the PAULS story
We're expanding our mission of supplying happiness with our "build-one-give-one" PAULS program.
why "PAULS"?
Here’s how the PAULS program sparked to life, in the words of Drexel president Joel Fleischman.
It all started with lunch with one of my all time favorite builders–in fact, our first builder at Berlin Building Supply. A perfectionist in framing homes and a guy that didn’t want to change the world, but surely wanted to change you for the better. Not simply a carpenter. A craftsman.
So, I’m having lunch with a customer and friend, Paul Krause. P.K., as we’ve always called him. Our conversation ebbed and flowed as it always had. We talked about life, the quality of it, the fleeting nature of it, and the joys of being a dad. And we talked building, construction, and the business of it. I had a nagging question for him that I sputtered out.
Offsite construction–what did he think about it? As a one-man builder, a craftsman, what were his thoughts about robots assembling the structure and then installing it onsite?
I’ll never forget his answer. He said, “Joel, you have to do this. I need, we need it, as an industry. It’s exactly what will save the little guy and help us all.” As we talked, P.K. truly teared up. He was a thoughtful, caring soul; I’ve seen that teary-eyed look before. He added, “Joel, I will never be around to see it, but promise me you will do it. You and Drexel can pull it off. You might be the only ones to pull it off.”
You see, it was the last time I would talk to Paul. He was dying of cancer, and we all knew it. Paul embraced and made the best of his diagnosis, explaining that he got to say goodbye to loved ones, enjoy every moment, connect with everything on this earth, and appreciate it all. Paul was one of the good ones.
After our lunch, there was no doubt in my mind. We would move forward with an offsite construction initiative. And when we pulled it off, we would call it PAULS in his honor.
P.A.U.L.S. – People Advanced in Using Lumber Systems
Paul understood that consolidating his purchases through Drexel was easier and maximized the value of the homes he built. He understood that offsite construction would help smaller home builders to stay competitive in bustling industry. But most of all, he understood the value of home and what a home can mean to a family. There could be no more fitting namesake for our home donation program than Paul Krause.
why "PAULS"?
Here’s how the PAULS program sparked to life, in the words of Drexel president Joel Fleischman.
It all started with lunch with one of my all time favorite builders–in fact, our first builder at Berlin Building Supply. A perfectionist in framing homes and a guy that didn’t want to change the world, but surely wanted to change you for the better. Not simply a carpenter. A craftsman.
So, I’m having lunch with a customer and friend, Paul Krause. P.K., as we’ve always called him. Our conversation ebbed and flowed as it always had. We talked about life, the quality of it, the fleeting nature of it, and the joys of being a dad. And we talked building, construction, and the business of it. I had a nagging question for him that I sputtered out.
Offsite construction–what did he think about it? As a one-man builder, a craftsman, what were his thoughts about robots assembling the structure and then installing it onsite?
I’ll never forget his answer. He said, “Joel, you have to do this. I need, we need it, as an industry. It’s exactly what will save the little guy and help us all.” As we talked, P.K. truly teared up. He was a thoughtful, caring soul; I’ve seen that teary-eyed look before. He added, “Joel, I will never be around to see it, but promise me you will do it. You and Drexel can pull it off. You might be the only ones to pull it off.”
You see, it was the last time I would talk to Paul. He was dying of cancer, and we all knew it. Paul embraced and made the best of his diagnosis, explaining that he got to say goodbye to loved ones, enjoy every moment, connect with everything on this earth, and appreciate it all. Paul was one of the good ones.
After our lunch, there was no doubt in my mind. We would move forward with an offsite construction initiative. And when we pulled it off, we would call it PAULS in his honor.
P.A.U.L.S. – People Advanced in Using Lumber Systems
Paul understood that consolidating his purchases through Drexel was easier and maximized the value of the homes he built. He understood that offsite construction would help smaller home builders to stay competitive in bustling industry. But most of all, he understood the value of home and what a home can mean to a family. There could be no more fitting namesake for our home donation program than Paul Krause.
why Haiti?
Drexel kickstarted the PAULS program by sponsoring eight homes for eight families, one for each of our locations in Wisconsin. In conjunction with our nonprofit partner Overture International, our first recipient community is Haiti.
In Haiti, the housing needs are real and acute. Over 75% of the population of Haiti lives in poverty, with large families often crushing into 1- or 2-room dwellings made of corrugated metal, thatch, and earth. Children may be sent to live in orphanages simply because their parents can not afford to care for them. Natural disasters, including earthquakes and hurricanes, frequently cause destruction that the average family cannot afford to repair.
Through the efforts of Overture International and Drexel’s PAULS program, these families receive not only access to quality housing, but also employment and skills development in home construction. Some of the Haitian citizens who have received this training have gone on to seek employment or even start their own businesses in the construction industry. The services provided by these programs truly gives these families a chance to build a better life.
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