Rosenberg Location:
Larry Lerma
Mr. Lerma was born and raised in Rosenberg, Texas. He has been in construction for the last seven years, doing mostly framing, concrete and cabinetry work. Mr. Lerma has owned Larry’s Signs, a sign business, for the last 18 years. When Mr. Lerma is not making signs, he is making some woodcraft projects for the holidays. Mr. Lerma attends a local church and has been a Sunday school teacher for high school students for the last 15 years. He also loves teaching youth how to play basketball. Mr. Lerma encourages his students to find their passion and work on that, so when you are working it is fun and not just a job.
Arcola Location:
Dan Coleff
Mr. Coleff is a lifetime woodworker with a diverse science and engineering background. He is committed to keeping the industrial arts alive in our current culture. Mr. Coleff believes that skilled trades are still a large part of the present and our future.
Mr. Coleff has been involved in the industrial arts for over 50 years. He attended an industrial arts program in high school which included woodworking, cabinetry, mechanical drawing, furniture design, machine shop, sheet metal working, welding, forging, foundry, and basic carpentry. He is passionate about passing on these learnings to his students. He preaches safety and fundamentals to instill confidence and a command over the tools and machinery.
After working 20 years in the field of mechanical engineering, Mr. Coleff obtained a master’s degree in Geology from The University of Houston. He built shops and labs from the ground up at the University of Houston, Shell, and NASA. Mr. Coleff also taught students general shop and lab practices at NASA.
His most recent designs are a combination of wood and metal, while integrating the use of glass or stone. He has been commissioned to build pieces and do work for commercial restaurants as well as private residences. Mr. Coleff is also a musician and photographer.