Same here. Good carpenters make great AV installers and im sure the 30-40+ year olds would rather hang TV's and install speakers inside vs framing/roofing outside.

Great. They show up on time and work hard.

+1 - We found the same, 50 yrs old. works harder and better then any "kid" i every used. and also a great carpenter. one quick story.

Before i found him, we had a job where a motorized screen was going over a windows (25ft of windows) on a cabana. owner just wanted it over the top molding . nothing pretty. which was fine, since i told them at the time if they did they would need a carpenter to build something.

project got delayed for about 8 months. bring him there to hang screen and projector. carpenter is talking out loud while home owner is there and says, if would be best to have it match the molding around windows and build an encloser 25ft long that just sits on top of the window molding with a small opening for just the screen to come out of.

owner says yes, i was like f((ck. But this guy did it that same day, on the fly and came out like a piece of furniture. owners where amazed !!! and it was the right way of doing this. So much easier to work with him then another carpenter. things just flow right !!

How about if someone was trying to relocate and contacted you about a job. A few shops that when I relocated, I tried to contact them and they never even returned any emails to my inquire.

That's a sure way of not being able to find good help.

Even if your not looking, still be respectful.

Maybe I have too much experience. :)

CI

+1,000,000
Been fighting that battle for awhile!

I do not just email, I leave many a voicemail! A simple call back goes a long way.

I am the older guy with all the personality, work ethic and skills as well as tools you all are talking about. I just am not in this industry but my skill set is perfect as well as my heart in soul is more dedicated than most to what I do.

Nobody seems to give me the chance to show how my skills in my current employment rolls over seamlessly into this business.

If I believe in you the results are limitless.

Wanna move to Canada ? :)

No kidding eh? I need to hire someone like that. I hate being a better tech than my employees.

Might be a bit of a climate change from So Cal though.

I would like to move to SSE united states Atlanta, Texas, South Carolina area.....just throwing it out there.

Shoveling white stuff, not anymore.

I take that back, for 3.5 mil a year I will consider! ;)

Very partial to Phoenix and or Texas.

Damn 3.5 m a year... I could shovel for 1.25m
What a savings

You will need a bit of plastic surgery and a dirty old man who owns a basketball team if you want $3.5M a year.

I like how you skipped over New Mexico... Not that I blame you :-)

I have a helper that's a veteran.

Polite, professional, respectful, but...
I have to give him direction or no work gets done.
That's fine for now, but if I'm to mold him into self sufficient tech, we have ways to go.
I like military vets. They are used to shitty conditions, so hot attic or hauling boxes, digging trenches doesn't usually fade them.

Isn't New Mexico what you drive thru to get to Texas from the west. ;)

I've only come across one person that I would have really considered hiring.  He was an alarm installer on a job.  His company was acquired by a larger security company recently and there was some shake-up there.

I checked in with him a few weeks ago and he got snatched up by one of my competitors... I think it's a good opportunity for him and they've gained a good employee.