Lucas Ferreira PC ’15

A foundation to thrive

Preservation Carpentry ’15
Age 40
Newton, NJ
Owner, Ferreira’s Restoration LLC

Lucas tried out many paths and professions before a job as a facilities manager at a public garden gave him a taste of restoration and preservation. His training and NBSS provided him the skills, training, and, most importantly, the confidence to start his own business.

What were you doing before you came to NBSS to train?

I came to America from Brazil when I was 17. After high school, I started college and majored in biology with the intention of possibly becoming a doctor. I made it two years before I dropped out due to family and financial issues. 

I started working as the facilities assistant at Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, New Jersey. It’s an amazing 100-year-old public garden with several original buildings. I restored windows and doors there, then picked up carpentry jobs on the weekends. That was my first taste of restoration work. 

My boss at Greenwood encouraged me to go back to school to complete my associate’s degree. Once I finished, I realized that I’m not the type of guy who can sit behind a desk and stare at a computer screen—I need to work with my hands.

Why NBSS, and how did it impact you?

I’ve always known deep down, even when I first came here and I didn’t speak a word of English, that I had it in me to be my own boss and to own a business. I just never knew when I’d be able to do it or in what industry. Once I started doing restorations at the gardens, I realized I had a passion for the history of buildings and architecture, particularly American buildings. 

One of my coworkers at Greenwood—and I’ll never forget this—told me I had a real talent, but I needed training to level up and make something of it. After some research of his own, he suggested NBSS. I checked it out and was intrigued by the detail of the program as well as the potential skills I’d leave with. 

NBSS gave me the skills and the confidence to finally pursue entrepreneurship in a field that I was passionate about.

What are you doing now?

I own my own business, Ferreira’s Restoration LLC, in Newton, NJ, which specializes in restoration and painting. About half of my business is restoration work—windows and doors in historic homes—and the other half is painting. While at NBSS, I worked as a painter on the side. I fell in love with painting and learned so many tricks of the trade during that time. So now that’s a part of my business, all as a result of North Bennet.

Whenever I see historic homes being torn down—it kills me. So whatever I can do to keep the history alive, whether it’s one window of the whole house, that’s what I’ve now set out to do.

How did you feel supported during your time at NBSS?

The instructors are so passionate and involved, and I’m still friends with many of them today. I go back to see them at the School regularly. In the ten years that I’ve been gone, they’ve answered every question I’ve had. Anything that’s popped up while I’m in my workshop that I feel unsure about, they’re my first call. 

It’s instructors and relationships like that that make the School so special.

How do you feel at the end of the workday now compared to before you attended NBSS?

I feel a million times better. In the early days I was making things work, but deep down I was insecure. I hadn’t had the training to know if I was doing things correctly or well enough. 

Today, with the knowledge that I acquired from North Bennet and the support from my teachers to this day, I feel confident enough that I can do anything. At the end of the day, when I’ve finished a job for a client, I know it’s a job well done.

This story is from our Summer 2025 issue of Benchmarks magazine. Read more stories from the issue or view past issues.