Craftsmanship and construction are the Graham family legacy, says Jared Graham, the owner, designer and concrete expert behind Konkrete by JBGS. “I like working with my hands; I’ve always been a hands-on person,” he says. “I come from a long line of carpenters, millwrights and engineers.” Growing up, Jared was always building something with his five siblings, as well as his father and his grandfather, who were both carpenters. Raised in a rural community by a traditional, conservative family, when Jared wasn’t squirrelled away scribbling down ideas and sketching out plans, he could be found chopping wood or renovating the house.
While his life looks very different from the simple, hardworking country lifestyle of his parents, the values they ingrained in him have smouldered over the years, ultimately reigniting a passion for teaching his own sons how to work with their hands. JBGS stands for Jared B. Graham & Sons because “it’s a bit old-fashioned and I dig old-fashioned values, but I [also] like that I’m going to work everyday to create a legacy for my sons,” says Jared. “I have two boys, they’re beautiful, I love them. They’re challenging, they’re brilliant, they’re handsome little boys … [I value] producing something with my bare hands and being able to involve my sons in it.” Jared often includes his older son in his construction projects, showing him how to mix and mould concrete or teaching him how to lay flooring, “the classic father-son scenario.”
