Vujovich Design Build Inc. offers design/build services for custom homes and remodeling projects.

After 30 years, General Manager and co-owner Edward D. Roskowinski says Vujovich Design Build Inc. has earned a loyal customer base by nurturing strong relationships with clients. “We want to be their contractor for life,” he states. “A lot of our clients have become good personal friends.”

Based in Minneapolis, Minn., the design/build firm specializes in custom homes and remodeling in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Roskowinski’s business partner, Peter Vujovich, founded the company in 1977.

Initially, Vujovich Design Build focused on restoration and remodeling turn-of-the-century homes. However, “[We] have more recently expanded into what I would consider more straight-forward remodeling projects, as well as custom new homes,” Roskowinski says.

Vujovich Design Build operates two divisions located in Minneapolis and Afton, Minn., and maintains a 2,000-person database of past clients and important relationships. Roskowinski says the company develops strong relationships with clients by involving them in the design and construction processes. “We don’t keep the clients at arm’s length,” he asserts.

A longtime feature of this policy, Roskowinski says, is a notebook that is kept on project sites to facilitate communication between construction crews, subcontractors and clients. “It becomes a daily log of what’s going on,” Roskowinski explains. “Key decisions can be jotted down and logged while important client requests like ‘please feed the dog’ can be made.”

Roskowinski notes that the notebook can benefit clients who leave their homes when work begins, and return when workers are gone for the day. Although Vujovich Design Build also uses e-mail in a similar fashion, “We still [have a log] on site,” he states. “It’s a great communication tool.”

Making Changes
Roskowinski joined Vujovich Design Build nearly 22 years ago. “My background was actually in computer programming,” he remembers. After two years of working in programming for the First National Bank of St. Paul, Roskowinski became dissatisfied with his chosen career.

He then agreed to work with Vujovich Design Build for a summer, but ultimately decided not to leave. Roskowinski notes that he and Peter Vujovich have complemented each other well in the business. While Vujovich has the right personality for sales, “I’m more systems- and process-oriented,” Roskowinski says.

Vujovich Design Build has a strong reputation for its award-winning custom homes and whole house renovations, but Roskowinski says he gets the most enjoyment out of the company’s more modest projects, such as its kitchen and bathroom renovations. “Although they are small, these areas can have a substantial impact on our clients’ daily lives,” he says.

Primarily, he says, the company does not change the size of the spaces in these projects, but instead reconfigures elements such as windows, counters and drawers. “For me, the greatest joy is having a client really feel like we’ve made a huge impact on the efficiency or pleasure they’re getting out of their space,” he states.

Staying Involved
Because a large percentage of Vujovich Design Build’s business is earned through repeat clients and referrals, “The only way we can stay in business is by having happy clients,” Roskowinski says, adding that service is the company’s “No. 1 priority.”

During projects, the company quantifies success by “three key measures,” Roskowinski says. “We’re all paid based on our ability to meet those three criteria, which [are] to be on time, on budget and with a happy referring client,” he explains.

In addition, Vujovich Design Build’s employees are its own advocates, Roskowinski says. “We don’t really have a marketing department,” he says. “We feel it’s every employee’s responsibility to market the company.”

For instance, while working on projects, Vujovich Design Build’s employees let residents know the company is in their neighborhood by passing out their business cards. “Everybody’s so involved in the process,” Roskowinski says.

‘Continued Evolution’
Vujovich Design Build has no plans to branch out into other markets, Roskowinski says. He explains that the company is satisfied with its current range of work. “I think we have some level of diversity with our new homes, as well as remodeling,” he states. “I feel like we’re really good at what we do.”

However, the company is taking initiatives to improve its services. One method Vujovich Design Build uses to find areas of improvement is an evaluation of every project upon its completion. “[We look] at every project, and [analyze] what went well and what didn’t go so well,” he says.

Afterward, Vujovich Design Build implements changes to make sure the process is more successful the next time. Although these evaluations have only resulted in minor changes to its processes, “There’s always opportunities for improvement,” Roskowinski asserts.

“We tend to focus on what could be better and what in our process should be ‘remodeled,’” he says. “It’s our curse, in some ways, [and in others], it’s a continued evolution.”