A Kid with a Dream to Build His Own Home
Like many young boys, my start in the building industry began in childhood working with Dad. He was always doing some project, and usually it was building something out of wood. My brothers and I were fortunate to learn many skills from a young age. We had chores to do, which taught us the value of hard work. We learned how to use skill saws, sanders, drills, and hammers. When I was a kid in 4H, I remember building my first project: a pine coffee table. This is where I discovered the satisfaction of building something from a few pieces of wood. Creating something from start to completion felt really good. From there, I got my first job in high school working for a carpenter. The idea was born: I knew I wanted to build my own house one day.
After high school, I went on to college. At first, I thought I wanted to be a teacher. (This is something many people don’t know about me.) Bethel College is also where I met Lana. I graduated from college and became a 3rd and 4th grade teacher for a couple years. It was during a summertime visit to Lana’s family home in Sisters, Oregon, that I really began to feel the drive to build our house. Central Oregon was a beautiful place to visit and soon we were making plans to relocate. Once we made the choice to move to Oregon, I decided to leave teaching behind and give building a try.
With Central Oregon offering an arid climate and the best of 4 seasons, combined with my love for the high desert, Lana and I knew that is where we wanted our home to be. We purchased a lot and I began my adventure of building our first house. I met some great people along the way. One local builder became a mentor to me and helped teach me some of the trades. In fact, the person who did my roof on that first house is still the roofer on each of the homes I build today. Building that first home solidified the change of my career choice. Wittmer Construction was born.
Believe it or not, my teaching education gave me a lot of necessary skills to be a good builder. Planning, organization, and delegation have all made me better equipped to handle the responsibilities that come with building a custom home. Creating relationships with tradesmen and vendors along the way has been one of the most rewarding parts of building. Adversity is also something I learned about back in the college and teaching days. Central Oregon has seen its fair share. When WC first started, Central Oregon was really just beginning to blossom. Lots were not only available but also affordable. I’ve seen the ups and downs, so being able to adapt to the changing times has been necessary.
There you have it: a brief history of how Wittmer Construction got started. I pride myself on being transparent and relatable to my clients. I know that there are so many unknowns to people who might be building their first home. It can be both a stressful and exciting time in people’s lives. With humility, I learned from personal experience and I work hard to be the best builder I can be.
