Waupaca, Wisconsin-based Strongwood has built its success on turning dreams into reality. Specializing in custom design and construction services for both new homes and remodeling/addition projects, Strongwood’s expertise spans construction, renovations, plumbing, concrete work, putting greens, golf simulators, and sports courts. Staffed by a team of dedicated professionals, the company has grown its revenue by 110 percent in only two years, establishing itself as a trusted leader across the United States.
As a result, its diverse skill set has proven invaluable in weathering the pressures of a fluctuating economy and other challenges. Based in Waupaca, Wisconsin, this construction firm proudly serves its customers with an open-minded approach to building and an undeniable commitment to delivering consistent quality. The result is a large selection of deep-rooted skills and manpower available for each project, ensuring that every job benefits from the team’s full attention.
From luxury, custom, and hybrid homes to most of the trades needed to complete them, Strongwood provides peace of mind for every customer on every project. As its capabilities have grown, the company has continued adding services to enhance its offering. These include automation, audio-visual installations, security systems, and appliances. In the process, Strongwood’s breadth of expert capabilities has become a draw for clients looking for dependability and guaranteed outcomes.
As the company’s reputation grew, requests for interesting sports additions followed. As a result, sports simulator installations, putting greens, and turf projects have all joined Strongwood’s portfolio. Moreover, a fully equipped design team provides everything from home design to interior design and all services related to the creative aspects of the process. “We have three brilliant women who bring visions together for people who have a hard time doing that,” says Aaron Green, recently appointed President.
All these services translate into what is, perhaps, the most challenging yet most coveted aspect of contracting today: control. With the means to manage its in-house teams while regulating quality and timelines, unlike many of the more construction coordination-focused operators available today, Strongwood is the solid partner project owners need when making large home investments.
Building the firm, and its reputation for excellence, was not always easy. Achieving its current level of success has meant diligently addressing and solving expansion issues and the challenges these have presented over the past 20 years or so. Green is proud of the approach the company has taken. “We did a good job managing our growing pains to become this successful,” he says.
Originally established as a builder of log homes, Strongwood grew steadily until the recession of 2008. Suddenly, demand dwindled as the product became a luxury few of its former target market could afford at the time. Owners Thad Marcom, Chief Executive Officer, and Amy Marcom, Design Director, saw the need to diversify—fast.
Pivoting strategically by shelving log home construction for a time, the company focused on a bigger, more sustainable market for fully customized homes. The move resulted in its indelible Strongwood stamp of excellence across the region of Waupaca—especially along the city’s exquisite lakefront areas. Going from an exclusive log home builder to having around 14 framers on its 50-strong staff and more services than it could have thought possible, the company certainly earned its reputation for outstanding quality and trustworthiness.
Committed to maintaining the family-owned business atmosphere that brought the company success in the first place, the Marcoms and their team love nothing more than welcoming and serving new, existing, and repeat business with the same amount of heart that the firm was built on. This distinct and refreshing lack of corporate officiousness translates into a company atmosphere of warmth and genuine care where employees are treated like equals and everybody’s health and well-being matters.
The same approach applies to Strongwood’s customers, who benefit from a generous approach to ensuring their dream is delivered on time and within budget. “We really make our customers part of the Strongwood family. Our design services come nearly free of charge when building with us,” Green adds, highlighting the firm’s focus on transparency.
This approach extends to Strongwood’s sports simulator installations across the U.S., where every client is treated with respect and each project is custom-designed and built to meet their unique needs. That level of care and communication has earned the company a partnership with Golfzon— a strong testament to its top-quality service.
In it for the long haul, Green is full of praise for Strongwood’s owners and its teams. For him, getting a team of 50 this synergized is an accomplishment in itself. And so it’s no wonder that this business runs mainly on recommendations from happy customers. “Our mission is to make sure that every client is smiling and welcomed home,” he says.
With this can-do attitude and crisp positivity infused into everything the company touches, its team is prepared to say “yes” wherever possible. For this reason, when it comes to the latest technology, it is surprisingly well-equipped for a comparatively smaller outfit. Extensively kitted out with laser measuring equipment, layout technology, and BuilderTrend management software, Strongwood can give customers full access to progress reports, images, and transparency across financial and most other aspects of projects.
Joining the company from the commercial construction industry after meeting the Marcoms when they built his home five years ago, Green headed Strongwood’s recently established concrete division when he first arrived. After only two years in operation, this department earned one million dollars’ worth of work in its first year of operation—another understandably proud moment for the firm.
This was followed by the addition of a plumbing division established through acquisition, and a Marketing Director who has helped drive sales. The firm’s rearranging itself for optimal organizational flow has been trying at times, but also fun, Green points out. It is during these times that its family approach perhaps becomes the most valuable.
To illustrate, Green describes the increased workload as not contributing to any sudden knee-jerk reactions from its teams to become generic or stereotypical in how they treated customers—even under pressure. Instead, they diligently continued building authentic relationships with customers, making the Strongwood team worth its weight in gold. “I just want to say thank you for your commitment and hard work,” Green says to the people who work hard and are committed to improving the company daily. “It’s fun to have a second family in Strongwood.”
With exciting new projects featuring modern, mid-century designs on the horizon, this team is poised to continue making magic. Green is confident that everything is ready and in place to take these upcoming projects to new heights. “Bringing that all together is tough on its own, but having such a good design group and our architect on board makes it all come together,” he says of the firm’s future commitments.
With continued growth on the agenda, strategic planning leads the way. To this end, relevant appointments ensure continuity and foresight. Strongwood’s new General Manager, Nate Berra, former Director of Sales, joins Green in taking care of the greater Strongwood team while Marcom continues developing its offering and commercial outlooks. While expansion is very much a given for this talented company, maintaining its sense of quality and warmth promises to remain a quintessential part of its presence. Because, as we all know, there is nothing more valuable than being welcomed home.
