Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Mccarthy.
Hi Kevin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began this journey while working in construction for other companies. I was always paying attention to how things were built, how they came together, and realizing along the way that I was capable of doing much of the work myself. I’ve always been a hands-on person. Even around the house, I was the guy who would fix things, build things, or sometimes take something apart just to understand how it worked—and then figure out how to put it back together.
About a year and a half ago, I started noticing a need in the Charleston area for a company willing to take on smaller, detail-oriented projects that might not fit the mold of a traditional construction company. I saw an opportunity to combine that need with two things I’ve always loved: art and construction.
I have a background in art, but for a long time I never really had the right outlet for that creativity. Starting my own construction company gave me one. It allowed me to work with my hands, be creative, solve problems, and help bring someone else’s vision to life. There’s something incredibly rewarding about having a client describe an idea and then being able to stand back at the end of the project and say, “We made that real.”
But the company has also grown to mean something much bigger to me personally.
I’m 10 years sober, and recovery has played a major role in shaping who I am today. As the business grew, I realized I had an opportunity to help other people who were trying to rebuild their lives. I began working with a local recovery center to provide employment opportunities for people completing their programs. Those who are ready to work can reach out, tell me about their experience and skills, and, when there’s a good fit, we can help get them back to work and moving forward.
That part of the business has been one of the biggest blessings for me. When I was getting sober and trying to put my own life back together, I wish I had been given an opportunity like that. Having someone willing to take a chance on you, give you responsibility, and allow you to prove yourself can make a tremendous difference.
Today, I get to build things for a living, use the creative side of myself that I’ve always had, and hopefully help other people build something for themselves along the way. For me, that’s what makes this company about more than construction.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Like any small business, one of the biggest challenges in the beginning is simply getting your name out there. You can do great work, but people still have to know who you are and trust you enough to give you that first opportunity.
I’ve been very fortunate to have lived in the Charleston area for more than 20 years, so I already had relationships within the community when I started the company. Some of our earliest customers were people I knew or referrals from friends, and from there, word of mouth really began to grow. In this business, your reputation means everything, and every successful project has the potential to lead to the next one.
Another challenge has been hiring and building a dependable team. Because part of our mission is providing opportunities to people coming out of recovery, there can sometimes be additional challenges during that transition. Going from the structure and accountability of a recovery program back into everyday life can be a major adjustment. People are rebuilding routines, relationships, finances, and their independence all at the same time.
Not every situation works out, and I’ve had to learn that you can give someone an opportunity, support them, and set expectations, but ultimately they have to choose what they do with that opportunity. At the same time, when you see someone take that chance and really run with it, it makes the challenges worthwhile.
We’ve learned, adapted, and continued moving forward. Today, we operate with a team of five and take on projects throughout the Charleston area. We may still be a small company, but we’re proud of how much we’re able to accomplish and the reputation we’re continuing to build—one project and one relationship at a time.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What we really specialize in is taking care of the customer. I know that may sound a little old-fashioned, but I believe the relationship we build with a customer is just as important as the project itself. By the time we start a job, I’ve usually gotten to know the customer, understand what they’re looking for, and developed a relationship where they feel comfortable being open with me about exactly what they want.
I’m incredibly proud of our ability to take someone’s vision and bring it to life. A customer may come to us with a few ideas—a certain color, material, or overall look—and then we work together to fill in the pieces. I might suggest a color that complements something they’ve already chosen or a design detail they hadn’t considered. It becomes a collaborative process, and I think that’s when the best projects really come together.
What truly sets us apart, though, is communication. I make it a priority to communicate with every customer throughout their project, often on a daily basis. I want them to know what we accomplished that day, what’s happening next, and immediately hear about anything unexpected that comes up.
Construction and remodeling can be stressful. You’re trusting someone with your home, your money, and a vision you may have been thinking about for years. My goal is to take as much of that stress away as possible. I want our customers to feel informed, comfortable, and confident that we care about their project just as much as they do.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Our story really took an unexpected turn in 2020. My wife, Kelley, and I had moved back to Charleston, we were buying a house, we both had good jobs, and we were expecting our first child. We felt like we were starting this exciting new chapter of our lives—and then COVID hit.
Like so many families during that time, we suddenly found ourselves without the security we thought we had. We both lost our jobs, and with a baby on the way, we had to figure out how we were going to make it work.
Looking back, though, I sometimes call it a stroke of unfortunate luck. Losing our jobs was scary, but it also gave me something I never would have had otherwise: the opportunity to be home with Kelley and our newborn son during a time in our lives that I’ll never get back.
It also pushed me back toward something I had loved for years but had gotten away from—art.
We needed to make an income, so I set up a small art shop in our garage and started making and selling wood art under the name McCarthy Arts. I did that for about a year and a half. What started simply as a way to help support my family ended up reigniting a creative side of me that I had almost forgotten about.
I always say that if COVID hadn’t happened, I probably would have taken the next job that came along and continued down the same path. Instead, necessity forced me to pick up the pen again, so to speak. Once I did, all of that creativity started coming back.
That little art shop in our garage eventually became the foundation for something much bigger. It combined with my experience in construction and ultimately helped lead me to where I am today. In a strange way, one of the most uncertain periods of our lives helped create McCarthy Arts Construction.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://MCCARTHYARTSCONSTRUCTION.com
- Instagram: @mccarthy_arts_construction
