During a training exercise, Chris Ebbesen was once asked to close his eyes and picture his happy place.
For him, it was “on a beach, with my wife, listening to one of our favorite bands.”
When the group opened their eyes, the facilitator asked a simple follow-up, “Who imagined being outdoors?”
Almost everyone raised their hand.
“That really had an impact on me. I want to be part of an industry that puts me where my happy place is,” Ebbesen said. “I like to be outside. Why not choose an industry where you can be outside?”
For Ebbesen, now Regional Specification Manager at Oldcastle APG, that realization has led to a 20-plus-year hardscaping career built on learning, helping others succeed, and shaping his happy place.
From Military Missions to Jobsite Solutions
Ebbesen’s career began in the U.S. Army, where he served as a combat engineer. Growing up in a military family, service felt like a natural path, but the experience also laid the groundwork for a future in construction.
In peacekeeping environments, he explained, engineers often functioned “like the general contractor for the military,” coordinating equipment, building infrastructure, and solving logistical challenges.
“Unbeknownst to me, I was kind of already getting into the construction industry,” he said.
When he transitioned out of the military, an interview opportunity introduced him to interlocking concrete pavers and segmental retaining walls.
He didn’t know anything about the industry but a fellow Army Veteran showed him the research on global adoption rates. At the time, the U.S. had less than half a square foot of pavers per capita, while countries in Europe and elsewhere averaged three to five square feet per person.
“I looked at that as opportunity,” Ebbesen said. “I really felt very strongly that pavers and interlocking concrete pavement were an up-and-coming thing, so I was going to get in on the ground floor.”
Ebbesen started as a sales rep for Oldcastle’s hardscape line, then took a risk to become a contractor himself, helping stabilize and grow a small business. He helped run operations and grew the hardscaping arm of the business until the owner fell back in love with running the company himself.
“I did too good of a job fixing it and made it fun for him,” Ebbesen joked. “I don’t look at it as a negative thing. I looked at it as a positive thing, that I was able to help him get his business stabilized.”
Ebbesen was then recruited by Anchor Wall Systems to help promote their products and services. Eventually Anchor Wall was acquired by Oldcastle, a full-circle return to where his career began. He moved into leadership, guiding sales teams and supporting contractors across regions before recently transitioning into a broader national role.
A Career Built on Solving Problems
For Ebbesen, problem solving is what makes the hardscaping industry the perfect fit for him.
“Contractors are problem solvers,” he said. “If that’s your game, it’s a lot of fun.”
He describes the industry as one where every project begins with a challenge.
“Sometimes the problem is, ‘I don’t want my house to fall into the side of the lake. Can you build me a retaining wall to get my house stabilized?’ That’s a problem. We can solve that. Another problem may be, ‘I don’t have enough room to entertain my friends and family in my backyard.’ That’s also a problem.”
His military experience also prepared him well for a career in problem solving.
“In the military, you are tasked with a mission,” he explained. “And as leaders, we need to come together and solve the problems and the challenges that are proposed by the nature of the mission.”
Each hardscaping job presents something different — soil conditions, drainage issues, grade changes, or aesthetic goals — and the satisfaction comes from finding the right combination of materials, design, and technique.
“We use our products and services to solve homeowners’ and commercial owners’ problems,” he said.
Advice for Aspiring Hardscapers
For those considering a career in hardscaping, Ebbesen emphasizes this aspect.
“Just come with the willingness to solve some problems,” he said. “If you enjoy solving problems, this is a great industry for you.”
A learning mindset, curiosity, and openness to collaboration can take newcomers far. He also encourages peer learning and hands-on experience, noting that sharing knowledge helps the entire industry grow.
And his top advice for people just starting out is something he wishes he would have done at the start of his career.
“Use the products more,” Ebbesen said. “That’s what I would have told my young self. Be more in the field, and learning from folks that are doing it on a day-in and day-out basis.”
A Lifelong Learner
The ongoing opportunity to learn is how Ebbesen stays energized in the industry.
“One of the things that I have recently discovered about myself is I am happiest when I’m learning,” he said.
He notes that the hardscaping industry blends tradition and innovation. While techniques date back centuries, modern tools — from advanced equipment to AI-assisted excavation — are reshaping how projects are designed and built. It’s a dynamic industry with many facets to explore and continue learning about.
Ebbesen is also diving into a new topic as his role evolves at Oldcastle. He recently took on management of the masonry category, an area he readily admits he knew very little about.
“It’s exciting. I’m 53 years old and I’m learning something for the first time,” he said.
An Educator at Heart
Ebbesen also aims to extend this love of learning to others. Alongside his climb through sales and leadership, Ebbesen became a certified paver and retaining wall instructor, getting deeply involved with the Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) and its education programs.
“I believe that small business owners are the backbone of this country, and in our industry, we work with a lot of small businesses,” he said.
He offers the example of a contractor with a crew of three people, where those workers are depending entirely on that one owner to make a living. The weight of that responsibility, he said, deserves every ounce of support the industry can give.
Ebbesen takes this commitment seriously. He stays in touch with contractors he trained years ago. One contractor from a class he taught four years ago calls him a couple of times a month for advice on projects even if they’re not using Oldcastle products.
“I always tell all my people in trainings: I am not wearing a company logo today. I’m wearing the CMHA logo, which means I’m representing the association,” he said. “I don’t care what products you’re putting in. I want to make sure that you are doing it right.”
Watching a contractor’s eyes light up when a concept clicks or seeing someone who has been in the trade for 15 years come away with a new insight fuels Ebbesen.
“I’m a people person,” he said. “…That’s what keeps me going is being part of their learning, part of their discovery. It’s the whole concept of being a part of someone’s story.”
Whether he’s helping a contractor grow a business, teaching best practices in a training session, or supporting a project that transforms a backyard, his work ultimately comes back to solving problems and creating spaces where people can gather outdoors, the very environments he once pictured as his happy place.
It’s a philosophy he summed up in a LinkedIn description that perfectly captures both his career and the broader impact of hardscaping:
“I bring people together in beautiful, functional, safe spaces at home, at work, and in our communities. That’s my passion.”
