GALT, CA (MPG) - A small business here is prospering following incubation at the Galt Chamber of Commerce. 

JP Masonry Inc. started in 2019 in a Lodi home and rented two offices initially at the chamber to see if the city would be a good fit, according to the chamber and the company.  

“We were looking for somewhere to actually put roots,” said Jordan Paraskevopoulos, owner of JP Masonry, which is expecting sales between $6 and $8 million this year. “Somewhere that another masonry company isn’t already located.”

He was looking for a place to raise a family, too, he said, and finding somewhere along state Highway 99 where no other commercial masonry business existed was difficult.

A chamber member helped JP Masonry with its logo, another member helped the company with its website and a third member with JP Masonry’s apparel, said Kat Seabolt, community relations director for the Galt Chamber. 

Employees in the field wear branded clothing, Seabolt said. 

JP Masonry has 24 employees: four in the Galt office and 20 in the field, Paraskevopoulos said. His son Anthony turns 6 years old in November. 

“JP Masonry is our culture, and we care about our people,” Anthony Paraskevopoulos told The Galt Herald. 

He had been asking his father the day before about the upcoming interview with the newspaper. The older Paraskevopoulos considers his employees co-workers. 

“I don’t say they’re employees,” he said, adding, “the business needs them to thrive, right?” 

That philosophy appears to be paying off. The company is expanding to the Los Angeles area soon.

“It’s a pleasure to work with him,” said William Kirkland III, assistant superintendent with Swinerton Builders. 

JP Masonry is working with Swinerton on Madera Memorial Stadium in Madera, California. JP Masonry is doing work on five buildings, including the Field House, a concession building and a building for the men’s locker room. 

“His crew has been extremely responsive,” Kirkland said. “And quality driven.”

Swinerton is used to paying for services that JP Masonry provides as part of a package. 

“It’s a breath of fresh air,” Kirkland said.