DEERFIELD - Shane Carter says his path to a career in construction has not been a traditional one, but as president and owner of Ridgeview Construction, his unique background has helped him create one of New Hampshire's most progressive building companies.

With degrees in forestry and wildlife biology, Carter said he moved to Colorado after college to work for the forest service. At that time he said he was particularly passionate about fine woodworking and luthiery – the building and repair of guitars.

About 10 years ago, when Carter moved to New Hampshire, he worked for a custom builder that provided his first learning experience in the world of construction. With a newly gained knowledge of construction and a desire to promote sustainable building, Carter said he wanted to create a company that would stand out among others in terms of environmental consciousness.

“When I created Ridgeview, I wanted to make something that was a unique entity of sustainable, thoughtful, environmentally sensitive building with a good sense of very high-quality, fine home building,” he said.

When building, Carter said one of Ridgeview's top priorities is to utilize as much local material as possible. He said using locally provided wood and stone is the ultimate sustainable action a company can take.

In addition to keeping materials local, Carter said Ridgeview also always aims to educate its customers on why it is important to use energy-efficient appliances and fixtures. He said by learning how to properly use green building techniques, a customer's enjoyment of a home will increase and will not cost any more than a standard home.

“The biggest thing is helping to educate clients why it's good building to build the way that we do,” he said. “The biggest misconception is it costs more, but it only costs more if you want more expensive items.”

In addition to promoting sustainable building, Carter is a multi-instrumentalist and jazz aficionado. He also continues to express his love of agriculture through volunteer work with the Deerfield Farmer's Market. Carter said support of local agriculture is an essential sustainable activity and doing so in New Hampshire can provide a major boost to the state's economy.

“New Hampshire is uniquely poised to take ownership of the local agricultural movement and get back to what New Hampshire's base is, which is a strong agricultural economy,” he said.

Carter said being an active member of the community is essential as an individual, but is something that Ridgeview aims to continue to do as well.

“My general premise and philosophy is not to be in business to just make money,” he said. “I don't put a lot of value there. It's more important to create opportunity and to create something that is important for our communities.”