By: Matt Emma

Entrepreneurial journeys often begin with conviction, a belief that something meaningful can be built from an idea and a handful of people who care enough to make it real. But as a company grows, that belief is tested. Scaling can sometimes dilute the very essence that made it special in the first place. For some leaders, the challenge becomes how to grow while striving to retain what matters most.

That philosophy runs deep at Geobarns, a design-and-build company founded by George Abetti, known for its distinctive post-and-beam structures and the quiet connection to the land that they inspire. “When I started this,” Abetti says, “it was to make places that people could feel are part of their lives.”

From its beginnings more than three decades ago, Geobarns has built hundreds of projects, from homes and wineries to churches and community spaces, all unified by a commitment to integrity, collaboration, and care. Yet what truly defines the company is not only its aesthetic but its mindset: a belief that trust is central to every enduring structure.

“I would rather be trusting and generous and be burned,” Abetti says, “than to never be trusting and generous at all.”

That simple but meaningful idea has shaped every relationship within the company, from its clients and craftsmen to the leadership team that now carries its mission forward. Abetti credits much of Geobarns’ evolution to the people he’s brought alongside him: CEO Ryan Hereth, designer and partner David Hamilton, and longtime collaborator Casey Williams, among others. “I didn’t want people who were just like me,” he says. “I wanted people who would make me better.”

Each brings a perspective that strengthens the whole. Hereth ensures that the company’s operations stay grounded in precision and planning. Hamilton, an expert in land use and design, has an uncanny ability to place a building so that it feels inevitable, as though it belonged to the landscape. And Williams, whose background in urban planning and ecology informs her empathy-driven approach, focuses on how every project reflects the life of its inhabitants.

That harmony of skill and spirit is rare in an industry often defined by deadlines and budgets. According to industry research, construction projects experience significant communication-related delays, a finding that underscores how easily relationships can fray in complex, high-stakes environments. Yet Geobarns has cultivated a culture where collaboration is personal.

For clients, the process feels less like a transaction and more like a dialogue. “We will start with a sketch,” Abetti explains. “Then they will respond, and we will go back and forth. The design becomes something we gradually discover together.” The result is a shared story, shaped by trust and curiosity.

That trust extends far beyond the construction site. According to Abetti, many Geobarns clients remain in touch long after their projects are complete, often inviting Abetti or the crew back just to reconnect. He recalls one homeowner who called in tears the day his build team left. “He said, ‘You never told me it would be like this.’ That kind of relationship, you can’t plan it. It’s born out of genuine care.”

These relationships aren’t built overnight; true relationships often never are. At Geobarns, relationships are not transactional but deeply personal, from asking the questions that often go unasked. “Understanding our clients’ longings for their home is just as important as floor plans or colors,” adds Abetti. Everyone’s voice matters, and in fact, one of Geobarns’ convictions is that “Decisions that are wrestled and fought over tend to be of higher quality than those where one person simply deferred to another.”

Care, as Abetti describes it, is both the company’s compass and its safeguard. “We don’t want to lose who we are,” he says. “We want to become more of who we are.” That mindset has guided Geobarns through growth and succession, ensuring that as new partners step forward, the spirit behind the work remains intact.

The construction world may be filled with efficiency models and standardized plans, but Geobarns operates on something timeless: the belief that building, at its best, is an act of relationship. It’s about listening deeply, creating intentionally, and leaving behind structures that foster connection rather than simply provide shelter.

Geobarns’ story suggests that growth doesn’t have to mean losing authenticity; succession doesn’t have to mean dilution. When a team is built on shared conviction and trust, expansion becomes an extension of identity.

As Abetti says, “This whole journey, the partners, the clients, the crew, it’s always about designing and building better, and building lives in the process.”