Martin Horn: Charlottesville Construction Firm

While leadership and planning are essential, it's the field team that brings every detail of a construction project to life. At White Gables 2, that team included Superintendent Nate Eaton, Foreman Noah Sims, and Carpenter Danny Trogdon—three craftsmen whose dedication, problem-solving, and camaraderie turned plans into homes.

Journeys Through the Jobsite

Each member of the team came to White Gables with a different background and experience:

• Noah Sims began at Martin Horn eight years ago as a welder’s helper. Starting at White Gables as a carpenter’s assistant, he steadily rose to the role of foreman. Over the course of the project, he ran all the equipment—including setting trusses with the crane—and now focuses on final punch lists and unit finishes.

• Nate Eaton started in 2018 as a summer intern and joined full-time in 2020. He arrived at White Gables in January 2022 and was promoted to superintendent for the final building.

• Danny Trogdon, a Martin Horn veteran since 2011, joined the project in late summer 2022. His work spanned shoe molding, doors, hardware, break metal, and even window installation, making him a utility player throughout the build.

Noah and Nate first worked together at Charlottesville’s Quirk Hotel (now the Doyle Hotel), and their longstanding connection brought seamless coordination to White Gables.

Growth on the Ground

Growth came in unexpected ways. For Noah, paperwork and organization were the biggest learning curves: “I’m definitely more organized now—never had to do so much paperwork in my life.” For Nate, the transformation was personal. “People say I’m more out of my shell. I’m more confident and willing to voice my opinion.” (Though, he added with humor, the project has cost him enough weight to warrant punching new belt loops.)

Favorite Moments and Details

The team lit up when discussing their favorite aspects of the build:

• Nate loved the antique mantel installed in one unit, which required stonework to fill gaps—and even came with a wind-up clock that a team member, Richard, managed to restore.

• Noah admired the sheer variety of unit details, from pocket doors to custom closets crafted on-the-fly to accommodate unique owner requests.

• A standout? The team used three full gallons of Bondo to repair scratches on those tricky pocket doors—thanks to the Morris brothers, who used their car-repair skills to get the job done.

And yes, there was even a flight simulator room in one unit.

Controlled Chaos and a Sense of Pride

As with any large-scale build, there were moments of intensity. One of the busiest came when electrical gear finally arrived for Building Two while Building Three was just coming out of the ground. “We had 300 man-hours happening between the two buildings,” Nate recalled. “But we were in a groove.” There was not a completed MEP plan for the project with all the changes. So there are little sketches like this (left) to show how the ductwork goes in the building.

That rhythm extended beyond the chaos. “Third time’s the charm,” the team said of Building Three. By then, the field team had hit their stride. “You get excited to go to the same place every day,” said Noah, “though sometimes, you still want a change.”

Moments of Humor and Humanity

One unforgettable memory? Nate losing his boot in a pit of mud near Building VI. “The masons had created block paths to stay dry. I stepped off and sank to my knee. I had to stand on plywood just to get enough support to pull my boot out.”

These moments—mud, antique mantels, custom cabinets—are the ones that define the job. The final product brings a quiet reward. “There’s something different we each like in every unit,” said the team, from pavers to steam showers with carefully routed copper lines that won’t stain the building’s façade.

Representing the Best of MH

When asked what it means to represent Martin Horn, the team didn’t hesitate.

“We’re not just representing MH—we’re representing construction to these owners,” Noah said. “They come to us with questions, and even people from Building One still come by to see what we’re doing now.”

Nate added: “You just do your job. Do it the best you can. This is their condo—you have to give them a great product.”