and the catch of a lifetime!
Gesche Morley, Bookkeeper
Technically, Gesche is the bookkeeper at Carolina Timberworks. She accepted the position before she found out that bookkeeping has nothing to do with off-track betting and high-stakes gambling, and everything to do with numbers and balance. Be that as it may, she much prefers the title Bringer of Joy and Happiness. As such, she eagerly undertakes any project that is deemed fun, different, or exciting, in order to balance out the methodical nature of bookkeeping.
Prior to marrying Eric Morley and coming to work at Carolina Timberworks, Gesche was a middle and high school teacher of diverse subjects including Theatre, Science, English, and Social Studies. She gets along exceedingly well with adolescents and other stubborn characters and loves the smell of freshly-cut wood.
In the Shop
Paul Gaudet, Timber Framer
Born in Charleston, SC and raised in Connecticut, Paul spent a lot of time traveling around. The one constant in his life was visiting his grandparents in Ashe county. As a child he had always dreamed of one day settling down here. With a BFA in fine art painting and after recently receiving his MFA in fine arts in London, Paul has a dream of opening his own artist residency one day. With no professional construction or woodworking experience he has always shared an affinity and respect for timber framing and figured the best place to start learning was from the timber frame company doing the best work.
When Paul isn’t timber framing or painting, he is staying busy from blacksmithing, photography or gallivanting through the highlands with his partner Michele and their four legged companion daisy.
Thomas Kitson, Timber Framer
Thomas Kitson was born in south Florida, then at the age of 14 he moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. After high school and some college, Thomas worked in the construction business for many years. He joined what was then a much smaller timber frame company in May of 2012. Thomas strives to provide good customer service while on job sites and deliver high quality work. During Thomas’ spare time you can find him riding his motorcycle down at the New River, or hanging out with his family and friends. He is married to Michelle and has three wonderful kids; Jaxon, Lana and Aiden.
Sage Miller, Timber Framer
Sage is a 2nd generation timber framer. He grew up in the mountains of North Carolina in Ashe County (also known as the “Coolest Corner”). An outdoorsman who enjoys most anything outside, Sage notes that this comes in handy when you live in a town located near the borders of Tennessee and Virginia and close to the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, mountain balds, and some of the country’s best small stream fly-fishing. Sage thinks timber framing is something he’ll always enjoy: “It’s always something different: different places, different homes, and different people.” Sage’s father, Chris Miller, co-founded a great timber frame company with Eric Morley, and we’re delighted Sage is part of our team.
Wynand Potgieter, Timber Framer
Wynand joined Carolina Timberworks in January 2019. He has enjoyed living and working in North Carolina for over 20 years. Originally from Kenya, East Africa, his previous work experience includes managing tented safari camps and Hollywood filming locations and owning a flooring company. Wynand is happy to be focused entirely on the art of timber farming now. In his free time he enjoys gardening, cooking and family.
Kevin Reed, Job Captain
Kevin Reed is a native of Western North Carolina. He received a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management in 2001. Kevin worked at Stone Mountain State Park after finishing college. While trying to find a full time position in the natural resources management field, he worked part time in the construction industry to make ends meet. North Carolina had initiated a hiring freeze for state parks and other forest and wildlife management positions, so Kevin proceeded to obtain a North Carolina General Contractors License and commit himself to the construction industry. Keven found his calling when he joined Carolina Timberworks in 2012, and enjoys the challenges and satisfaction derived from being part of a growing timber frame company. When Kevin is not involved with CTW, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, April, and two sons, Sam and Eli.
Larry Scarborough, Timber Framer
One of our clients once asked a question about Larry: “Is he always in a good mood?” Yes, he really is, and his pleasant and positive attitude, day after day, no matter the obstacles, is what makes Larry remarkable.
Favorite quote? “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.” –Charles Swindoll
Josh Sheets, Timber Framer
In Josh’s short life he has been a part of a variety of professions and experiences. He has served in the United States Air Force as a Security Forces member as well as a registered nurse in a high acuity emergency room. For as long as he can remember Josh has had an affinity for craftsmanship with an emphasis on historical and traditional methods. Much of his time outside of work is spent between family, building bows, restoring antique tools, and working outdoors. His passion for crafting eventually led him to a pivotal decision to leave nursing to become a timber framer. Josh feels that this decision was the best he has ever made and has allowed him to cultivate his passion in a way he did not imagine as possible. He places emphasis on the fine details which resounds in the quality he strives to bring to a task regardless of what that task is.
Patricia Willis, Timber Framer
Meet Patricia Willis, finishing her fourth year of specialized timber framing coursework at the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, SC. Suffice to say Patricia has proven to be one Bad Ass intern…and we love working with her.