When David Preka founded Advanced Improvements, LLC 25 years ago, he set out with a mission to provide more than a service—he wanted to educate his clients and empower them to make informed decisions about their homes and projects. What began as a home improvement company quickly outgrew small-scale work, expanding into full-scale remodeling and new construction in both residential and commercial sectors. “To represent our growing field teams and their diverse specialties, we rebranded as Advanced Group. Over time, however, the name began to lose its clear connection to construction, prompting one final evolution into Advanced Construction—a name that better represents who we are today,” says Preka.
“While we continue to offer the core services that built our reputation—roofing, windows, siding, and decks—we’ve expanded our capabilities to include large-scale additions, complete home remodels, and ground-up new construction projects. Now, 25 years later, this expertise is highly sought after by a growing customer base who want only the best leading their construction projects.”
This is how Advanced Construction has grown from a small team to become a network of over 40 skilled contractors and administrators, more than 60 trusted subcontractors, and more than 4,700 satisfied customers in Southeastern Connecticut and across the United States. Licensed in four states, there is no limit to where this company will go to bring value to its customers.
While Preka and his team got their start in residential renovations and remodeling, their attention to detail, strong communication style, and meticulous craftsmanship earned Advanced Construction a reputation as a partner of choice for projects of varying complexity. Now, as experts in full-scale new construction, large commercial projects, and transformative remodeling ventures—including historic preservation and restoration and projects to improve resilience against the harsh New England climate—Advanced Construction has the knowledge and capacity to bring commercial and residential projects to life.
A one-stop shop
The team’s expertise runs the gamut from coastal and historical projects to commercial projects and site work, modular homes and buildings, a plethora of residential services including additions and garages, kitchens and baths, outdoor living, roofing and siding, windows and doors, and complete, end-to-end design to build services.
Part of Advanced Construction’s success is its ability to offer a la carte service that identifies the unique characteristics of each property and project to develop a specialized solution for its clients. “A one-stop shop is what people really do look for,” says Preka. “You have to deliver on that diversity. We bring a ton of knowledge to any project and oftentimes we don’t just show up for a job; we show up with knowledge and give people an education as to what they’re looking for.”
This education has not just been to the advantage of its customers, but also to the Advanced Construction team. When asked what sets the company apart from competitors in the market, Preka tells us, “Learn from your failure. Customer service goes a long way and the biggest thing in our line of work is that we need to understand our clients and we need to provide our clients with realistic timeframes and the service and quality they are dreaming about—or at least as close as anybody could possibly do.” He credits the Advanced Construction team with making this a reality time and again.
With these principles in mind, relationships are one of the most important things that Advanced Construction builds. Preka and his team appreciate the unique character of the projects they undertake, but even more so, the people they meet along the way. It is always a challenge to pick a favorite project, especially with 25 years of examples to choose from, but the people make projects truly unforgettable.
For Preka, “I don’t normally focus on the project as much as I focus on the people—the clients, the atmosphere around them, the time [we spend] with them. It makes any project go so fast, so well, so enjoyably.”
Curating quality and building community
Building relationships is not only important from a customer service perspective, but also from a talent acquisition and development standpoint, which is another area in which Advanced Construction thrives. To reinforce a culture of quality, safety, and service, hiring is done very intentionally, with careful attention paid to the person, their skills, as well as the personality and the energy they bring to the team.
“I just feel blessed with the team that we have,” says Preka, once again praising the people who drive value for his customers day in and day out and reinforce the reputation the company has come to earn. “At the end of the day, it’s about a good relationship, a good marriage, a good family dinner table, a good understanding in the good days and the bad days,” which goes a long way to creating a culture of understanding and the drive to push forward to meet and exceed expectations.
Through the work that it does, Advanced Construction is both literally and figuratively building community. In addition to the craftsmanship the company brings to its projects, it has also become a philanthropic champion in the communities it calls home. From early on, Preka felt blessed with an opportunity and used that ability to do good; like the old adage goes, ‘when you are blessed, be a blessing,’ which is exactly what he has done through Advanced Construction.
From financial contributions to in-kind donations, as well as serving as Past President and Chair of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association in Connecticut—a trade organization that represents the residential construction industry in the state—and now as the state representative for the organization, there are countless ways that Preka and Advanced Construction give back to their community.
To 25 more
With 25 years behind it, Advanced Construction has evolved with the ebbs and flows of the market and as the market is returning to strength in the post-pandemic period, the company is poised to take advantage of growth in demand.
“A lot of things have changed in the past 24 months,” Preka shares. “We had a hard time locking in trades, let alone employees. That was nearly impossible [for a time], but nowadays I think that the dust has settled a little bit and homeowners have choices. Now we’re dealing with the better and the best, so the competition is legit competition in that sense,” he adds, which is a “big factor at this point that makes us very strong in our market.”
The goal is to leverage this market position to continue to grow not only the company, but also its ability to effect positive change in the community, which remains top of mind for Preka and his team.
“It’s one of the biggest things, from the first day that I started this business,” he says. “I would like to be known not just as someone that has been there for the community, not just someone that has been there for the people in need, but as a real builder, a real supporter. So, what I’m looking forward to is to expand the team, expand the company larger than we are so more people can benefit from our craftsmanship and our customer service,” he says, with the goal of maximizing both the potential of the company and its ability to give back to the community for many years to come.
