Our team
Jake Gartner
CEO & Owner:
Jake Gartner moved to Hilton Head in 1991. A graduate of Miami University of Ohio, Jake excelled locally in the world of sales and marketing for a time. Ultimately, his experience renovating his own home led to a dramatic career change into a profession he has become truly passionate about Custom Homebuilding.
Hammerhead Custom Builders was founded in 2006 based on that passion and his growth and drive to excel as a homebuilder continues every day. Under Jake’s leadership, Hammerhead has become an award winning, custom home building company. He has served as the Chairman of the Hilton Head Design Review Board, President of Point Comfort community and member on the Hilton Head Baseball Association board. Jake’s true satisfaction comes from spending time with his two children… and further developing and refining the entity that is Hammerhead Custom Builders and perfecting the homes and relationships that are made along the way.
Tyler Gartner
Project Manager:
Tyler Gartner has been on Hilton Head for twenty five years. A transplant from Cleveland, Ohio he worked as a charter fisherman in summers and carpenter in the off-season, eventually moving to carpentry year-round. In 2014, he joined his brother at Hammerhead as a project manager and has been building homes in Hilton Head ever since. Tyler particularly enjoys the dynamic work environment that custom home construction offers. Every project presents new challenges to overcome and innovative solutions to satisfy exacting customers. He also enjoys the relationships he has formed with everyone in the industry, from the customers to the subcontractors & vendors Hammerhead partners with. When not working, Tyler shares his time living on this beautiful island with his wife and two children on the beach, boat or ball fields. Living and working in a place like Hilton Head is a dream come true.
Wendi Whittle
Office Manager:
Wendi was born and raised in Maryland and transplanted to beautiful Bluffton in 2005 with her husband Chris where they made their new home. Wendi has been involved in the building industry since 2001 with knowledge of all types of administrative duties from secretarial to accounting. She has been with Hammerhead Construction since 2011 to handle all aspects of the building process including accounting, billing, bank loans, and budgets. She is able to explain detailed cost breakdown of projects and is committed to make sure all the client’s questions are answered to their satisfaction.
When not in the office, Wendi enjoys spending time with her husband and 6 children. She is either reading, cooking, gardening, out on the water, transporting her children to various sport activities, or volunteering her Saturdays for her youngest’s football and cheer programs.
Christa Fortney
Project Administrator & Residential Designer:
Christa Fortney graduated from Indiana University in 2004 with a B.S. in Interior Design and minors in Telecommunications and Business. She worked in high-end residential design, event planning, and restaurant management in the greater Atlanta area as well as gourmet sales and marketing in Lewisburg, WV. After moving to the Lowcountry, Christa joined the Hammerhead team as project administrator in 2015 and later added residential design to her services. She embraces philanthropy and activism while also being a part of the performance community as vice president of May River Theatre. Christa and husband Thaddeus Miller live in Bluffton with dogs Roscoe and Wednesday where she enjoys crafting, cooking, and watching Jeopardy.
Steve Swartz
Project Manager:
Steve Swartz has been in the construction industry for 26 years with the last seven as a custom home building project manager. Originally from Pennsylvania, he started doing handyman work with his grandfather on weekends in his youth and owned a framing company in New York for fifteen years. Steve has training in architectural, mechanical, and CAD drafting and three years of experience doing inspections for mortgage companies. Steve’s favorite saying is, “Never problems, always solutions” and enjoys the challenges of custom projects. In his spare time, Steve enjoys playing guitar, music, motorsports, and spending time with his family and friends.