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In the early years, his black labrador, Goliath, was always at this side, while David was in the field full-time as a carpenter and expeditor. Goliath was the perfect "silent" partner----hence the name David & Goliath Builders Inc. David began in the home building industry at 16, working as a carpenter's assistant and then as a full-time carpenter after high school and through college. "Construction is in my blood, I can trace my family line to 15th century Portuguese ship builders and my great grandfather owned and operated the local lumber mill in Newmarket, NH. He built his own house, which is still in our family. I always knew I would pursue a career in home building. I worked for two area builders before I started my own business, so I had determined what I wanted to do differently," said David. "The thing that was most important to me was that I create a company where I didn't lose control over the building process. And to do that, I knew I needed to actually build the homes---that was the key ingredient missing in the industry. Builders no longer build,: explained David. "And this philosophy has been the heart and sole of David & Goliath Builders. We are a design/build company---we actually design and then build the homes---WE ARE NOT just a project manager or general contractor. A David & Goliath, we are Wisconsin's only true 'BUILDER' in the real sense of the word. We build our homes; we do not subcontract them out. We work as a team," states David. Management skills have always been necessary with David & Goliath Builders having carpenters (both rough and finish) on staff since the inception of the company. In addition, David has always handled the design and sales of all homes as well as management of all employees working out in the field. Now David has crew foreman in the field to assist with expediting the jobs and he no longer works in the field full time as a carpenter. David added a masonry crew to gain tighter control of the construction process. "I couldn't deal with overextended subcontractors. They were often delayed and the excuses were too much to handle. So, 10 years agao I decided to start my own masonry crew. It was the best thing I have ever done." Explained David. "Our hands-on approrach makes this company. Almost everyday we have an employee of the company out at the job. We build each one of our houses from the ground up. That is why our quality is superior and consistent. We know our jobs directly depend on a high quality product and a satisfied customer," says Ann. "Having our own crews also helps speed up the building process; there are no delays. Our business does not depend on waiting for subcontractors to show up. We have control over the most important aspects of the home-masonry and carpentry. In addition, the subcontractors we do rely on, we have been working with for over 14 years now---just to name a few: Spring City Electric, Energy Saving Systems, Roschi Brothers Well Drilling and O'Leary Plumbing and Heating," says Ann. "We have three excellent crews of superior craftsmen and they will tell you that they build each and every house like ti was their own home. Plus, we work with the same set of subcontractors-which is not a common practice in the industry. Most builders are worried about price and haven't established relationships with the same subcontractors. This in itself leaves them wide open for quality control issues, especially with model home builders who use their best subs for their model homes and the cheaper ones for the rest of their homes. The reproduced homes seldom look like the model homes," states David. "About seven years ago, we made the commitment to bring out design services in house full-time, so se did not have to rely on an outside draftsmen. We invested in a three-dimensional computer-aided design system. This has been a very important aspect to the success of the company. With the CAD system, we are able to control the change process and provide a tool to help our customers visualize their new home," explained Ann. David's brother, Jeff Rodrigues, manages the CAD (Computer Aided Design) Department, as well as assisting with sales. Jeff graduated from UW-Milwaukee with an engineering degree. David and Goliath Builders has enjoyed slow and steady growth over the years. They will undertake about 20 homes this year. They have built a list of satisfied customers and beautiful homes. Several of these satisfied customers are quoted in this story. You can begin your home building experience with one of David & Goliath Builders existing model floor plans or bring in your own ideas. Taking into consideration financial and lifestyle factors, your new home will be created on their three-dimensional computer-aided design system. David and Ann, as principals of David & Goliath Builders, are both very active in The Metropolitan Builders Association of Greater Milwaukee. They feel that involvement in the industry associations is very important. "Membership in this organization has been crucial to our success as individuals as well as our company. These organizations provide many educational opportunities. They also keep us informed of all crucial issues which are relevant to our business," says Ann. Ann and David both attended Waukesha North High School and graduated together in 1981. Then while attending UW-Milwaukee, they met again and began dating. Ann graduated with a mass communication-journalism degree and brought her expertise to the company on nights and weekends for the first few years of David & Goliath Builders. Ann had the company fully computerized from the beginning. She handles all the financial aspects of the company including bookkeeping, financial statements, payroll, government reporting, accounts payable, benefits administration, marketing and public relations. David and Ann reside in Pewaukee and have two children Valerie, nine, and Benjamin, seven. Visit them on the Web at www.davidgoliath. com.
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