DAYTONA BEACH -- Years before the recent economic slump, Terry Ellis took a buyout as a maintenance manager for the Volusia County School Board -- but not because he wanted to retire.

The Mainland High School graduate wanted to work for himself and have a little more time for himself, especially for his hobbies, which include everything from reconstructing an antique pickup to harvesting beehives.

During the late 1990s, out of a home office, he became a general contractor focused on remodeling.

"When I was looking at doing it, the eight to 10 months before, the projections all the way through 2015 were for a seven to 10 percent increase per year," said Ellis, 62. "Housing wasn't booming yet. It was starting to ramp up, but remodeling was going bonkers."

He expected his business to grow, but figured there would be ups and downs.

Something he didn't expect, in the past three years, is the competition he's seeing from large building contractors.

"There are a lot of larger builders that, at one time during the housing boom, would not even consider the smaller jobs," said Greg Blose, executive director of the Volusia Building Industry Association. "Now, the larger builders have an advantage because their names are more known.

Ellis said he has held on, but he went from 13 full-time employees at his peak, to five on-call part-timers now.

"The scariest thing in construction is you don't have a regular paycheck," he said. "You have to be ever conscious of costs and have enough money to get over the lean spots."

He did plan for the low spots, and when he added a roofing license after the 2004 hurricanes, Ellis hoped to position himself to weather any economic storm. He stayed away from bidding on large jobs.

Another consideration, he said, is getting good help.

"I try to hire people who have a number of disciplines," Ellis said. "The most stressful part of any job is tearing up the place and leaving it like a showplace when we are done."

Jeanne Galluzzo, one of Ellis recent customers, said that's the part that she liked.

"He did a nice job on our deck, and my husband was impressed," Galluzzo said. "We wanted to have our kitchen remodeled. He had been so reliable and a real gentleman. When we had other work done by builders, they would sneer when I asked questions -- like I would never understand. He explains and shows you how it works, and he's there every day, although he has his people doing the work.

"I am very comfortable with the people he has," she said.

Ellis said he is happy with the business decisions he has made. And though he has to keep up with lien-law updates and manage the jobs, his stress level is low, and he has time for his hobbies -- of which there are many.

Restoration of a 1951 Chevy pickup in his backyard keeps him hopping to antique and classic car events like the Turkey Run.

He's a biker, hitting rallies in Sturgis, S.D., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., as well as local events and riding with his wife, Sandra.

Several weeks a year Ellis participates in early-1800, frontier-style rendezvous, where he portrays a British soldier and lives without any amenities -- chopping wood for fire, using candles and sleeping in outdoor encampments.

The rustic experience led him to an interest in gardening, target shooting and hunting squirrels with muskets and flintlock rifles for weeks at a time.

"We clean and eat (the squirrels)," he said.

The rendezvous experience also led to an interest in keeping bees for honey, which he bottles.

"I've got about 3,000 bees and a queen," Ellis said. "Harvesting (the honey) can become a chore. It is a lot of work. But because of the drop in bee population from colony collapse disorder, the commercial honey industry is relying on hobbyists to keep the bee population going."

He's harvested 15 gallons of honey so far this year, but it's not for sale. The honey is a perk for friends and customers.

"He's one-of-a-kind," Galluzzo said. "He's interested in nature and plants. He'll take a little piece of a plant he likes and restart it. And he's given me some of his honey."