Meet the Crew

We like to think ourselves as a family and our clients are an important part of our extended family. We all come from many different backgrounds, but we each bring something a little unique to the process and that's what makes us so different as a company.

Administration Team

Paul Eldrenkamp

Owner

After a wide range of carpentry jobs and a bachelor's degree in History and Literature of Medieval Europe, Paul Eldrenkamp founded Byggmeister (Scandinavian for "master builder") in 1983. "I've always put a high priority on two things: fostering easy, friendly relations with our clients and building a team of people who are as interesting and diverse as they are talented and dedicated." Learn about Paul's upcoming speaking engagements and read his articles in Paul's World.

Maria Washington

Business Manager

Maria has been with Byggmeister since 1995, and has seen the company change in size but not in work ethic. "Excellence is Byggmeister's philosophy. Everyone here brings something unique and different to their work, but they all believe in doing their best work every time on every job," she says. She thinks the company's dedication to quality makes a visible difference. "They make excellence a priority so that when the job is done you can see the difference."

Energy Performance Team

Mike Duclos

HERS Rater and Energy Consultant

Mike joined the Byggmeister consulting team in 2007. His background is in designing integrated circuits for data and telecommunications industries. Influenced by both the Peak Oil and Greenhouse Gas issues, Mike made a career change to the area of residential energy efficiency when he founded Energy Efficiency Associates, www.eeassociates.com. He is now focused on improving energy efficiency of new and existing buildings by the application of building science principles and the use of computer modeling techniques. "I'm excited by the opportunity to work with the Byggmeister team. Their dedication to outstanding quality, attention to detail and use of best practices makes working with them a pleasure."

Kerry Koskinen

Energy Specialist

"The people who work here are a diverse, eclectic group of incredibly interesting and talented folks," says Kerry, who joined Byggmeister in 2000. "What sets us apart from other remodeling companies is our attention to detail, our commitment to perfection, and the engaging personalities of the staff, which you don't always find in our business." Kerry says the perfectionist streak that runs through everyone is both innate in people Byggmeister hires, and reinforced as part of the company culture. "We are under less pressure to get things done quickly, and more pressure to get things done right."

Design & Build Team

Catherine Autio

Master Carpenter

A carpenter since 1989, Catherine worked as a subcontractor for Byggmeister for about five years before joining the company in 2002. "I really like my work and I really like this company," she says. "Paul is very creative, and he maximizes our attributes and works with our flaws." A former cook and caretaker of thoroughbred horses, Catherine says she gets great satisfaction from seeing what she has helped to build.

Jeff Johnson

Lead Carpenter

An experienced carpenter and metalworker, Jeff's professional background is in custom construction for the entertainment industry. After years building shows for Broadway, Jeff was looking for a way to expand his skills, and participate in projects more personal and permanent. "Byggmeister appealed to me because of the strong sense of community. Everyone here is an honest part of a team committed to quality."

Corky Kaempf

Lead Carpenter

With Byggmeister since 1998, Corky says the best part of the job for him is getting to know the clients. "Our clients are generally pretty interesting people, and they seem to respect the fact that we're generally pretty interesting people, too," he says. "I'm also very conscious of the fact that they are trusting us with their homes, and they are spending a lot of money and deserve an excellent result."

Joshua Menard

Carpenter

"Working as a general carpenter for a small renovation and remodeling firm for over seven years, I have grown to appreciate the attention to detail in fine residential construction. In my search to find a company that shared the same appreciation, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only do Byggmeister employees share the same regard for detail, but their customers do too. At Byggmeister, I get to work on challenging projects that hone existing skills and allow me to develop new skills."

Cador Pricejones

Production Manager

Cador believes his multiple roles at Byggmeister support one another. "I enjoy knowing what's going on at the organizational level, and working alongside the other carpenters, actually building the project, allows me to be a better manager," he says. He also feels that one of the things Byggmeister does best is create a sense of teamwork. "Not just among the crew," he says, "but for everyone involved: the architect and homeowner and the builders. The trust between Byggmeister and our clients is very high because they know we are all on the same side, we all want the same thing: the best possible outcome for their home."

Nick Sabella

Warranty Manager & Lead Carpenter

Nick comes from a family of craftsmanship. "My grandfather was a Swedish woodcarver, my uncle is a highly accomplished cabinetmaker in Seattle, and my aunt runs a construction company in Washington DC. Woodworking is in my blood." Having studied business at Babson College, Nick joined Byggmeister in 2005. "To meet and exceed a client's vision you need to enjoy what you do. We provide the highest level quality and professionalism to our clients and it sets us apart in this industry."

Geoff Shenk

Master Carpenter

Geoff summarizes what he likes about his work simply: "I like being able to do quality work with nice people. That combination is harder to find than you might think." With Byggmeister since 1997, and with about 25 years' experience in the field, Geoff also appreciates that "Byggmeister seems to attract great clients, clients who really trust us." He also likes the fact that there are continual opportunities for staff to grow. "We all have certain skills, and there is always a lot of learning and teaching going on among us."

Masonry & Landscape Team

Ed McGann

Mason

Ed has been working with Byggmeister for eighteen years, initially as a subcontractor and more recently as an employee. "I enjoy working for a company which has a real interest in both client and employee satisfication. Projects are assessed on several levels before we get down to the actual physical labor. The end result is being able to work on a wide variety of projects and achieving the right aesthetic appeal for all of them."

Rick McGann

Master Mason

Rick worked with Byggmeister for 15 years as a subcontractor before joining the company in 2002. "I knew the company very well before I became an employee," says Rick. "I admired the way Paul always hired people with the right sense of dedication and an interest in always learning more. Everyone here really cares about the clients and the work. Paul really emphasizes quality and service, but we all share his high standards to begin with."

Design Consultants

Steve Baczek

Architect

Steve is a nationally recognized and award winning sustainable architect. "I have been involved in the construction industry for over seventeen years. My initial training as a carpenter and electrician, coupled with my extensive experience studying building failures in my residential building science practice, have given me a fundamental understanding of construction reality that's the starting point for my design work. I'm able to integrate good design practices with good construction practices, and the net result is projects that look great and perform even better. I like working with Byggmeister because they take these things as seriously as I do."

Karla Chronopoulos

Color Consultant

Karla joined Byggmeister in 2006. Many homeowners are overwhelmed with the thousands of colors and hues available. Karla works with clients to create a relationship between the rooms of their homes. "Working with homeowners to choose the right colors for their home is very satisfying." On why she decided to join Byggmeister she says, "I wanted to work for a company that values both its clients and its staff equally, I found that at Byggmeister."

Karin Mahdavi

Products & Finishes Coordinator

Karin got to know Byggmeister from the outside in: she was a client before she joined the company. "I was really impressed not just with their work, but with how respectfully they treat the client's space, and how approachable everyone in the company is," she says. "They keep their promises and always follow through." During her own project both Karin and Byggmeister realized she has a knack for product selection, marrying form, function and logistics. "I really love being part of Byggmeister and getting involved in exciting projects," she says. Karin joined Byggmeister in 2003.

Anita Rogers

Architect

Working for Byggmeister gives Anita a fringe benefit not often found in the remodeling business: peace of mind. "Homeowners appreciate when things look nice, but it's important that the 'bones' of a project are right, that it is sensible to the very bottom," she says. "Byggmeister is so thoroughly committed to quality that I never have to fret over whether or not they will do things properly." Having worked with many different builders during her career, Anita says she appreciates Byggmeister's equal attention to both aesthetic and structural quality. Anita joined Byggmeister's team in 2003.

Doug Ruther

Architect

"Having an architect and a builder work together from the beginning solves so many problems up front," says Doug, who joined Byggmeister in 2000 after having worked with the company for about a decade. "It saves headaches and saves money. Our clients have really benefited from our collaborative approach to their projects." Doug says Byggmeister also offers something else clients value highly: "They say that Byggmeister people are the kind of people they really like having in their homes."

Rachel White

Sustainability Consultant

Rachel joined the consulting team in 2009 after working with Byggmeister on her own master suite renovation. After spending a decade in the academic world as a researcher and teacher, she founded Greener Every Day, which provides green home and lifestyle consulting services. "I work with the Byggmeister team for the same reasons I hired them. Not only is their work extremely high quality, they are passionate about leaving a legacy of sustainable homes for the future."

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