Bernie St. James
Bernie was a drywaller and drywall contractor before founding Columbia Taping Tools in 1979. He began Columbia by himself, creating tools from his own designs, and now has over 50 years of experience in the industry. He is proud of how far the company has grown in the past 40 years and is excited by what the future holds with his two sons now at the helm. Bernie has always been driven to create and build, and the same is true in his spare time, whether he’s fishing, farming, framing structures, pouring concrete or utilizing his fleet of earthmoving equipment.
Elliot St. James
Elliot has over 25 years of industry experience and leads the company’s direction in his current role as VP and General Manager. He started at the family business working in sales, eventually becoming a talented machinist and CNC programmer overseeing the technical aspects of Columbia’s product creation. His passion for the drywall industry and leadership earned him a Top 20 Under 40 Award for Manufacturing in 2016. Elliot loves solving manufacturing puzzles, creating technical solutions, and the challenge of selling commercial products in a globally competitive landscape. In his free time, he loves running, being involved in his son’s basketball career, fantasy football and travelling the world.
Aaron St. James
Aaron is responsible for Marketing and Operations at Columbia, with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He makes sure everything stays running smoothly and if it doesn’t, he solves the problem. He began working in the assembly department before moving on to sales, helping to establish Columbia as a world leader in drywall tools. His keen eye for detail also ensures nothing slips through the cracks during tool quality control. Aaron loves a challenge and is motivated to always be the best at whatever he does, which also motivates him to continuously raise Columbia’s profile as a manufacturer of the world’s highest quality drywall tools. When he’s not at work driving our company forward every day, Aaron enjoys working out, travelling, good food and spending time with his family.