On this week’s episode, Tom has a sit-down conversation with Ty Sundberg, Owner and General Manager of J&RS Construction Company in Duluth, MN. Ty shares his story about his start in construction, general building/remodeling insights, as well as the current demand and impact of lumbar prices on his industry.   

Ty Sundberg’s Background   

Ty talks about how he started the construction business as a 7th grader. He recalls his first job picking up garbage on job sites to keep them clean for the workers. He begins by mentioning that his father started the company back in 1995 when Ty was only four years old. Since his father was involved in the construction industry since Ty was young, he goes on to outline his growth within the construction industry by saying, “I just went through the regular progression of what a carpenter does, from a laborer to apprentice to journeyman, and foreman project manager. Then, with the business needing to transition with one of the owners retiring, the opportunity (of being an owner) arose, and it’s been a lot of fun.”  

Customer Base & Types of Projects  

Tom asks Ty about the different types of customers that J&RS has. Ty states that around 90% of J&RS clients are residential customers who want work done on their home(s), while the other 10% come from commercial properties that want to build and or remodel their property. Tom goes on to ask about how the whole process starts for someone who doesn’t have the knowledge or expertise about remodeling, to which Ty talks about the J&RS showroom where they have samples of, “Everything you would ever need to remodel a house.” Ty says that he likes to call this building the ‘project planning building’ because their goal is to create a ‘shrink-wrapped’ version of the customer’s ideal remodel to show them a realistic example of what the inside of their home will look like once the project is complete.   

Remodeling Timelines  

Tom then asks Ty about the typical timeline for projects such as kitchen remodels. He answers by distinguishing between the two different processes that go into remodeling. The first is design and planning, which Ty says can be done in as little as three weeks but typically 6-8 weeks, obviously depending on the project. Next is the building process. He says, “If design and planning are done well, the actual project can mirror that timeline. For example, we have had complete kitchen remodels done in 8 weeks.” He continues by saying, “The company’s business model is built on volume, so the goal is to complete the job as quickly and effectively as possible while still giving every customer the experience they deserve.” With a business model based on the volume of projects, Ty and his team at J&RS must complete each project as efficiently as possible to move on to the next project and keep the money flowing into the business.  

Words of Wisdom for Home-Owners Looking to Remodel   

Ty says he recommends researching builders and types of remodels online based on what you want. In addition, he shares that a big part of J&RS’s appeal is their content marketing because they create and put out educational material for people in these situations that might want to remodel but don’t know where to start. He says that he hopes to create more short little videos that go over a lot of the questions that a typical customer would have – such as in-floor vs. boiler heating or double glaze vs. triple glaze windows. The videos are to educate their customers to make the best decision for them and their home(s). Ty makes a key statement towards the end of the conversation when Tom asks him about what should be a red flag for someone looking to remodel their home. He goes on to emphasize that the biggest key for customers throughout this process is knowing your builder and doing your research. He even says, “If your builder is not someone you would have at your family dinner table every night for a year, then it is probably not the right person to remodel your home.”  

This was a great educational conversation with experienced professional builder, Ty Sundberg, Owner and General Manager of J&RS. Thank you, Ty, for sharing your background along with many educational tips about building and remodeling homes.