The Carpenter Shop

The Carpenter Shop consists of two (2) carpenters (Gerry Notch and Gary Braun) and one (1) dedicated locksmith (Lloyd Opatz).  In general, the shop is responsible for the architectural elements – structural and finish – of all campus facilities, as well as all building envelopes, including roofs.

The carpenters at Saint John’s are all multi-talented.  Not only do they perform rough and finish carpentry common to their trade, they also serve as masons – installing brick, cement block, ceramic and quarry tile – and occasional tuckpointers.  They are regularly called upon to re-glaze windows, to fabricate screens, or to install built-ins.  They perform twice-yearly inspections of all roofs and pursue normal repairs.  They are called upon to do welding to effect repairs for the Dining Service as well as to fabricate metal handrails and/or guardrails around the campus.  They annually regrout the ceramic showers on campus and each summer conduct a “blitzkrieg” of all student housing – assessing and repairing all normal wear and tear on the facilities before summer programming begins.

The carpenters work well as a team and as individual craftsmen.  They take pride in quality craftsmanship and are committed to doing the best job possible.  All live in relatively close proximity to Saint John’s and are available for callbacks in an emergency.

Due to the wide breadth of skills present in the shop, the carpentry crew is called upon to perform maintenance in all campus facilities on a regular and ongoing basis.  As a result, the carpenters probably have the best overall insight into the relative condition of campus facilities.