Expert Drywall, LLC has completed an ownership transition that keeps the Snohomish, Wash.-based contractor locally controlled and operationally steady in the Pacific Northwest commercial interiors market. Longtime owners Martin Holberg and James McDade have transferred ownership to Alec McDade (co-president, Principal), Joshua O’Connor (co-president, principal), Ryan Miller (vice-president, principal), and Leif Biffle (vice-vresident, principal).

For wall and ceiling contractors and general contractors (GCs) alike, the significance lies in continuity. The company, founded in 1948, will maintain its established delivery model for steel-stud framing, prefabrication, weather barrier systems, plaster and gypsum board assemblies throughout the region.

Holberg said the transition was structured to provide stability for clients, employees and business partners. That continuity is particularly relevant in a market where labor capacity, schedule compression and material volatility continue to pressure interior build-outs.

Alec McDade, who joined the firm in 2021, emphasized that the new ownership team has deep familiarity with long-term GC relationships and complex commercial execution.

“Our ownership team has worked directly with long-term general contractor relationships and understands what it takes to deliver complex commercial projects on schedule and within budget,” McDade told Walls & Ceilings in an exclusive interview.

McDade brings prior experience as a project engineer at Howard S. Wright, including work on the Microsoft Campus Modernization and the REI Headquarters project (now owned by Meta). That background in large-scale commercial construction provides perspective on coordination-intensive projects where framing tolerances, sequencing of prefabricated components, and integration with curtain wall and building envelope systems can directly affect downstream trades.

Joshua O’Connor, who began with Expert Drywall in 2006, moves into ownership after progressing from field roles into project management and estimating. As chief estimator and contract administrator, his experience spans Providence Medical Center Everett, Koda Condominiums, AMLI Tower and the Microsoft Campus Modernization. For interiors contractors, having estimating leadership embedded in ownership can influence risk management decisions, bid strategy and contract review discipline—especially on negotiated and design-assist work.

The company stated there will be no major operational changes beyond the ownership transition. Expert Drywall is not planning geographic expansion outside the Pacific Northwest and will continue focusing on commercial framing and drywall delivery within its established market.

That steady-market approach may resonate with contractors navigating fluctuating demand in office, healthcare and multifamily segments. Rather than diversifying into unfamiliar regions, the firm is concentrating on reinforcing its position in a region where it has longstanding GC relationships and workforce infrastructure.

In the past two years, the company has added two project managers/estimators, along with a new general superintendent and safety director. For field execution, that signals an investment in front-end planning and jobsite oversight—two areas that directly impact productivity, safety compliance and rework mitigation in high-density framing and ceiling installations.

McDade will assume expanded leadership responsibilities as Co-President and Principal, while Holberg and James McDade remain involved as senior advisors during the transition. The phased approach reduces disruption risk, particularly on active projects, where continuity in leadership can help avoid scope interpretation issues or change-order conflicts.

Founded in 1948, Expert Drywall continues to position itself as a full-scope interiors contractor performing steel-stud framing, prefabrication, weather barriers, plaster and drywall services across the Pacific Northwest. For wall and ceiling professionals, the message from the new leadership group is straightforward: stability in ownership, continuity in delivery, and sustained focus on the regional commercial market they know best.

For more information, visit expertdrywall.com.