Meet the Staff
Richard Laughlin
Richard is the Owner and President of Laughlin Homes and Restoration, Inc. Richard started the firm in 1984 after serving as a lead carpenter on the restoration of the Nimitz Hotel, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Project, in Fredericksburg. He is a third-generation builder and fourth-generation resident of Gillespie County. Richard is a Certified Graduate Builder and Certified Green Professional. The company has been a staple of the Hill Country over the last 34 years. Richard has a national network of material providers to find the right elements for any home. He has developed long-standing relationships with many local contractors whom he trusts to carry out his designs. Richard remains active in his community and was named the 2013 Fredericksburg Chamber Man of the Year, received the 2011-12 Rotary Club Vocational Service Award, and had the 123rd Gillespie Country Fair dedicated in honor of his 16 years of service (1989-2004). Richard resides in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Douglas Grona
Douglas has served as Construction Superintendent for Laughlin Homes & Restoration, Inc. since 1990, making him the longest-serving member of the staff. After working for Great Texas Lumber Company for two years, and then working as a carpenter for his dad at Grona Construction for another 17 years, Douglas came to work for Richard. On a daily basis, Douglas is the field supervisor of the seven-man framing crew of Laughlin Homes. He and his wife, Linda, reside in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Kent Hutton
Kent has served as Office Manager and Financial Manager for Laughlin Homes & Restoration, Inc. since 2000. He retired from Shell Chemical Company after a 32-year career. He earned his BS in chemistry from the University of Colorado in Boulder (1965) and a master’s degree in studies of the future from the University of Houston, Clear Lake (1999). He initially worked for the Shell Chemical Company at the Denver Chemical Plant where his positions included: Chemist, Technical Department Manager, and Plant Operations Manager. In 1972, he was transferred to Shell Chemical Company in Houston, Texas, where he held positions in the Corporate Economics and Planning Department, Staff Administration, and Resins Business Center. From 1998 to 2008, he provided workshops for middle and high school teachers associated with the Texas Future Problem Solving Program. He and his wife, Diane, reside in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Madison Morrow
Madison joined the Laughlin team in August of 2021 as a full-time intern. She graduated with her Business Marketing degree in December of 2021 from Angelo State University with the last year being solely online schooling. Madison is the first point of contact here at Laughlin Homes + Restoration, Inc.. She is our warranty and maintenance manager, marketing manager, and receptionist. After a short move from her hometown of Kerrville, Madison resides in Fredericksburg and hopes to learn every bit of the home building career there is to learn.
Matthew Averill
Matthew joined the team in May of 2022 as a project manager. He earned his Master’s and Ph.D. in Geophysics at the University of Texas at El Paso after a B.S. in Geology from Montana State. He honed his business management and leadership skills through 14 years in Houston working in the oil industry. After a successful career as a Geophysicist in Houston, TX he and his family made the decision to leave the oil industry and start a new life with their 3 children in Fredericksburg. He is now hoping to re-direct his skills toward learning, building and growing a career in home building, remodeling and restoration.
