Steve first encountered Eric when he hired him as a freelance assistant on a job in Austin, Texas. He was impressed enough to hire him again for jobs in Houston and in Dallas. When Eric considered moving to the North Texas area to continue his schooling, Steve convinced him to come aboard instead.

Since then, Eric has filled several roles at SHI. He has been the assistant and resident computer guru since his arrival several years ago. For a good part of 2002, he was on the road as a photographer. Since the middle of 2003, he has assumed the role of studio manager as well as rendering and retouching all digital images.