Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Snellman Construction continues to prove the power of passion in homebuilding excellence
What does it take to build a true family legacy? Integrity, tenacity, passion? All the above?
Built from a band of ‘dream weavers and legacy makers’, Snellman Construction (Snellman) exemplifies all these qualities. The business was founded in 1965 with the aspiration to make homebuilding wishes come true, an ambition that it has more than excelled in throughout its tenure. A family business through and through, Snellman specializes in custom home building and high-end remodels, boasting an impressive project portfolio that encapsulates beauty in every build, proving the company’s longstanding heritage of quality craftmanship.
It’s been almost ten years since Modern Home Builders last spoke with Snellman, and it’s irrefutable that the US construction industry has changed tremendously in that time. From changing legislation to the Covid-19 pandemic and macroeconomic turmoil, the industry’s evolution has been tumultuous to say the least. However, one thing has remained consistent, and that’s Snellman’s commitment to ‘under promise and over deliver’- an ideology that continues to garner great recognition and success for the business.
Impressive track record
In July 2025, Snellman is proud to celebrate a significant milestone: its 60th anniversary – an achievement that represents six decades of true industry excellence. In commemoration of this milestone, Modern Home Builders sits down with John Snellman Jr., fourth generation Principal Owner and General Contractor, to reflect on the company’s journey thus far and uncover what its future might hold. He starts by offering some insight into Snellman’s history.
“We’ve seen a lot of changes over the last decade. We relocated from Connecticut to South Florida in 2017,” John begins. “I was the last of my family to make the move; we finished up the projects we were working on in Connecticut, purchased a commercial landscape business in Florida and relocated. The main motivation for the move was coming to a place that’s more supportive of small business. Relocating from Connecticut was not an easy decision to say the least, but it was important to take our skillset somewhere with more opportunity to grow. We ran that business for a couple of years, and then we had the opportunity to get back into the building side of things again.
“I got my GC license in 2020, and things have been on an upward trajectory ever since. We’ve taken on lots of exciting construction and renovation projects over the last four years and we’ve really enjoyed taking the Northeast work ethic and bringing it to South Florida.”
Now based in Delray Beach, Snellman has seen tremendous growth over the years. The business boasts a longstanding track record of delivering high-quality, luxurious projects with skillfulness, integrity and transparency, transforming dreams into reality and clients into close friends. The move from Connecticut was, perhaps, one of Snellman’s biggest evolutionary shifts, but the company immediately hit the ground running with a series of fantastic projects.
“The first ground-up, new construction project that we did in east Delray was on the intercoastal, of which we purchased the lot in peak Covid. Within seven days of putting the ‘For Sale’ sign up, we had around 120 phone calls,” John reveals. “We ended up selling the lot to a fantastic couple from Maryland who were incredibly hands-on with the project. They’d been designing this house for years – the husband even drew all the plans and elevations to scale for the architect – and this project was us truly building their dream home. The project didn’t have an interior designer; it was him and I working through the whole process, and I had a heavy hand in designing both the interior and exterior, including the landscaping. We’d bounce different ideas off each other and it was an enjoyable process.
Teamwork and family
“Another notable project of ours was a renovation for one of mine and my wife’s really good friends who also relocated from Connecticut, who had a terrible mold issue in their house,” he continues. “This project was particularly special to us because we went through the whole process together and they went from being our clients to really close friends.”
Officially recognized as the Best Homebuilder in Palm Beach County for 2025, Snellman’s journey has been nothing short of a true American success story – one that personifies the power of teamwork and family. With John and his brother Mark leading the company, the sun continues to shine brightly on Snellman as it continues to grow and prosper with a loyal team by its side.
With the 60th anniversary celebrations under way, John takes a moment to reflect on the factors that have driven Snellman’s longevity and success.
“I’m fortunate that I grew up to be in a successful family business. My grandfather, Kaj Snellman – who’s now 87 years old – was the trailblazer that immigrated here from Sweden in the 1950s with my great grandfather and started our business, and it’s amazing that he’s still alive today to see a lifetime of innovation and growth. Generation 3 is John Snellman Sr, my father. Sr. took our business from building mainly multifamily and small single-family homes to the high-end luxury brand that it is today,” he says. “We are now taking the family’s name and legacy to the fourth generation, and for us to be able to achieve that with full legal integrity speaks volumes about the business. That model has really been the foundation to the longevity that we continue to experience.”
Quality and growth
Building upon its existing legacy, it’s clear that great things lie on the horizon for Snellman Construction. With lots more exciting developments in store, John concludes our conversation by discussing his priorities for the company’s future.
“My goal is to continue building a really strong team, because we wouldn’t be able to do what we do if we didn’t have great people around us. I trust our team to make decisions for themselves, with integrity, and that will help us to grow,” he concludes. “Do we want to have a sign in front of every new construction in Palm Beach County? Absolutely not. We want to build for individuals who understand the quality of our work and can appreciate the communication that comes along with that. I want to be able to spend time with my family; I want to be a good dad to my two six-month-old twin girls and be able to spend as much time with them as possible, like how Sr. and my mother raised my brother and me.
“Once I had kids, my outlook on everything changed completely and I want to build something that I’ll be able to pass onto them. We are incredibly passionate about what we do, and we cannot wait to take the family business to the next level year after year.”