LBA Builder of the Year – Thelen Total Construction

Randy Thelen & Melody Fehling receive awards from LBA

Randy Thelen & Melody Fehling receive awards from LBA

Randy Thelen was recognized as LBA 2016 Builder of the Year, a reflection of the Thelen Total Construction’s active role in the organization throughout the years.  We consistently supported LBA by participating in the Home Expo and the Parade of Homes, year after year. In addition, Melody Fehling, office manager at Thelen Total Construction chaired the 2016 Parade of Homes committee, and serves on the LBA Board of Directors.

Traditionally at the Lakeland Builders Association’s Christmas party and officer installation ceremony, awards are given to members in three categories: Builder of the Year, Associate of the Year and Cornerstone Award.

That night LBA’s first ever Foundation Award was given to Melody. Susan Keel, the 2016 President of LBA talked about how some members are the “foundation of an organization.” They are the go-to people when there is a question or a challenge. They are the people who give of their time unhesitatingly. They help move the organization forward in its goals.

2016 was a challenging one for LBA in which Executive Officer, Karen Mrozinski left for a career opportunity in May. The Raab Group was then hired to fill the Executive Officer role at LBA. Kathy Raab and her team are doing a great job with new ideas, experience and knowledge. During the transition, there’s a period of time needed to fully understand the member’s needs and what the goals are. Melody had a role in that –because of her close to two decades of involvement with LBA.

Under the leadership of Bill Ruebl, incoming 2017 President of the Association, new challenges and opportunities await builders and associate members. We look forward to an exciting and prosperous new year!

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2016 LBA Parade of Homes

Lake Beulah home featured in the LBA Parade of Homes

Lake Beulah home featured in the LBA Parade of Homes

One highlight of the summer months is the Lakeland Builders Association Parade of Homes.

Lakeland Builders Association and Thelen Total Construction have a long history together: At last count we’ve showcased 46 homes since the first LBA Parade of homes in 1989!  More than any other builder.

This year we will be featuring two homes; one on Pleasant Lake in the Elkhorn / Troy area, and one on Lake Beulah in East Troy. They are unique homes – personifying the style and features our homeowners wanted.

The Pleasant Lake home is just under 2,000 square feet – quite a departure from the 11,500 square foot home we showcased last year on Lauderdale Lakes! It cottage detailing makes for cozy retreat on the lake.

The Lake Beulah home is on a ridge overlooking the lake. Three stories of windows give you lots of natural light and inspiring lake views in this contemporary- looking lake home.

“We always look forward to the Parade of Homes”, said Randy Thelen. “It’s a great way for people to see the details and quality of the home and learn a little bit about the latest and best products used. We enjoy the “open house” aspect of it connecting with people in the community and visiting with past clients who stop by and say hello. We love that a few of our homeowners even lend a hand each year showing visitors our Parade Home. Our friendly staff wants to make your visit enjoyable and informative.”

Perfect, relaxing get-away cottage on Pleasant Lake.

Perfect, relaxing get-away cottage on Pleasant Lake.

The Parade of Homes Dates:

Saturday July 30 and Sunday July 31

Saturday August 6 and Sunday August 7

Hours: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

For more information on this home and other homes in the 2016 Lakeland Builders Association Parade of Homes, please visit the LBA website.

We look forward to seeing you!

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Randy Thelen inducted into Lakeland Builders Association’s Hall of Fame

Randy - LBA Hall of Fame

It was a very special night for Randy Thelen, who was inducted in the Lakeland Builders Association’s Hall of Fame at its annual Holiday Party and Officer Installation Ceremony on December 11, 2015. This award was a surprise to Randy Thelen, who graciously accepted the award from Susan Keel, the 2016 President of LBA and from his peers that evening.

Lakeland Builders Association owes its existence to a core group of area builders, including Randy Thelen who started Lakeland Builders Association in 1979 with $2,000 borrowed from the South Central Wisconsin Builders Association. The founders of LBA knew that vast educational and support opportunities available as members of the National Association of Home Builder would encourage and promote continuous improvement of the industry and the individual members. They looked forward to working with individuals and companies in the new association that would be held to high ethics, education and training standard as part of their affiliation. This type of dynamic organization benefits the public as well; creating a source of trusted and reputable contractors to choose from all facets of the building industry.

As a LBA founding member, Thelen Total Construction holds the distinction of being the company with the most years of membership in the association . Over the 36 years, Randy Thelen was responsible for bringing in more members to LBA than any other member.

Randy has served as President of Lakeland Builders Association three times, and has served on the LBA Board of Directors three times. He also served as Wisconsin Builders Association Southern Area Vice President, as has served as Past National Director of the National Association of Home Builders.

Thelen Total Construction has participated in the LBA Parade of Homes 25 times over the last 26 years; showcasing 43 distinctive homes, and is an exhibitor each year at the annual LBA Home Improvement Expo.

“We find membership in Lakeland Builders Association invaluable to our company,” stated Randy. Over the years, I’ve stepped down from a leadership role, because other members have much to contribute, and their involvement in the association would prove to be invaluable to them as well. For instance, Melody Fehling our office manager at Thelen Total Construction, has been involved with the LBA over the last dozen years, serving on several committees. This year she’ll chair the Parade of Homes and serve on the LBA Board of Directors.”

Lakeland Builders Association is a not-for-profit association serving the building industry and represents more than 150 members.  Members are individuals from companies involved in the construction, development, remodeling and servicing of single and multifamily homes in Walworth County and the surrounding area.

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GuildQuality Awards Thelen Total Construction a 2015 Guildmaster with Distinction Award.

2015 GuildQuality Guildmaster AwardGuildQuality, an independent customer satisfaction surveying company, has given the Guildmaster Awards since 2005 to recognize service excellence in the building, remodeling, contracting, and home services professions.

The GuildQuality team reviewed more than 1,100 applicants for its 2015 Guildmaster Awards. Thelen Total Construction received a Guildmaster with Distinction Award by GuildQuality for superior delivery of customer care. More than 300 builders and remodelers in the United States also received Guildmaster Awards.

 Guildmaster Qualifications

In granting the awards, GuildQuality considers two primary metrics for each candidate: The percentage of customers who would recommend and the percentage of customers who responded. Incorporating a high response rate in the calculations enables GuildQuality to confidently recognize top performing companies.

The average customer recommendation rate for businesses is approximately 70% in the home building and remodeling industry.  In order to receive a Guildmaster Award, a member must achieve a recommendation rate of 90% or greater. Our recommendation rate is consistently 100%.Thelen Total Construction Custom Home Builder

Last week I took a phone call from a homeowner we built for eight years ago. Expecting a call about a maintenance issue, I was very pleased to hear the homeowner say, “No, there’s nothing wrong. I was just thinking about our home and our great experience and felt I never took time to thank Randy personally for building us such a beautiful home.” That feedback describes one of the things I love about our GuildQuality membership; reading the positive comments from our clients, and being able to share them with our team. We are not perfect though. We also share with the team where it’s indicated we need to try harder.

Said Randy Thelen, President of Thelen Total Construction, “GuildQuality helps us manage our most valuable asset – our reputation. We rely on GuildQuality to independently gather client feedback and measure satisfaction so we can continuously improve our business. Supported by comprehensive reporting tools, GuildQuality helps us stand out in a competitive market.”  For more information, visit www.guildquality.com.

 

For more on the 2015 Guildmaster Award and qualifications, visit Guildmaster Awards.

 

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2015 LBA Parade of Homes; July 25-26 & Aug. 1-2

2015 Parade of Homes

During the 26 years in the Lakeland Builders Association Parade of Homes, we’ve featured many styles of homes: European Manor, Lake Cottage, Farmhouse, Contemporary, Craftsman, Rustic log style, to name a few.

This year we are excited to be the Grand Sponsor of the Parade of Homes! We have such an exquisite home to showcase – featuring  Tuscan influenced architecture. Its a melding of old world elegance with rustic tuscan to create a very special residence. So it’s appropriate that we decided to be the Grand Sponsor this year.

As a design / build custom home builder, what we build is a true reflection and statement of you. Inspired by your ideas we imaginatively transform your vision into your truly beautiful and functional home. And that home can be 2,000 square feet or over 11,000 square feet as this one is.

We are still hard at work on this home. It’s quite a large undertaking, and taking almost 2 years to complete! We are currently working on all the finish details that will make this a very memorable home to see. Mark your calendar for the last weekend in July and the first weekend in August for the unveiling of this masterpiece of craftsmanship and design.

Go to LBA Parade of Homes to find the latest information on all the homes in the Parade.

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