By Kathy Bowen Stolz Eric Mautner, owner of New Life Homes, chose his company name carefully. Not only has homebuilding offered him a new life, but building a home for a family who will start a new life in that home excites him. “My goal is to provide home ownership to not only the wealthy but…
“A world where everyone has a decent place to live” That is the vision statement of Habitat for Humanity International — a vision which led to the establishment of Lafayette Habitat for Humanity (LHFH) in 1992. It all began with a group of local realtors, who were concerned that home ownership through the conventional market…
By Kathy Bowen Stolz With the experience of building more than 250 custom homes, Van Alan Plaisance of Van Alan Homes knows his customers. And they know Van Alan Homes. After 10 years of providing superior craftsmanship and unparalleled service, Van Alan Homes is one of Acadiana’s most trusted names in homebuilding, according to Plaisance….
By Kathy Bowen Stolz You know that saying, “When you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life”? Well, builder Jeff Wood is one of those guys who never goes to work, even though he’s on the job for about 10 hours every day. “I pop up before the alarm…
By Kathy Bowen Stolz Cold and heat can have a lot in common when it comes to building a house, according to Rodney and Shirlene Bender of Solis Builders. These Lafayette-based contractors learned building techniques to maximize energy efficiency in Wisconsin’s cold climate, the same techniques they are using to cut electric bills for their…
By Kathy Bowen Stolz Mark Ste. Marie is a proud man. He’s proud to be a builder, proud to be an American and proud of his heritage. “My motto for my business is ‘A Name You Can Trust,’ and I stand behind this. I take great pride in building a home that will last a…
Mark LaBorde Builders Brings Luxury to Lafayette By Kathy Bowen Stolz Ah, luxury. For some it’s a car, for others it’s clothes and for still others it’s a sumptuous home that brings them their greatest pleasure. Not many homebuyers in the Lafayette area can afford a house that costs more than a million dollars. But…
By Kathy Bowen Stolz Quality and workmanship. Those two values are near and dear to the heart of Doug Trahan, president of TMR Construction in Lafayette. Not only does Trahan build every house as if his reputation depends on it, but he also builds every house as if he’s going to live in it. He…
Lamartiniere Keeps Lots of Balls in the Air By Kathy Bowen Stolz Odell Lamartiniere should include juggler on his resume because he’s one busy guy. Lamartiniere, an admitted early bird, starts his workday at 4:30 a.m., sometimes after spending the night in his office, so he can keep all of the balls in the air…
Mike Thompson Homes Finds Success by Following Trends By Kathy Bowen Stolz Custom home builder Mike Thompson is sold on the Village of River Ranch in Lafayette. Not only does he build in the planned neighborhood, but he lives there too! He loves walking to work in five to ten minutes. He loves having a…