Courtesy
John Libby
December 2, 2024
New leader takes over at Freeport firm using age-old construction methods
Courtesy / Houses & Barns by John Libby
Lee Proscia, left, takes over the helm as president of Houses & Barns by John Libby. The company’s founder, John Libby is retiring after a 53-year career in the industry. Libby will continue to sit on the board of directors.
A Freeport construction firm that uses old-school building methods has a new president.
Lee Proscia was named as president of Houses & Barns by John Libby.
The firm's namesake and founder, John Libby, plans to retire after more than five decades at the business. He will continue to serve on the board of directors.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our country and Houses & Barns by John Libby has demonstrated its resolve having succeeded for the last 50 years,” said Proscia. “We are built for the long haul and want to carry that momentum long into the future.”
Since its founding in 1971, the company has established a reputation as a quality timber frame builder and general contractor. Libby, a Presque Isle native, had an interest in building barns using age-old traditions of wood joinery and in 1985 became a founding member of the Timber Framers Guild.
By the 1990s, Libby hired in-house architects and designers to expand the business into a turnkey, full-service general contracting firm. Today, the firm is based in Freeport (its headquarters is visible from I-295). The Douglas fir to Maine pine timbers are hand-cut in the shop there.
Courtesy / Houses & Barns by John Libby
Lee Proscia takes over the helm as president of Houses & Barns by John Libby. The company’s founder, John Libby is retiring after a 53-year career in the industry. He will continue to sit on the board of directors.
New leader
With Proscia, the firm has a seasoned construction leader.
“I see my role as president as being all about continuity,” adds Proscia. “There are few iconic brands in Maine that are known as makers — but craftsmanship and tradition are what we’re known for. I see myself very much in the role of steward.”
Proscia earned a degree in finance before engaging in formal training in preservation. Proscia worked for several years as a cabinetmaker Downeast then spent a decade in managerial positions at Portland-based Wright-Ryan Construction, where he led the millwork shop and managed pre-construction tasks for the homes division.
He was recruited by Libby in 2017, with the eye of taking over the leadership role, and has spent the past seven years leading operations, the firm said.
Proscia will oversee a team of architects, timber framers and builders — 10 people in all.
“This company is now in much better hands with Lee leading it,” said Libby. “Lee is extremely fine-tuned on the craft of timber framing, but he also brings a powerful business sense. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built with our customers over the years, and I’m excited to see how this team will endure — just like our buildings — long into the future.”
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