Jody Brooks

Background

About Jody Brooks

I've always worked with my hands. From growing up on a farm to working with horses as a teenager. My early years were spent outdoors working, playing, getting dirty and doing those daily tasks that just had to be done. But, there were plenty of times where I had to think outside the box or problem solve in real time. These formative years were a major reason for my career path over the years. I finished school and went to college studying engineering. it wasn't for me as I was already working and earning. I started my own landscaping and groundworks company at 18 and my first loan was for a digger, not a car. I quickly moved from building small patios and sheds to houses and roads. I learned on my feet, through experience and working with great people. But, I grew tired of the repetitive and uncreative nature of the construction industry in Ireland. I travelled to New York and worked there for a year. I learned and found new and better ways of doing things. I went on to Italy and worked on older buildings, embracing traditional methods of construction while always using modern techniques when warranted. It was this respect for traditional methods and my enthusiasm for innovation that really pushed me on to my current career path. I returned to Ireland and started working on old and historical buildings in Dublin. When renovating or restoring very old buildings an ability to improvise and problem solve is pivotal. What works on paper only works on paper. This is the exciting part of my work. its encountering a problem and coming up with a solution. So this is how I found "Shikkui". I'm living beside a very busy motorway. My wife has asthma and we have young children. I was renovating my house and wanted to find a sustainable way to clean the air in my house. I searched everywhere and researched many possible solutions. Then I found "Shikkui". A traditional lime plaster from Japan. The company that manufactured this has tradition and innovation as its heart. So, off I went to Japan, came back with the knowledge and now the story begins.