By now we are sure you’ve met Walls & Ceilings’ Contractor of 2021, California Drywall. Headquartered in San Jose with satellite offices in San Francisco, Livermore, Santa Clara and Atwater, California Drywall definitely keeps busy. W&C Editor John Wyatt and Associate Editor Hannah Belloli talked with President and Owner of California Drywall, Steve Eckstrom, on what this honor means to him and his team.

“To be named the best of the year…I feel a lot of pride in that,” Eckstrom tells W&C. 

As Cal Drywall celebrates its 75th anniversary, Eckstrom discusses what it means to stay up-to-date as a contractor after all that time.

“When I first came into the business 30 some odd years ago, there was a group of very large, successful drywall companies. And there’s probably maybe one of them left. They’ve all shut their doors and moved on. If you don’t try and keep up with the latest and greatest in technology, or human resource, or just try to stay on top of the game, you’re going to get passed by,” Eckstrom says.

Being in Silicon Valley as Eckstrom is, there is tremendous pressure to stay ahead of the curve.

Not only do you need to be on top of your game or the latest technology, you have to be on top of your trade and your craft, or you’ll get left behind. And when that happens, Eckstrom says, it’s hard to catch back up.

Eckstrom also shares some of Cal Drywall’s exciting prospects and plans for 2022, the construction tech he is currently excited about, and what he thinks the future of the wall and ceiling contractor looks like.

Watch this video to hear more insights from Eckstrom or listen to the podcast here. You can also listen to this episode of Apple and Spotify podcasts.