If you’ve been living out on the forks for any length of time, chances are good you’ve seen a home built or renovated by Eastbay Builders. Heck, maybe you even live in one. With 42 years of experience in the area — 36 of those as the founder of Eastbay — Jim Naples has put a hammer to many a Hamptons home (in a good way!). He specializes in design/build projects, but also says there’s no renovation too small for his team to tackle.
Southforker: How did you get started in the business?
Jim Naples: Construction was always in my background and I learned a lot about the trade from family—my dad was in the commercial construction industry and my father-in-law was a contractor in the Hamptons. I went to school for architecture, but I became a builder. I love details and great design, implementing interesting amenities. I started out small, wearing a pouch and banging nails with a helper, and we’ve grown into a reputable company. But, it did not happen overnight – it came with a lot of years of experiences.
SF: In this age of technology, the gig economy and remote work, is it tough to find people who want to work in construction?
JN: My carpenter crew is my in-house talent and are like family, and I have my own crews of subcontractors—some of them have been with me up to 20 and 30 years. It’s a distinction to have such long-lasting crews … I trust my men—I don’t stand over their shoulders. They are treated like family.
SF: What is your business philosophy—the secret sauce to your success?
JN: Knowing your numbers and being able to run a company, that’s part of doing business. We are very transparent about the conditions and our numbers, so there are no surprises at the end for the client. I know what we do, I know what we can do … I don’t make promises I can’t keep. I like to be valued for our work. I am big on procedure and there are certain things I like to see done in certain ways, like organization and cleanliness on any project not only of the crew, but of the materials, the system and how the project has to come together.
“I know what we do, I know what we can do … I don’t make promises I can’t keep. I like to be valued for our work.”
Jim Naples, Eastbay Builders
SF: How has the business changed in the last few years, through the pandemic, when it was a tough climate for construction?
JN: My crew was with me during the pandemic and it was difficult because we had limited workers on the job, had to meet [public health] standards, but we pushed through it. The supply chain was a nightmare, but all that has changed and now things almost come faster than I want them to. I see things picking up and competition is getting crazy. Going back 30 or 35 years ago, we knew everyone in our business – our suppliers and our competition — and there are so many out there now … everyone became a contractor. But a lot of my work is word of mouth and recommendation. I don’t get into bidding wars – the quality of our work holds strong.
SF: What do you like to do in your spare time?
JN: I’ve been married for 50 years to my best friend—we went to William Floyd High School together—so we have 5 kids, 11 grandkids and a 12th on the way, and a great-granddaughter, so we are big into family. We live on the bay in Center Moriches and we love to go out on the boat, fish together … travel and once in a while play slots in Mohegan Sun.
