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Prestigious Craftsman of the Year Award bestowed upon Gallegos Corp.’s Dan Doyle

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October 2, 2020, 9:57 am

Gallegos Corporation on Wednesday put out the following press release on Dan Doyle winning the prestigious Natural Stone Institute’s Craftsman of the Year Award for 2019:

Patience and passion. This is tradesman Dan Doyle’s secret sauce.

Dan Doyle

Doyle, who first became an employee of Gallegos Corporation in 1988, was awarded earlier this year the prestigious Natural Stone Institute’s Craftsman of the Year Award for 2019. The award acknowledges one craftsman who has physically performed outstanding stone fabrication and/or installation over a period of many years. The candidate must have served as an apprentice stone mason and risen through the ranks as journeyman stone mason, foreman and superintendent, as well as demonstrate leadership and mentorship.

“Dan has a lot of patience,” says Travis Preston, a Gallegos marble and granite apprentice. “A lot of these pieces are very technical and somehow, someway, he always puts them together and they look beautiful when they’re done.”

Gary Woodworth, Gallegos Chief Executive Officer, says Doyle creates works of art – and everyone loves art. That is what sets Doyle apart from his peers and why he was singled out with the prestigious award.

“Having an employee of Dan’s skills allows us to never say ‘no’ to a problem, a challenge,” says Woodworth. “We have the ultimate confidence in what Dan will bring to the job site every day.”

Vail Valley architect, Hans Berglund, says there are very few who can visualize three-dimensionally like Doyle can. “It’s very difficult and there’s an artistic element that really helps make our architecture look great and us look good.”

Gallegos, headquartered in Wolcott, Colorado, is the leader in quality residential and commercial construction services. Their craftsmen create custom works of art in stone, masonry, stucco, plaster, concrete, marble, granite, tile and art rock.

While celebrations in the year of COVID-19 impacts have looked very different, it is not stopping Gallegos from celebrating its 50th year in business and honoring Doyle.

“There are just very few people who can do what he can do with stone; he has this unique mindset that he knows what the finished project is supposed to look like and how to get there,” explains David Little, Gallegos Chief Business Development Officer. “Dan’s reputation has resulted in repeat customers for Gallegos. In fact, many of our customers demand that Dan be on the job.” 

Doyle humbly says he enjoys his work and that’s why he is so passionate about the finished product and about helping his coworkers.

“My father was a mason for 43 years; I learned a lot of different materials, buildings, blueprints through him,” says Doyle. “I feel very fortunate to have an award like this. I would like to thank the Gallegos Corp. – all good people who helped me along the way, pushed me – I cannot do what I do without them.

“I enjoy it all and why I get so passionate about it,” adds Doyle. “There are new surprises around the horizon every day.”

Over the years, the hands-on leader and educator was able to pivot his work focus from his love of brick and rubblestone masonry to learning the trade of cut stone, tile and slab installation.

“He’s a great mentor,” adds Little. “If you were new to the industry and if you were truly in this for a career, it would be an honor to work with somebody who has the skill that Dan has.”

Preston counts himself as one of those lucky coworkers: “This is an award I’ve heard about for years. It was a true inspiration to me and has set a path for me to be a leader. This isn’t just a job for Dan, this is a life.”

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