My love of BBQ started at an early age - since I was born and raised in what can be considered one of Texas BBQ’s birthplaces.  For some, places like City Market BBQ, Kreuz, Black’s and Smitty’s are a pilgrimage on the BBQ trail. For me, that was all I knew - leading to an understanding and appreciation of craft BBQ long before it was trendy.

My welding days go back to when I was a kid, since my dad spent over 40 years as a welder and taught me from a young age. But my career started in oil and gas like a lot of Texans. One of the highlights of my time in that industry was how much it led to where I am today.  I would always pass by this craft Q spot that I loved and it really sent me down a path I couldn’t have imagined at the time. 

When the pandemic turned the world upside down, I started spending a lot more time with pitmasters I knew which turned into a prototype of my first CenTex pit. Ronnie Killen of Killen’s BBQ bought that first one before it was even finished and the rest is pretty much history. When I built Big Moe Cason’s pit, in a blink I had a waiting list a year long - and CenTex Smokers was born. I left Oil and Gas to the other guys and chased my passion to build the best custom pits on the market.