Expert Drywall, Inc.

Martin Holberg, President

Marty began his career with Expert Drywall in 1982 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Building Construction Management from Central Washington University. Marty was named chief estimator in 1986 and in 2002, became a 50-percent company shareholder with Jim McDade. Together, they continue to hone their skills as company leaders and ensure that Expert Drywall remains an industry leader. During his 31 years at Expert Drywall, Marty has taken a leadership role in estimating and managing projects on several of the Pacific Northwest’s signature buildings including Safeco Field, The Seattle Art Museum, the Boeing 777 Office Building, and Providence Regional Medical Center’s Medical Office Building.

Marty represents the Northwest Wall & Ceiling Contractors Association as a board member and is its representative on the Board of Trustees for the Carpenters Trusts of Western Washington.

James McDade, Vice President

Jim began his career with Expert Drywall in 1984, spending the first three years working as a stocker and truck driver before moving into the office as a project engineer and estimator. In 2002, he became a 50-percent shareholder with Martin Holberg.

Over the past 35 years, Jim has been instrumental in driving Expert Drywall’s growth by developing long-term client relationships and opportunities to work on pivotal projects such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Headquarters and Microsoft Washington Village.

As a hands-on leader actively involved in estimating and managing projects, Jim’s success is founded on a passion for building complex, challenging projects while nurturing trusting relationships with all team members. He’s known for prioritizing safety, quality, and cost-effective solutions that contribute to Expert Drywall’s reputation for excellent customer service.

Away from the office, Jim enjoys spending time with his wife Cathy, their growing family, and friends on the beaches in Maui and Gearhart, Oregon.

Mark Leavitt, Senior Project Manager/Estimator

Mark joined Expert Drywall in 1997 after providing his expertise to two other commercial drywall contractors in Seattle. He enjoys the challenge of working on difficult, complex, and bidder-designed projects of all sizes. He recently assisted with two award-winning projects: the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters building in downtown Seattle and the Port of Seattle Consolidated Car Rental Facility near Sea-Tac Airport. Both projects won coveted Project of the Year Awards from the Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau (NWCB).

Mark had the opportunity to estimate, secure, and complete ground-up projects in Maui and the Big Island, HI, and at the same time completed a similar project in Juneau, AK. He started working in estimating/project management in 1985 after spending seven years in the field as a union drywall carpenter. He completed his carpenter union apprenticeship at South Seattle Community College.

Mark enjoys meeting new people and building on old and new relationships with local general contractors.

Mark shares his life with wife Debbie Jo and daughter Kasey Jo. When he is not chained to his office computer, he likes gardening, landscaping, woodworking, and working around the house. They also have two dogs, Nikki and Shmoo, who conspire to keep them from getting much sleep.

John Bauer, Senior Project Manager/Estimator

John joined Expert Drywall in 2008 as a senior project manager/estimator. He gained foundational experience working as a project engineer, cost engineer, and field superintendent for a national general contractor. In 1993, he transitioned to specialty contracting to be the top estimator/salesman for a leading drywall, plaster, and fireproofing subcontractor.

After receiving his degree in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, John went on to attend the University of Washington’s Project Management Certificate Program and the Project Management Institute’s Leadership Institute.

Erik Blockhus, Senior Project Manager/Estimator

Erik joined the team at Expert in 2015 as a Senior Project Manager/Estimator. Erik began his career in the wall and ceiling industry in 2000 as a Project Engineer for a national specialty contractor. After graduating with a degree in Construction Management from the University of Washington, he joined a local subcontractor that focuses on the drywall needs of Puget Sound contractors.

Erik’s past projects have ranged in size from $4,000 to $4,000,000 and include repeat clients such as: Microsoft, Boeing, Swedish, Facebook, Safeco, UW, Expedia, WA State Schools and the US Department of Defense. His primary focus is on elevating the customer experience while delivering exceptional craftsmanship at a reasonable price.

Outside of work, Erik enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids exploring the Northwest and creating memorable adventures that will last a lifetime.

Jerry Jensen, Senior Project Manager/Estimator

Jerry joined Expert Drywall in 2015 after working for a major specialty subcontract firm in the Seattle area. Jerry began his career in the construction industry, working from the ground up through the carpentry trade into management positions as a Project Manager/Estimator. He has worked on projects located in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and most of all Washington. He has estimated and managed projects of all sizes – from skyscraper landmarks to tenant improvements, all necessitating his highest attentions and honing his skills.

Jerry is a family man first and foremost. He shares his life at home with his wife – and better half – Karen. They stay involved in the lives of their five adult children Jerry Jr., Erica, Tyler, Kora and Abbigail. They also reap vast benefits by being grandparents five times over. Jerry and Karen could not imagine a life without grandsons Andrew, Dillion, Logan, and Erik, and precious granddaughter, Kaia.

Away from the office you would find Jerry with friends and family fishing, camping, boating, or playing the guitar. Though even at home, he is always looking for the next project and enjoys working on home improvements.

Jerry is part of a proud family of constructors that spans seven generations. He is a problem solver, teacher, innovator and patented inventor. He loves working in the construction industry and looks forward to the continued experience and education his career will bring.

Tony Vranich, General Superintendent

Tony has been a project manager/estimator from 2003 through 2014. To capitalize on Tony’s 4 decades of industry experience, the company appointed him to a senior leadership role of General Superintendent in 2015.

He originally started working for Expert in1982, driving a truck and stocking materials. He completed his Carpenter’s Union Apprenticeship at Expert and competed in the apprenticeship competition, winning first place locally and second place nationally. He worked in the field for 10 years before starting his own commercial drywall business in 1994. Nine years later, he rejoined Expert.

Tony was born and raised in the Seattle area and has always lived in the Pacific Northwest. He has a love for the outdoors and frequently enjoys hunting, fishing, and shooting sports. He and his wife Kim have three sons, a daughter-in-law, and grandson.

Ryan Miller, Project Manager/Estimator

With a hands-on background in carpentry and framing, Ryan joined Expert Drywall in 2005 after receiving a degree in construction management from Central Washington University. In his current position as senior project manager and estimator, Ryan has successfully delivered many significant projects including Ninth & Lenora Apartments, West Edge Apartment Tower, Stadium Place Apartments South Tower, Rainier Square Apartments, and more than a dozen Amazon projects.

Ryan believes that building long-term trusting relationships is the key to project success and maintaining Expert Drywall’s superior reputation. He is known for highly effective pre-job planning that identifies potential issues early and results in getting things done right the first time in the field.

Ryan enjoys a variety of Pacific Northwest outdoor activities with his wife and three kids, including biking, skiing, and exploring beaches in the summer. He also spends time with his kids on the softball and baseball fields while coaching little league teams.

Leif Biffle, Project Manager/Estimator

With more than 20 years of construction industry experience, Leif brings a wealth of field expertise to his approach to project management and estimating. Having joined Expert Drywall in 2013, he has been involved in a variety of significant projects including Rainier Square Tower, Microsoft Campus Modernizations, CHI Franciscan and Providence Hospitals, and multiple Starbucks storefronts.

Leif focuses on building strong relationships with all project team members and stakeholders and supports the success of every individual on the team. He has a passion for finding solutions that improve efficiency and continually researches and evaluates equipment, tools, and software to increase Expert Drywall’s productivity and performance.

As an avid Northwest outdoorsman and aviation enthusiast, Leif can often be found on the ski slopes in the winter and the water in the summer during his free time.

Josh O’Connor, Project Manager/Estimator

Josh joined Expert Drywall in 2006 as warehouse truck driver after which he was accepted into the Carpenters Apprenticeship Program. He spent the next nine years of his career as a carpenter apprentice, journeyman, lead-man and later a project foreman for the company.

He has worked on many of Expert Drywall’s more complex light-gauge framing projects including high rise apartment buildings and award winning medical facilities. Josh’s field experience is now applied in his current position as a project manager/estimator.

Josh enjoys spending time with his wife Priscilla and two sons while trying to fit in a round of golf every now and then.

Tom Wilkinson, General Superintendent

Tom is a member of the company’s senior leadership team and oversees Expert Drywall’s construction operations. Tom has been with the company since 1979, starting as a truck driver and working his way up to become a senior superintendent. He has gained the trust of Expert’s owners, project managers, and many general contractors in the Pacific Northwest.

Tom has vast experience in the construction of several major medical projects, high-rise residential buildings, and retirement facilities. He is a valued team member and problem-solver and is known for providing great customer service. Tom welcomes a challenge and works with the construction team to come up with solutions to problems at an early stage. Often the issue is identified and corrected before the problem arises. He takes pride in driving every project and is proactive with schedules.

Tom and his wife Tracy, who love to travel, have two sons who both work for Expert. Tom enjoys doing home projects with his family and helping raise his grandchildren.

Todd Vranich, Taping Superintendent

Todd started working for Expert Drywall in 1984 while he was still in high school. Since then, he has performed nearly every position in the firm. He started in the warehouse as a utility man then worked in various positions including framing and hanging drywall, fireproofing, and drywall finishing.

He moved back to the warehouse for 12 years as the manager, which included equipment and material distribution and facility maintenance. He is now a taping foreman working on some of the company’s most challenging and high-profile projects, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Washington Square Condominiums.

Todd is married and keeps up with three sons and a daughter. He lives on several acres in Woodinville and enjoys gardening and getting outdoors to hunt and fish.

Shelley Sigurdson, Safety Director

Shelley started working at Expert Drywall in 1987 as a drywall finisher apprentice. Shelley is responsible for oversight and implementation of the company’s health and safety programs. Her rule is: “The safer the workers are, the more successful the project will be.”

Shelley works with all employees to eliminate worksite incidents by integrating preplanning construction activities with safety, starting at the prebidding stage and carrying through until the end of each project. Her safety duties include, but are not limited to: inspections for workplace hazards; safety committees to promote employee involvement; and education, training, and communications to maintain a high level of awareness on safety.

In 1994, Shelley started her teaching career as an instructor for health and safety at the Painters and Allied Trades Apprenticeship School. It was there she realized she had a passion for safety and knew she could make a difference. She has earned the respect of the crew and management teams at Expert Drywall and many general contractors in the Pacific Northwest.

Shelley enjoys volunteering at her daughter’s high school and being the best mom she can be. Shelley and her daughter both love music and the arts.

Brad McCracken, In-House BIM Manager

Brad joined Expert Drywall in 2004, after working for major specialty contractors throughout Washington. With a background in finish carpentry, framing, and complex layout, he has developed a keen sense of constructability and an eye for detail. He is certified in Robotic Total Station operation, Autodesk Point Layout, Autodesk Revit Architect, and MWF StructSoft.

As the in-house BIM manager, Brad is responsible for creating 3D models, coordinating prefabrication, participating in clash detection, and overseeing Total Station operation and building layout. His work was instrumental in the successful construction of the Boeing Customer Experience building, the 2016 Wall and Ceiling Award winner.

Outside of work, Brad is in the final stages of developing a radius and ellipse layout calculator app that provides reference points to layout large radiuses and ellipses.  He also finds time to ski, bike, boat, camp, and scuba dive. Brad has two sons and two grandchildren.

Alec McDade, Project Manager/Estimator

Alec joined Expert Drywall’s team in 2021 as a project manager and estimator. He brings a degree in construction management from Washington State University and seven years of previous experience working for one of Seattle’s premier general contractors. He has delivered ground-up and tenant improvement projects for high-end commercial clients and leverages his perspective as a general contractor to ensure exceptional quality and execution in the field. He has led significant projects including modernizations at the Microsoft Redmond campus and tenant improvements at Proliance Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Fenwick at Rainier Square, and Harris Lincoln Showroom.

Alec is known for his ability to solve complex problems across diverse teams and develop long-term relationships through reliability, responsiveness, and proactive communication. He always takes ownership of his projects from initial estimate through construction completion.

When he’s not at work, Alec enjoys spending time hiking, golfing, boating, and skiing with his wife and daughter.

Dean Rotter, Field Superintendent

Dean has been with Expert Drywall for more than 40 years, starting as a warehouse utilityman delivering material to job sites and working his way up to becoming one of our most exceptional superintendents. Early on, he entered the carpentry apprenticeship program and quickly earned a foreman position through outstanding performance. Dean has managed many significant projects for Expert Drywall including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Headquarters, Kinects Apartment Tower, West Edge Apartment Tower, and Amazon Block 20.

Dean maintains an impeccable reputation due to his strong work ethic and the pride he takes in his work. He truly embraces the family-like atmosphere at Expert Drywall.

Dean and his wife enjoy spending time with their two daughters, son-in-law, and three grandchildren. He also enjoys classic cars, fishing, and camping in Eastern Washington.

Jason Gillihan, Taping Foreman

Jason started in the drywall industry in 2000. Completing his apprenticeship and winning Apprentice of the Year in 2005, he joined Expert Drywall in 2007 as a journeyman. His attention to detail and superb finishing skills quickly propelled him into a leadership role, and he has served as foreman and superintendent on many high-profile projects at Expert Drywall including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Headquarters, REI Spring District Corporate Campus, Tower 333 Office TI, Microsoft Millennium Campus, and Microsoft Pebble Beach Buildings.

Jason specializes in all levels of drywall finishing, as well as firestopping assemblies, and a variety of weather barrier systems. He is recognized and respected by all project team members for his effective jobsite leadership and communication skills. Jason thrives in a fast-paced environment on challenging projects and takes great pride in contributing to Expert Drywall’s superior reputation.

Married for more than 20 years, Jason and his wife spend free time with their daughter and three sons. Their family is very active in their church and spends time together gaming, working out, swimming, skating, and playing paintball. Jason is also a devoted owner of two parrots.