Evolution Specialist of the Year
Owners: Robert Lascelle and Joseph Kalnas Location: Flemington, N.J. Year Founded: 1986 Website: mydeck.com Instagram: @my_deck_llc
My Deck, LLC Q. How did your company start? A. My father was a Sandy Hook harbor pilot, and I planned to follow in his footsteps. As required for this apprenticeship, I was sponsored at 12 years old and, after high school, had begun earning my associate’s degree. I was working for the local road department until a friend offered me a job in his construction company, where I made double the money, loved the work, and picked everything up quickly. I started my own business about a year later, so when I got the invitation for pilots, I decided against a seven-year apprenticeship at minimum wage. By the time I would have been a well-paid, full-branched harbor pilot, I was still learning how to grow my business and wondered if I had made the right decision. Almost four decades later, I have no regrets. I am proud to have
26 | Deck Specialist | July/August 2023
Facebook.com: My Deck, LLC Specialty: Evolution steel deck framing founded my own business, providing employment for nine crews and eight staff, and most recently welcoming Joseph Kalnas as a partner. Over the past six years Joe has facilitated even greater growth, allowing My Deck to create amazing outdoor living spacings for more clients.
Q. How did you begin using steel framing, and what drew you to Evolution? A. Decks have always been my passion. I’ve been building them since pressure-treated lumber was used for both framing and decking. While we continued to use this lumber for framing, over the years My Deck has used cedar, mahogany, ipé and other hardwood decking as we upgraded our decking material following industry trends and customer preferences. Today,