The Curious Builder

This episode covers the history and expansion of Puustelli, a Finnish cabinetry company operating in the US. Founded in Finland in the 1920s, Puustelli began installing cabinets in Minnesota in 2016 and has since grown their US presence through showroom openings, partnerships with builders. CEO Ville Kämäräinen discussed Puustelli's focus on sustainability through forest certification, low-VOC materials, and research to develop their industrial production process.

Sponsors for the Episode:

CBUSA

Lake Society Magazine

Pella Northland

Adaptive

Where to find the Guest:

Puustelli Kitchens

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Brian and Maud Duggan discuss running their interior design and home systems business Union Place in Excelsior, Minnesota for over 47 years. They talk about how they work together as a married couple to run the business and maintain client relationships. They also describe how they have expanded their services and grown their team over the decades to continue serving their community.

Sponsors for the Episode:

CBUSA

Lake Society Magazine

Pella Northland

Adaptive

Where to find the Guest:

Union Place

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Arik Tendler, chief sales officer of Cambria shares his journey from Israel to California, and how he came to work in the quartz industry. Arik discusses Cambria's focus on quality, innovative designs, and commitment to customers. He also shares how he utilizes his experience in sales to give insight on specific sales strategies and how Cambria continues to lead the industry in quartz countertops.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Northland

Adaptive

Alpine Hardwood MN

Where to find the Guest:

Arik Tendler

Cambria

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Mike Gray and Greg Vose from Unfold Architecture join Mark to discuss their design process, how they work with builders and clients, and their approach to sustainability in custom home design. They discuss bringing the right team members in at different stages of a project and making sure all parties are communicating effectively throughout the design and construction process.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Alpine Hardwood

Pella Northland

Adaptive

Connect with Unfold Architecture:

https://unfoldarchitecture.com

Where to find the Guest:

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Dagan Koffler discusses his journey starting multiple construction and design companies in California, detailing the challenges of permitting and building in the state. He explains how he has grown his businesses over the years through self-performing work and leveraging existing relationships. Koffler also shares insights on managing a large team, improving client service, and strategies for self-education.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Adaptive

Alpine Hardwood

Pella Northland

Connect with Dagan Koffler:

www.dagandesignconstruction.com

Where to find the Guest:

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Mike and Andrew LeJeune discuss growing their family glass business, Glass Art Design, through culture, relationships, improving systems, and treating employees and customers with respect.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Pella Northland

Adaptive

Alpine Hardwood

Connect with Mike & Andrew LeJeune:

Where to find the Guest:Website: Glass Art Design Glass and Mirror Minnesota Instagram Glass Art Design Glass and Mirror Minnesota Facebook: Glass Art Design Glass and Mirror Minnesota LinkedIn: Glass Art Design Glass and Mirror Minnesota Pintrest: Glass Art Design

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Alex Lelchuk joins us for the second Live Curious Builder Podcast from his event venue The Lowlands in Saint Paul, MN. He shares his inspiring story of immigrating from Belarus to the US as a young child and growing up to start his own Audio and Video company, Lelch. Alex discusses his journey as an entrepreneur and the challenges of running and growing multiple businesses.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Alpine Hardwood

Pella Northland

Adaptive

Connect with Alex Lelchuk:

LinkedIn

Lelch

The Low Lands

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Christine Marvin discusses Marvin Windows' history starting with her great-grandfather moving to Warroad, Minnesota in 1904. She explains Marvin's product innovations over the decades and how they focus on sustainability. Christine also talks about Marvin's marketing strategies including partnerships, social media presence, and supporting local home tours.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Adaptive

Alpine Hardwood

Pella Northland

Connect with Christine Marvin:

LinkedIn Marvin

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Ryan Jones joins Mark to discuss his passion for construction and breaks down the multi-faceted aspects that are involved in it's process. Ryan shares how his background has benefited his work, and what he continues to learn from the community around him. As many others in the industry can attest, self-educating is almost standard for construction. Ryan discusses the pros and cons to this, and why networking to build a stronger community is necessary to the success of your company. Ryan also shares his experience prioritizing his time and energy, and how saying no can help your business grow. Tune in to hear more!

Sponsors for the Episode:

Alpine Hardwood

Pella Northland

Adaptive

Where to find the Guest:

Stonegate Builders

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz

Danielle Yegge and Joe Braun of Style and Structure discuss their marketing strategies on social media that have helped grow their brand, including creating fun videos. They also talk about their building process, working with clients, writing a book, and producing a podcast to help educate homeowners. Danielle and Joe describe how they continue learning in the industry through seminars, code books, and seeing what other builders are doing.

Sponsors for the Episode:

Alpine Hardwood

Pella Northland

Adaptive

Where to find the Guest:

Joe Braun & Danielle Yegge

Style & Structure

The host of the Curious Builder Posdast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. WIlliams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you're looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.

Connect with Mark D. Williams:

Website | Podcast | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Houzz