September 25, 2026
Welcome to the 19th issue of our newsletter.
It’s back-to-school season which means it’s time to get back-to-another issue of the Louis & Sons newsletter. We’ve got a lot in store for you this month so we hope you enjoy. As always, if you have a project that you would like to feature in the next issue or know someone that would be interested in receiving our monthly newsletter, send us an email.
Ravenna Gemignani
Editor in Chief
Media Consultant
Project Spotlight
Currently, we’re working on a 5-story luxury apartment building for E.S.K Builder, Inc. The building is located in the heart of New Brunswick, close to several buildings of the Rutgers University campus.
This is why we do prepwork pre-sheetrock: for electric, sprinklers, and plumbing.
This is a firestop. They’re required in multi-family buildings. Multi-family is much different than residential. Every box on a common wall has to have a red putty encasing.
Builder Spotlight
E.S.K. Builder, Inc.
We’ve been working with E.S.K. Builder, Inc. for over 24 years and are very grateful for their business. Steve Kontos and his son, Mike, have been building homes throughout New Jersey since 1972. This month, we interviewed them to learn more about the history of E.S.K. Here is the story of Steve’s journey to America and how he built his business.
Steve Kontos was born in 1941 in Rhodes, Greece, into a family of farmers. From a young age, he dreamed of building a life in New York. He worked tirelessly on the family farm and later went on to work as a sea man on an army ship when he was 16 years old. Later, Steve became a chef on the ship cooking for 25 people.
At 18, when the ship docked in America, Steve seized the moment, jumping off and never looking back. He had his first job at a bakery in Pittsburg and would learn 3-4 sentences everyday in English to learn how to communicate. He became fluent in English after just three months and then eventually became a US citizen. After working at his cousin’s diner in Linden for a while, he started a painting company with his family when they came to America.
In 1972, he partnered with a Greek civil engineer to help expand the company into homebuilding. Now, he runs the company alongside his son, Michael, and they have built many homes throughout the state of New Jersey with Louis & Sons.
“If you really want something, God is not gonna plant it for you. You have to work for it yourself.” — Steve Kontos
Subcontractor Spotlight
Luis is a taper who has been with us for a very long time as a subcontractor. He finishes walls and ceilings by covering seams and screw holes with joint compound and then smoothing them out with a spackle knife. Luis is always working even when he’s not on the job. At home, he’s always building and fixing things. He lives with his wife, Lucy, and has 6 kids. We are so thankful to have Luis on our team and are so proud of the work he does here.
Back to School
It’s back-to-school season at Louis & Sons! Our employees’ kids are ready to learn new things and spend time with friends. Wishing everyone a successful school year.
Guillermo’s Kids
Norman’s Kids
News
25 Years of Louis & Sons!
This September, we celebrated 25 years of Louis & Sons Drywall,Inc. The company was originally founded by Louis Gemignani, who was an immigrant from Italy and came to America with nothing more than hope and a dream. He worked many odd jobs until he eventually got a job at the biggest drywall company at the time, Meisnick’s and Stegger’s. He became a taper and met John who was a finisher. They ventured out on their own and became Louis & John Drywall in 1959. In 2001, Louis’ sons, Mike and Bob took over the company and renamed it to Louis & Sons Drywall, Inc. Thank you so much for 25 years and we hope to be here for many more.
News
New Zoning Law (A3877) Comes Into Effect
In late August 2026, Bill A3877 Sca (1R) was officially signed into law in New Jersey. This law grants funds for municipalities that update their zoning laws to allow for more housing within the area. The state would also publish a list of municipalities that participate and give them preference for road and transportation funding. Additionally, the state would offer a 10% increase in funding for school construction projects.
Source: njleg.gov
Mike’s Message
Greetings from Dallas, Texas!
I am writing my “Mike’s Message” in the airport on the way home.
Norman and I attended this year’s ICAA Insulation Convention and Trade Show. We had an amazing time. ICAA is America’s largest insulation trade organization. Each year they gather all top names in insulation, spray foam, and related industries for a 3-day convention. There was a golf outing (not for me) and full days of seminars. We learned all about the new AI estimating software that will soon be taking over our industry. Other seminars included 1099 worker employment, proper PPE standards for spray foam, contract pitfalls, and others. It was very informative and we learned a lot. We also connected with our current suppliers and made contact with other suppliers and manufacturers.
We want to thank Tony and the gang at Cameron Ashley for taking us out for a night at the House of Blues. Great food, great music, and great fun! Despite all this activity, Norman and I took a little time to discover Dallas and I have to say it’s a great city with great people. We visited the sixth floor museum, the site where Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy. It was very informative and interactive. Although the displays were somber, I urge anyone to check out this piece of our history. Even though I wasn’t even born when it happened, I still found myself getting emotional.
We also got a chance to meet with my cousin, Helen. She is a flight attendant for American Airlines and lives in Dallas. She took us out and showed us all the sights of Dallas after dark. It was beautiful.
I think this year’s event was one of the best and I’m eager to share what we learned on our trip.
Thanks everyone for listening and soon I’ll be back in the office playing catch up. The work never stops, but it is always best to take time for yourself and a continuing education.
Yippee-ki-yay you all!
Mike Gemignani
President
Cartoon
Caroline’s Corner – Words of Wisdom
Anyone who has met or talked to our Office Manager will know that she is the most positive, optimistic and wonderful person you will ever meet. She often has quotes and stories that get us through our tension-filled days. Here are some fun facts that she would like to share with us about New Jersey:
Fun Facts About New Jersey
- Believe it or not, Trenton was once the capital of the United States. However, this honor lasted less than two months in 1784.
- New Jersey ranks 2nd in the nation in the production of blueberries, 3rd in spinach and cranberries, and 4th in lettuce, bell peppers, and peaches.
- In 1721, William Trent established “Trent’s Town”. The village became known as Trenton and eventually became the state’s capital city.
Source: funworldfacts.com
Jokes
I’m learning to use a telescope as a hobby.
It’s a lot of fun, you should look into it.
People with poor boundaries
are more likely to take a fence
I recently lost my thesaurus…
I can’t find the words to say how sad I am
Quotes
“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”
― Anne Sweeney, American businesswoman and former president of Disney Channel
“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”
― Abraham Maslow, American psychologist
“Productivity is less about time management and more about attention management.”
― Adam Grant, American author and professor
