About Old Pine

Owner / Builder: Ethan Tate

People:

Ethan Tate is the Owner / Builder behind Old Pine Construction. He has lived in Charlottesville since 2006. He was an AmeriCorps Volunteer Crew Leader with the local Habitat affiliate, then worked for Building Goodness Foundation for over a decade. At BGF, he primarily focused on international construction projects serving communities in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Liberia, and Haiti, where he lived for two years after the 2010 earthquake. He has learned from some of the best builders, project managers, and design teams in our area while building these community structures. 

Originally from Bethlehem, PA, he still values the lessons that come from being raised by two educators in a changing steel town. That upbringing is blended with a degree in Comparative Religions, time living abroad in urban Cameroon, rural Guyana, and Haiti and a long marinade in Central Virginia.

After nearly two decades in the Charlottesville non-profit sector, he decided to get back to the work that has been calling to him ever since he was haphazardly hammering in the basement wood shop he enjoyed as a toddler. Now, his elementary school-aged daughter loves the smell of sawdust, too, and spends a lot of time in the woodshop.

I look forward to connecting with you and hearing your story.


Values:

As in life, construction projects always have constraints and competing priorities that have to be sorted out. I actually enjoy navigating each project through these challenges, landing at a place where we've struck the right balance of time, budget, and quality. I also appreciate a good work / life balance!


The construction industry has been intentionally mysterious for way too long. I am happy to share what I know and answer any questions you may have about to process, why something is the way it is, or when I just don't know the answer (but I'll find out!). Our commitment to transparency extends to our straight-forward pricing so there aren't surprises. 


Whether it is budgetary or environmental, I strongly believe that everyone has a role to play in taking care of the valuable resources we are entrusted with. It might mean making decisions on the fly at Lowe's or salvaging materials from your project, but you can expect thoughtful stewardship to permeate every aspect of your project.


Everyone has skills that can benefit their community and we feel an obligation to use our construction skills to strengthen connections and improve lives. Sometimes through established non-profits and sometimes independently, we are committed to working with vulnerable neighbors locally and globally to improve their quality of life. Everyone deserves to have a comfortable, quality space they are proud of. Everyone.