How Witschi Construction’s approach has kept clients coming back
Witschi Construction was established over 35 years ago after its founder, Rudy Witschi, moved to the US from Switzerland. The company was initially operated by Rudy and his wife until their oldest son Nate, who is the company’s current CEO, came on board in 2010. The family business has grown over the years, employing Josh, the youngest son, as well as a team of dedicated employees who strive to maintain the boutique feel that has underpinned the business throughout its history.
Nate explains what Witschi Construction has become known for: “We specialize in high-end custom homes and renovations, but we also enjoy light commercial projects that align with our company. One of the things we enjoy the most is that we never build the same home twice, which keeps the job exciting and allows us to continually innovate our creativity. One example that speaks to this is a barndominium project we recently completed. It was a large workshop building that we transformed into a space that looks and feels like a home while maintaining some key industrial elements to keep its heritage alive. Another interesting project that’s currently underway is a modern home inspired by French and Tuscan design, incorporating features like teal windows with shutters and an exterior that’s completely covered in stone. This project blends modern living with an old-world charm that is very rewarding to create.”
Client relationships
Nate goes on to outline how the business’ dedication to sustainability targets impacts the building process. “One of the ways we make sure we can uphold environmental responsibility is to utilize the best materials, this is not only in terms of the best quality for the customer but also in terms of impact. The longer a material lasts, the less it needs to replaced or repaired, which in turn will use less fuel, less products being manufactured, and less emissions overall. Another factor that is important to us is the indoor air quality of our homes. We take measures to seal the outside pollutants such as dust, mold, or allergens, keeping the inside air clean and fresh. This can have great health benefits for our clients.”
Nate then highlights the impact building and maintaining positive relationships has on the business. “Clients will remember not only the home that they will live in for years to come but also the experience they had with us. Many clients may not know the ins and outs of the process because that’s not their background, they might not remember what the framing looked like on their walk through. What they will remember though, is how we interacted with them, how we communicated, how consistent we were with project updates. Ensuring that we are providing the highest level of service means that it remains a positive experience from the preconstruction stage, where we establish the right architect, landscaper, designer and builder to form the best team for the project, to the build where we are coordinating different vendors, suppliers and contractors. This gives the client the sense that we are always working in the best interests of the project and their desires.”
This leads Nate onto the company’s values and how they underpin this approach: “Our motto is ‘committed to quality’, which covers all aspects of the business, from the way we treat people to the standards and techniques we use for building our projects. Providing the highest levels of service for our clients feeds into this but it also affects the smaller things like keeping a clean site or maintaining safe practices.”
Working together 
Nate believes the company’s ongoing success and reputation are a result of this approach. “It ties into our core values of humility and integrity. My dad began operating this way and it’s something we have always continued because we see repeat clients saying that our integrity was a major reason they chose to work with us again. Homebuilding can be an intimate process that can last two years or more, and so trust is paramount. There’s a saying,” Nate continues, “if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together. This applies to how we view and manage the business, whether that’s bringing everyone together on a project towards a single goal or improving our internal processes as we always strive to be better.”
This perspective, which has led to the continued success of the business, also underpins the company’s ambitions for the future. Nate expands on these aspirations: “Rather than chasing specific set targets, we are aiming to constantly improve in all areas. By continuing to strive to become the best builder in our industry, we are equipping ourselves to seize the opportunities as they emerge. That said, we are looking to open a homecare division within the next five years which would provide a concierge type service and cover annual maintenance duties for the home and anything from minor repairs to redecorating rooms.
“Construction can be daunting; it is also chaotic at times. If we can control that chaos for our clients and simplify the overwhelming number of decisions and actions that take place during a project, we can minimize stress and curate an enjoyable experience that they can carry forward into an exciting new chapter in a beautiful bespoke home,” Nate concludes.
With a long-standing reputation, Witschi Construction has honed its practices into a complete service for clients. The values of integrity and humility that run through the organization have kept clients returning, ensuring it has maintained a positive reputation while growing from a small family-run operation to a much larger entity.