Meet The Experts
Marty McCurry, Co-founder and Owner
Marty doesn’t have or need a corner office-he’s happiest in the woods searching for new ideas and appreciating nature. Otherwise, he’s usually in the shop exploring the possibilities of a new found texture. His contribution to the company is following material from a pre-designed concept to the final refinement of a marketable product. This process begins with identification of material for product potential, moves to design and manipulation, then engineering of specialized manufacturing equipment and ends with the final say on promotional activities. Marty is a licensed building contractor with 25 years of rustic design experience and education in architecture and chemical engineering.
Chris McCurry, Co-founder and Owner
Chris is the author of Bark House Style: Sustainable Designs from Nature, (published by Gibbs Smith in June 08), and creator of Bark House® by design. She is the founder of growthishometowngreen.org which is a grass roots effort to identify grants that can bring green development opportunities to economically distressed rural communities. Chris is a true business and social entrepreneur. She is also responsible for the company’s marketing plan which has seen HC® featured in over 75 important magazines and numerous newspaper and web outlets. Marty, Chris, and their young son have already traveled to Africa, Europe, North and South America to study how to integrate local traditions and materials in building their communities and homes. Traveling allows these two to stay on the cutting edge of design.
Gary McCurry, Operations and Quality Assurance Manager
Gary has spent more than 30 years in industrial quality control and has taught operations management at the college level. At Highland Craftsmen he designs production processes, educates and manages employees and vendors, and ensures that each Bark House® product reaches exact specifications before it leaves the manufacturing plant. His passion, though, is quality land management, and he serves on several regional advisory boards for sensible development of natural resources. Gary is also known as an expert on Appalachian history and folklore.
Ryan Crawley, Sales
Ryan feels right at home with Highland Craftsmen’s natural connection. That’s because he has already hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, managed a low-impact wilderness school for teens, and worked with the U.S. Forest Service. Ryan and his wife intensely train for distance running events, and that “extra mile” attitude will always surface in his professional career as he services your orders and inquiries.
Marmon Thompson, Log, Pole and Twig Procurement
A former city arborist with a degree in forestry, extensive training in horticulture and park management, and years of experience in the field, Marmon is considered an authority on Appalachian wood species. He maintains Highland Craftsmen’s inventory of twigs, poles, and logs, making sure that the stock is uniform despite all the possible variations. When not being bombarded by the main office, he manages a family farm and his own thriving native plant nursery.
Mike Lyon, Office Manager
Mike holds a special position of honor here with us being a retired veteran of the US Army. In his 22 year career he served as a drill sergeant, intelligence officer, and a battalion operations manager. Life after the army found him supervising a security force for a medical supply manufacturer before being recruited by Highland Craftsmen as our office manager. When not keeping our books and protocol in line, “Drill Sergeant” can usually be found in his shop honing his fine woodworking skills.
The Crew
Manufacturing Bark House products for Highland Craftsmen calls for brawn and brains. We’re proud to have a crew that can bring the best green building products to market, year after year. Dedication to quality and each other helps us create a successful company. Our dedication is enacted in our practices.