THE BUILDER S JOURNAL Twin Cities Edition JPC Custom Homes The Personal Touch
The talent and skill of the experienced craftsman employed by JPC is evidenced in the stunning kitchen. JPC Custom Homes The Personal Touch By Jane Bledsoe John Kothrade has been in the construction business since 1979. He grew up on a farm in Corcoran, MN, and was always building something. The transition to home construction came naturally. I like to bring the pieces of a puzzle together, says John. John started in the business as a framing subcontractor and branched out on his own to build his first home in 1984. Today, more than 450 Twin Cities residents live in homes built by John and JPC Custom Homes, a business that now employs approximately 10 staff members. The name of the business originally was J Phillips Construction, but every- one just started calling us JPC, says Jane, John s wife, partner and accountant for the business. So the name stuck. John prides himself and his business on the personal touch, and will build a house the way the customer envisions it. From a starter home to a mansion, he has experience across the spectrum of new construction. There are so many choices now days, he says. No two homes are the same. I wanted a full-size wood-burning fireplace near the kitchen, says Cheri Ashfeld, who built a home with JPC four years ago near Rockford, MN. It s a great gathering space for my family and for entertaining while I m cooking. We wanted a rounded eyebrow roof line for our rambler, says Mike Grengs, a second-time customer of JPC Custom Homes from Hanover, MN. I knew JPC would find a way to make it work. They also helped us figure out how to do a see-through railing of glass on a winding staircase. When we meet with a potential customer and they have some ideas about what they want in a home, we ask them to sketch it out on a piece of paper. If they aren t able to sketch it, we will bring in an architect who will draw it up as they are talking with us.
It s all in the details. Built-in bookcases topped by graceful arches surround the stone fireplace to create a focal point in the living room. The box vault ceiling with inset rope lighting creates a glow that highlights the detailed molding. John says that they close the deal with most of the prospective buyers that they meet. It s important for us to know up front what their budget is. Then we can work with that. John states that he s not going to be the cheapest bid if a customer is price-shopping. But his homes are going to be done right. A man of few words, John has not had to invest much in advertising to stimulate demand for his homes. Several customers have built with me more than once, he says. In some cases, he has built for a customer and his mom and dad, cousin and brother. Jane Kothrade says, when you re trying to make a decision on a builder, the best thing you can do is talk to the neighbors in the area you re intending to build. Ask them what their building experience was like. Did they have any problems? If there were problems, did Scott Jacobson Studio, Inc. Stone accents and beamed roof peaks add interest and give the home s exterior rich character.
Glass-paned French doors give entrance to the soaring windows and lofty bookcases of the stunning home office. Outside the doors, an eye-catching decorative niche was created. they get fixed? Jane says that the real estate agent they work with literally walks prospective buyers up to recently constructed homes and knocks on the door to ask the homeowners these questions. This word-of-mouth advertising has brought JPC the majority of its customers for the past 25 years. JPC builds approximately 20-25 homes a year in the northwest suburbs of St. Michael, Buffalo, Delano, Plymouth and Carver. However, JPC will also build on a customer-owned lot within a 50 mile radius of the northwest suburbs. Currently, JPC has models for sale in Plymouth, Buffalo and St. Michael, MN. Giving Back During 2004 and 2005, JPC completed two homes one in Carver, MN, and one in Buffalo, MN for the primary purpose of raising money for an important cause, Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Promoted as the Homes for the Cure, each was sold by auction live on the radio with many contributing subcontractors in attendance. The proceeds of the homes approximately $200,000 each went to families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. We felt good about our contribution to this event because it helped raise money for families in need, by bringing awareness to this disease and helping to find a cure, say John and Jane. JPC cares deeply about its relationship with customers and it is demonstrated by how they choose subcontractors. We don t work with just any subcontractors, says Jane. We work with the best in the industry, who get the job done right, are priced right and are responsive to customers. Our subcontractors are an extension of our company, says John. We need to have the same philosophy about customer service. One of the great things about working with JPC, says Cheri Ashfeld, is the absolute consistency of their quality subcontractors. My husband got really familiar and comfortable with them because of their day-to-day interaction. JPC remembers each of its customers. I talked to a home buyer the other day who was surprised that I remembered her, says Jane. I remembered her and her orange bathroom! JPC forms a strong bond with their customers. We don t forget them or their homes, says Jane. Home Features Every JPC home is different, but there are a few distinctive features that allow you to see the JPC signature. Innovative Ceilings and Lighting: Ceilings are getting taller, which allow for some unique ceiling treatments and lighting. In some recently-built JPC Homes, the ceiling lighting has been inset in a box vault fashion, giving a shadow box effect in bedrooms and main floor gathering spaces. A soft glowing light comes from rope lighting set inside the carved ceiling. Exceptional Masonry: unique front entrance doorways and soldier coursing around fireplaces demonstrates the skill of the masonry both inside and outside the home.
This well-designed master bath boasts luxury features in an effectively planned space. Tiled floors and hardwood cabinetry compliment the pillared archway over the tub. The stool area is separated by a pocket door for privacy while the tiled walk in shower balances the room opposite the tub. (Not shown.)
The classic design of this family room, adjacent to the kitchen, allows it to serve many purposes music room, a place to converse with friends or an entertainment area with a big-screen TV concealed in the corner cabinet. Exotic Cabinetry & Flooring: crafted from a variety of exotic wood, including knotty alder for the cabinets and spotted gumwood for flooring. John says that the most popular choices of wood have gone from light oak in the 1990s to dark walnuts and cherry wood and a variety of exotic woods from all over the world, today. Stately Master Bathrooms: Master bathrooms just keep getting bigger, according to John, and typically include walk-in showers; granite countertops with sideby-side sinks; arches and columns around whirlpool tubs, all giving the master bathroom a spacious and regal quality. Energy-efficient Geothermal heating: Geo-thermal heat is becoming more commonplace as homeowners choose to control their energy costs for the longterm. It costs more up-front to build your house with geothermal heating, says John, but the additional costs are balanced by the energy savings over the first several years of home-ownership. Expanded Kitchen Utility: Walk in pantries and wine cellars are frequently included in JPC Homes, as are built-in cabinets just inside the back entrance near the kitchen that provide a spacefor-everything. I m in this business, says John, because I enjoy building a different house every time. And when the work is done, I can step back and be proud of it. If I ever build again, says Mike Grengs from Hanover, it will be with JPC. They are honest and I trust them. JPC Custom Homes can be reached at 763-498-8607 or by email at jpccustomhomes@hotmail.com The generous use of exotic character wood in the bar, built in cabinetry and mantel provide interest and make this lower level family room a comfortable gathering place. An attractive adjacent wine cellar completes the entertainment area. TBJ Scott Jacobson Studio, Inc.