Furthermore, after he starts a job, he stays with it to completion, he says, rather that job-hopping. He also insists on using good materials, not relying on cheaper, poorer-quality products. As a result, DeJesus says he offers his customer fair prices that reflect the quality of the work he does and the material he uses.

DeJesus has worked in the building trades, in various capacities, since high school. Carpentry has been a DeJesus family tradition. In high school, DeJesus helped his dad, John, and his brother, Lee, on construction jobs. After high school, he worked for various contractors for a two-year period. He considered each job, back then, a laboratory for learning. “I just absorbed everything I possibly could,” he says of his maturation as a craftsman.

His skills as a carpenter increased, when he was hired by Del Desmarais, owner of E & D Construction of Pawtucket, with whom he worked for six years. He learned a lot from Desmarais, he says fondly, whom he considers his mentor. And it wasn’t just building skills DeJesus picked up from Desmarais, either. He also learned how to treat workers and to deal with customers. “If he didn’t retire, I’d still be working for him,” he says of the fondness he had for his boss.

DeJesus’ versatility as a builder and finished carpenter was demonstrated two years ago when he remodeled his own home, a historic brick structure used for housing workers at the former Ann and Hope mill. It was a daunting task that required DeJesus to start from scratch. “Everything was gutted right down to new studs and wiring,’ he says of the extensive renovations tackled. He transformed a tired apartment into an attractive, vibrant living space, featuring a new kitchen and cabinets, living room with hardwood floors, an expanded bathroom, and tile floors in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. He converted dead space in the attic into three bedrooms, making his new home a showpiece of his skills.

“It’s in my blood. I grew up with it,” he says of his love for the building trade. He can’t envision himself doings any other type of work. “Me sitting behind a desk in an office, I can’t see me doing that,” he says with a grin. Instead, he’s always loved the challenge of working and creating with his hands. “It’s always something I had a talent for and here I am today,” he concludes.

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