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Builder Corner: Statler Construction

Monday, July 15, 2024

This month, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jeremy Statler, the owner of Statler Construction. Located in Washington, Iowa—a small community 30 minutes south of Iowa City—Statler Construction was founded by Jeremy’s father, George Statler. The business is built on the premise of treating people as you would like to be treated.

How did you get into the building industry?
My dad, George, started building homes part-time in 1990 and went full-time in 1994-1995. I attended the University of Iowa, earning a degree in business administration and working in construction during the summers. Although I initially didn’t plan to enter the construction industry, after college, I moved to Southern California in search of a corporate job. While job hunting, I worked for a family friend who was a general contractor. I began as a framer but quickly moved into the office due to my educational background. My friend eventually offered me a full-time job in estimating, which I was initially hesitant about. However, he persuaded me by emphasizing the vast scope of the construction industry. I ended up working for him for around three years, handling projects like remodeling, earthquake repairs, and new home construction in the Los Angeles area, including Bel Air.

During this time, my dad continued to grow Statler Construction in Iowa. He wasn’t fond of the office work and preferred being out on job sites. He needed someone to manage the office and reached out to me. My wife and I were looking to move to Iowa to start our family, so in 1997, we relocated, and I began working with my dad. Sadly, in 2008, my father passed away in an automobile accident, and I have been running Statler Construction ever since.

How did you get started with Amwood and how long have you been with us?
When I joined my dad, he was using Wick Homes, another panel business, and was building 20 -24 homes a year. In 2003, we faced a complicated build that Wick Homes could not do and found Amwood as our solution. For a while, we used both Wick Homes and Amwood. Amwood for our custom plans and Wick Homes for our basic home plans. Eventually, Wick Homes raised their prices, prompting us to transition entirely to Amwood. This turned out to be a blessing because Wick Homes filed for bankruptcy in 2009.

Total number of homes built with Amwood? Total in your career?
Statler Construction has built around 125 homes with Amwood. Including the homes my dad built, we have constructed around 500 homes in total.

Tell us a little about your business model. Do you build contract homes, spec homes, model homes, remodeling, etc.?
We primarily do custom contract homes, building around 8 -10 homes per year. We also use the model home program to promote our business. We rarely do spec homes and we do not engage in remodeling or pole-building projects.

Where do you get your leads?
Being in a smaller community, we mostly get our leads through word of mouth. Many people know us or have a connection to someone whose home we built. While we are not the cheapest option, we pride ourselves and strive to deliver the best quality and service, which is reflected in the referrals we receive.

What type of marketing do you do?
Surprisingly, the local newspaper still works for us, so I run ads there regularly. We also have a website and use Facebook to showcase our builds. Additionally, we contribute to local sponsorships and charity donations. For example, when the local tech school needed equipment, I donated some items and rallied our partners and subcontractors through Facebook to fulfill the school’s needs. Supporting education and sharing industry knowledge with the younger generation is something I am passionate about.

What is the price range of the homes you build?
Our homes currently range between $400,000 and $800,000.

What type of style of home do you build the most?
We predominantly build ranch-style homes with basements, which make up about 98% of our projects. We rarely construct two-story homes or homes on slabs.

Tell us a little bit about your family.
My wife, Kari handles the bookkeeping, assists clients on selections, and is integrating Buildertrend into our customer side of the business. We have 3 children: Caleb, the oldest, has a business degree and works for a contractor in Des Moines; Abby, has an agriculture degree and is engaged to be married this coming August; and Elijah, our youngest, is 16 and a junior in high school. Elijah aspires to run the business someday and is gaining experience by working with us this summer.

Other interesting facts you would like to share?
We own a place in Eagle River, Wisconsin, where we enjoy fishing, riding ATVs, and snowmobiling. We also have a hobby farm with mini calves, chickens, and 3 llamas.

To learn more about Statler Construction check out their website at www.statlerconstruction.com and to learn more about Amwood and our builders check out our blog here.