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Renaissance Builders builds and remodels fine custom homes in Orono, MN
who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.
He might not be able to get his phone to do what he wants it to do, but you can be damn sure your project will be done on time, on budget, and beyond anything you could have imagined. Plus, he’s the only guy I know that wears a tuxedo to work everyday so… What more could you really ask for?
Steve got his start in the construction industry working as a framing carpenter for a local production builder. He worked on a 6 man crew hauling lumber, running a nail gun, standing walls, anything the crew needed. Prior to that, he had tried his hand at a few other odd jobs and professions. His focus during college was to become a psychologist but it didn’t take long for him to figure out that he wasn’t being fulfilled.
“I remember coming back home one winter break and telling my dad that I was going to switch majors. I wanted to become a lawyer like him. He just looked at me, thought for a while and asked me why. I told him that I wanted to be wealthy and lawyers make a lot of money. He just smiled, put down his book and said, nobody will ever pay you enough to be happy son. Find a job that makes you happy and the money will find its own way. His next question, as simple as it was, moulded me into who I am today. He asked, “If you didn’t have to worry about making money, what would you go out and do right now?”
It was clear to him at that point, standing on a muddy job site, holding an arm full of 2×4’s that he found what he was meant to do. The joy he experienced from creating a home out of a pile of sticks lit a fire inside him and made him hungry for more. At that time, the building industry was going crazy but there was a serious lack of dependable people in the industry. There were times when he would be the only one to show up for work in the morning. One day, the owner of the construction company showed up to find Steve framing alone. “He told me that if I could pull a crew together, he would hire me to frame all of his houses. I needed to find some dependable guys, enough tools to run a whole crew and on top of that, I had no idea how to run a business but I really didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t keep showing up to work in the morning wondering if I was going to work that day.”
Fast forward three years and Steve has 20 carpenters working for him. 5 crews of 4 guys framing around 30 homes a year. Things are going great, life couldn’t be better and then… boom. The bottom falls out. The market crashes and Steve watches builder after builder go out of business. “It was a tough time. There were no houses to frame and I started to worry about losing it all.” As things were looking bleak, he got a phone call from a woman asking if he would be interested in building her a porch. His experience at the time was limited to just framing but he said “Absolutely!” why not? A porch led to a basement finish. A basement finish led to a kitchen remodel and before he knew it he had become a remodeler. Renaissance Builders Inc, to be exact.
Throughout the years trends have come and gone but one thing that has stayed consistent is Steve’s honesty and integrity. If you hire him to build you a home or remodel your existing one, you won’t ever have to worry about a single thing. It’s as simple as that. I have watched him go above and beyond for people over and over and over again to make sure they are thrilled with their projects. I’ve witnessed him ……. I’ve met people who hired Renaissance Builders 20 some years ago to remodel their home and they all sing his praises. His attention to detail, his commitment to quality and the simple fact that if he says he’s going to do it… he does it. Steve Jochim and Renaissance Builders are not perfect. Every builder has problems. Every builder hits road blocks. What really matters is how that builder handles them. If you want to a wonderful building experience, look no further.
Tool: Pencil
Wood: Walnut. No stain necessary
Design: Storybook Cottage. Rules? What Rules?
A husband and father of two amazing kids, Jesse is a creator at heart and is passionate about designing and building one of a kind homes. “My favorite projects are the challenging ones. The ones with big design hurdles that require creative solutions.
Without pushing the boundaries of creativity, how will our designs and craftsmanship evolve?”
Jesse joined the Renaissance Crew around 2004 when the economy was bangin’. At the time, Renaissance was producing some killer projects. It didn’t take long for Jesse to fall in love with the beauty and elegance of residential design. After all, he got to see a lot of it hauling lumber and dumpster diving. That summer he received the prestigious title of Head Shop Vac Operator and a year later he was honing his skills as a finish carpenter. As time went on, his focus shifted from carpentry and production, to architectural design.
“I remember sitting in on a new home design meeting. The lead designer was having a tough time bringing two rooflines together in a functional yet beautiful way. After struggling with it for a while, he asked me if I had any ideas that might work. It was a really strange question to me in that moment. At the time, I saw myself as just a kid trying to earn some weekend money. Certainly not someone that should be designing a house. If I wasn’t hauling lumber or building a wall, I was probably looking for a new way to get into trouble with my buddies. Regardless, I grabbed a pencil and started sketching. After a few minutes of drawing, I slid my napkin sketch across the table and held my breath. I was prepared for him to crumple it up and throw it over his shoulder but he didn’t. He looked at it, glanced back and forth between my doodle and the plan, and said “I think this works! You’ve got some talent kid.” That was the moment I decided to pursue a career in designing and building homes. I drive past that house almost everyday on my way home and the only thing you can see from the road is the rear elevation. It makes me smile every time.”
Jesse graduated from high school and attended the University of Minnesota where he pursued a degree in business management and construction management. During the Great Recession, he discovered a whole new level of creativity. Instead of building and remodeling extravagant custom homes, Renaissance was buying neglected properties in Minneapolis and renovating them. “Instead of creating from a position of abundance, we were creating from a position of lack. Lack of money, lack of space, lack of resources, lack of time. I figured out what we were really capable of if we dug down deep and changed our perception.” When we take on a problem solving mentality and embrace the challenges, we can accomplish unbelievable things.”
After college, Jesse returned to Renaissance Builders full time and took over the design department. He still swings a hammer from time to time but his tools of choice these days are a pencil and eraser.
Minnetonka – St. Louis Park – Edina – Medina – Stillwater – Excelsior – Deephaven – Wayzata – Orono – Ham Lake
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