Where Function Meets Aesthetic
Meet the Team
Leighton and the team at Leighton's Landscapes and Masonry bring precision, professionalism, and beauty to your patio, outdoor kitchen, fireplace; or other stonework. Find out a little more about this great group of individuals working to make your space a masterpiece.
Owner & Mason
Leighton Thayer
Leighton is no stranger around large jobsites or difficult situations. A career steeped in curiosity and determination; Leighton went out on his own in 2019 with something to prove. Over the last seven years, core values and dreams have been formed. A passion for developing spaces and solving problems, Leighton coupled his masonry background with a landscape design and excavation knowledge to the company you see today. The priorities are clear – long lasting installations, always improving and being creative in our solutions. We are where form and function collide.
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These days – Leighton focuses on client relationships, building a quality team, project development and design, and allowing his peers to grow with him. He believes that leadership is not about being in charge, but about taking care of those, in your charge. Growing the LLM team and culture is a large focus, and it shows in the projects and how the team interacts with clients.
LLMs goal is simple – we want to work with good people, build great projects for excellent clients. Communication, respect, accountability and perseverance are what Leighton leads by. The crew you are about to learn about, other then Mr. Lapan, have all started at Leightons “green” and have turned into some of the best installers around.
When not thinking about building stone walls or outdoor kitchens, Leighton spends his time improving his own land and space, enjoying the company of his wife and kids, or hiking a mountain looking for the next interesting adventure.
Crew Lead & Stone Mason
Jeremy Lapan
Jeremy has a developed craft in anything natural stone. Seemingly born with a hammer in hand- Jeremy is a very talented stone Waller and stone patio installer. His talents do not end there- you should see him throw horseshoes!
Jeremy specializes in high-end hardscapes and dry lay masonry applications and has done so for well over a decade. A music aficionado with genres spanning from whatever you can imagine – Jeremy looks at stone different than most and adds a Vermont Landscape element to LLM. We are excited to have him on our team and is our longest tenured member.
When Jeremy is not building with stone, he can be found hanging out with his wife and kids, competing in horseshoe tournaments all over the northeast or roasting a pig for a wedding or large celebration.
Crew Lead & Mason
Thomas Gaiotti
Thomas joined Leightons Landscapes and Masonry in October of 2021 and has been a seamless fit since. With a love of building and fixing, Tom finds himself leading chimney restoration and veneer crews all over southern Vermont. Lately, he has helped pivot into hardscape projects, even working in the excavator and laying pavers when necessary.
Thomas has his eye on growing beyond a lead foreman and works diligently on perfecting his craft and helping those around him perfect theirs.
During his off hours, You will find Tom chasing deer, working around his new home or spending time with his long-time girlfriend.
Crew Lead & Apprentice
Collin Lewis
Collin joined our team in the spring of 2023 and has been a great fit with a can do attitude. With no relative experience, Collin has proven once again that work ethic and a good attitude trumps skill. Collin has spent his summer learning how to install patios, lay stone veneer and be a problem solver with the trickiest situations.
Collin is originally from the big city suburbs of Boston. When he’s not traveling around the north east to hang with his pals, you can find him spending time with his partner, Steph and their trusty four legged companion, Nellie.
CDL Driver & Operations
Hal Derby
Hal is our newest fit to the LLM team. A joking demeanor and a caring attitude, Hal was welcomed to the squad immediately. Having had some experience helping us in the winter , Hal knew some of the guys and what it took for work with the LLM team.
A man of many talents, Hal has considerable time in the pool world and driving large trucks, both of which come in handy on various jobsites for LLM. Hal is tasked with keeping our fleet safe and up to date on maintenance, while also supporting all of our crews with materials through the installation process.
Equipment Operator
John Stewart
John is the newest addition to the LLM team. Having worked with Leightons as a subcontractor - John made the jump to join the team full time. A talented equipment operator, John will lead the heavy equipment effort and certainly has his work cut out for him in the back half of 2026 and beyond.
A Rutland County local, John has been operating heavy equipment since before he could walk. With a family scattered through the trades and farming industry, John's skill set is of no surprise.
When not cutting in a foundation or resurfacing a driveway, you can find John in the woods chasing deer or sugar taps, or with his family catching fish on Vermont waters.
Masonry Apprentice
Josh Bania
Josh started with LLM right out of high school and quickly established him self as a part of the team. Well liked, hard working with a desire to learn, he is an important piece of what we do every day. Josh is focused on learning all aspects of LLM and slowly has been assuming and completing small projects on his own and with other team members.
Josh enjoys the outdoors immensely and when he is not working hard, you can find him chasing whitetail deer, turkeys or fishing whenever he can. Josh is a Mount Holly native, but his friend group seems to transcend mountain to mountain – everyone knows Josh!
Operator Apprentice
Henry Watson
Henry wins the award for most collected nicknames on a construction crew, ever. His calm and cool demeanor is a welcomed entity in the hustle and bustle of construction season. Henry does what is asked of him but day by day is beginning to develop a skill set on our fleet of machines. We expect Henry to be a large part of our excavation team one day.
Henry lives with his long time girlfriend in Wallingford Vermont. When he's not hookin' fish of riding dirt bikes – he's most likely helping out his family or spending sometime on the lake.
Masonry Apprentice
Tyler Preston
Tyler has an interesting story boarding the LLM train. He applied to us in 2024 but it did not end up working out. He decided to continue helping his wifes business and working on his culinary talents. It so happens that Tylers passion is masonry and a year later when the opportunity presneted itself again, Tyler came through the door, and we are glad he did. A hard worker, a non complainer and someone who gets it done – Tyler is a great additon to the team.
His commitment to LLM is fierce, as he travels some ways to make it to the shop every morning on time, and ready to go!
Tyler resides just over the board in New York state with his wife, daughters and pet turtle.
Stone Hand
Mark Fitzgerald
Mark is another Long standing LLM employee. A great attitude with better hair, Mark is known as a hard worker that can remember how to get just about anywhere we have been, even if hes only been there one time. A farmer at heart with a can do attitude, Mark helps anywhere and everywhere. If theres heavy lifting involved, Mark is the man for the job.
Mark resides in Ira Vermont with his kids on this family farm.
Office Assistant
Zoey Urich
Zoey is a new addition to LLM. With a background in banking and a strong sense of community, Zoey has been a great fit in the office in her short time. As the communication hub of a busy construction company, Zoey handles the phones, distributes infromation and messages, works with clients to handle requests and keeps Leighton organized and moving forward with projects.
Zoey excels at being organized, forward thinking and has knack for learning. She will be essential to next period of growth for LLM.
Office Manager
Stacey Homuth
Stacey retired for a year but decided to join LLM at the request of her favorite nephew. She quickly learned that although he can build with stone; organization isn't his strong point! Thankfully she runs a tighter ship in the office and now the business is full steam ahead. A talented woodworker, you can find Stacey building custom projects with her father or hanging out with her husband Steve, and dog Gunner!