Evan Stafford has led an amazing life that has brought him back to his roots with a new local business. The Eastbay High School graduate joined the Marines in December 2000. He was in the United States Marine Corps’ 1st Reconnaissance Battalion during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
“There is a book and HBO series on Evan and his battalion called Generation Kill,” said Stafford’s wife, Caroline. “He did two tours in Iraq and received the Purple Heart and Silver Star.”
When Evan got out of the Marines in 2005, he began working in the aluminum business.
“He worked for Knox Aluminum for four and a half years but then got a call from a fellow Marine asking Evan to come back, but with the private sector of the Department of Defense,” Caroline said. “He was then contracted in Afghanistan, doing security for 10 years.”
At the beginning of this year, Evan decided it was time to hang his boots and be home with his family.
“Since we have little children, he contacted his best friend, Robbie Gambrell, who was still working for Knox Aluminum, and they decided to start their own aluminum business,” Caroline said. “They make the best combo. They are both hardworking, local Apollo Beach guys who love what they do.”
And so New Wave Aluminum was born. The two men combined have more than 20 years of experience working in the aluminum business. New Wave Aluminum offers a variety of services that include aluminum construction, sun rooms, pool cages, screened enclosures, windows and screen repair.
“Evan and Robbie do every estimate and they are the ones building out the jobs,” Stafford said. “Our main goal is customer service, and with Evan being former military, he has a very strong work ethic.”
The Staffords and Gambrell believe strongly in supporting the local community.
“We use all local concrete companies and we buy from a local distributor for all our materials,” said Caroline. “We want to help support other local companies that are small. When you hire local small companies, you’re helping to support their families.”
To learn more about New Wave Aluminum and the services it offers, visit www.newwavealuminum.com or call 659-6342.
